These lemon blueberry cupcakes are the perfect balance of tart and sweet! I have been on such a lemon kick lately, and I think I’ve found my new favorite treat.
And the lemon cream cheese frosting takes them straight over the top!
As a bonus, they look so beautiful, with their lovely pale yellow crumb and dreamy swirls of frosting.
I like to garnish them with extra blueberries and lemon zest for an elegant finish.
These cupcakes are seriously happiness in dessert form!
Why You’ll Love These Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes
Burst of Flavor: The zesty lemon flavor in both the cupcakes and frosting provides a refreshing taste.
Moist and Fluffy: The addition of buttermilk creates an incredibly soft, moist, and fluffy cupcake texture that melts in your mouth.
Crowd-Pleaser: These cupcakes are a perfect treat for spring and summer gatherings, baby showers, bridal showers, and birthday parties.
Versatile Recipe: This recipe is easily adaptable. You can substitute other berries like raspberries or strawberries for the blueberries.
Ingredients
- All-Purpose Flour: The foundation of the cupcake batter, providing structure and texture.
- Baking Powder: It helps the cupcakes rise and become light and fluffy.
- Salt: To balance out the sweetness.
- Unsalted Butter: It adds richness, moisture, and a buttery flavor to the cupcakes and frosting.
- Granulated Sugar and Confectioners’ Sugar: Granulated sugar sweetens the cupcake batter and helps create a tender crumb. Confectioners’ sugar is used in the frosting for sweetness.
- Large Eggs: They act as a binding agent.
- Vanilla Extract and Lemon Extract: For extra flavor and aroma.
- Fresh Lemon Juice and Zest of Medium Lemons: They add a tangy citrus flavor to both the cupcakes and frosting.
- Buttermilk: It adds moisture and a slight tanginess.
- Fresh Blueberries: They add juicy flavor and a pop of color.
- Full-Fat Brick Style Cream Cheese: The key ingredient in the frosting. It provides a tangy richness to complement the lemon blueberry cupcakes.
How to Make Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes
Don’t be intimidated by these cupcakes! They really are easy to make.
Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes:
1. Prep the oven and pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.
2. Mix the dry ingredients. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. Cream the butter and sugar. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
4. Add the wet ingredients. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract, lemon extract, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
5. Alternate the dry/wet. Alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined.
6. Fold in the blueberries. Gently fold in the flour-coated blueberries.
7. Bake the cupcakes. Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners, filling each about 2/3 full. Bake for 18-22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
8. Cool the cupcakes. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting:
1. Beat the cream cheese. In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter together on high speed until smooth and creamy.
2. Add the remaining ingredients. Add the confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then switch to high speed and beat for 2 minutes.
3. Adjust the consistency. Add more confectioners’ sugar if the frosting is too thin or more lemon juice if the frosting is too thick.
4. Frost and garnish. Frost the cooled cupcakes. Garnish with lemon zest and fresh blueberries if desired.
Tips For the Best Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes
Follow these tips for bakery-worthy cupcakes!
- Keep things at room temperature. Ensure butter, eggs, and buttermilk are at room temperature for a smooth batter that rises evenly.
- Fresh is best. Use fresh lemon juice and zest for the brightest lemon flavor in both the cupcakes and frosting.
- Flour up the blueberries. Toss the fresh blueberries with a little flour before folding into the batter to prevent them from sinking.
- Don’t overmix! Mix the batter until just combined after adding the flour to prevent tough, dense cupcakes.
- Let it chill. If the cream cheese frosting seems soft, refrigerate it briefly for easier piping and decorating.
How to Store
Here’s how to keep your cupcakes nice and fresh.
To Store: Store with the lemon cream cheese frosting in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The cool temperature helps preserve the cupcakes’ moisture and prevents the frosting from spoiling or becoming too soft.
To Freeze: First, place the unfrosted cupcakes on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Then, transfer to an airtight freezer-safe container or bag. Store for up to 3 months.
Store the frosting separately in an air-tight container. When ready to serve, thaw the cupcakes overnight in the refrigerator and frost just before serving.
Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes
12
servings10
minutes22
540
kcalThese lemon blueberry cupcakes are light, fluffy, and impossible to resist! The cream cheese frosting on top is the icing on the cake.
Ingredients
- Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Zest of 2 medium lemons
1/2 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
3/4 cup fresh blueberries tossed with 1 teaspoon flour
- Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 oz full-fat brick-style cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- To Make the Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract, lemon extract, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
- Alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined. Gently fold in the flour-coated blueberries.
- Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners, filling each about 2/3 full. Bake for 18-22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
- To Make the Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting:
- In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter together on high speed until smooth and creamy.
- Add confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then switch to high speed and beat for 2 minutes. If the frosting is too thin, add more confectioners’ sugar or more lemon juice.
- Frost the cooled cupcakes. Garnish with lemon zest and fresh blueberries if desired.
Notes
- Use room-temperature ingredients for a smooth batter.
- Toss the blueberries in flour to prevent sinking.
- Fill cupcake liners only 2/3 full to avoid overflowing.
- Use full-fat brick-style cream cheese for the frosting.
