Lemon Cupcakes with Blueberry Buttercream Frosting

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Lemon Cupcakes with Blueberry Buttercream Frosting

June 14, 2011 by Brooke

I’ve been noticing some sort of lemon cupcake variation in the blog world lately and I had to jump on the bandwagon. Soo glad I did! The combo of lemon and fruit is light enough on those hot summer days when you are craving a cupcake but don’t want all the heaviness they sometimes leave. Since lemon pairs so well with fruit, have fun playing around with the flavor profile of the frosting. Blackberry, blueberry and blackberry, raspberry, strawberry, etc. With the plethora of fresh berries right now, tailor your cupcakes for any type social gathering you may be attending this summer.

(Printable Recipe)

Lemon Cupcakes with Blueberry Buttercream Frosting

Lemon Cupcakes

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
Grated zest of 3 lemons
2 Tbsp of fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.

2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is until incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in zest and vanilla. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk and lemon juice, and beating until just combined after each.

3. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until golden brown and a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.

Blueberry Buttercream Frosting

Adapted from Gimme Some Oven

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup blueberry puree
2-3 tbsp blueberry juice (from puree)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 Tbsp. lemon zest
pinch of salt
5-6 cups confectioner’s sugar

1. With a mixer, cream the butter on medium speed until smooth.

2. Add blueberry puree, blueberry juice, vanilla, lemon zest and salt, and mix on medium-low until well-combined.

3. Gradually add in the powdered sugar, beating on low speed until combined. Then beat for 3-5 minutes on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.

Notes

Cupcakes are best served the day they are made.
Store cupcakes in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
For more of a lemon flavor in the frosting, simply add more lemon zest.

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Posted in Cupcakes | Tagged Blueberry, Buttercream Frosting, Cupcakes, Lemon, Lemon and Fruit, Spring Desserts, Summer Desserts | 42 Comments

42 Responses

on June 15, 2011 at 12:29 am | Reply Vanessa

Brooke your photos are looking great!! I’m jealous!! I need some serious practice! Cupcakes look great
- on June 15, 2011 at 5:18 pm | Reply Brooke
  
  Thanks so much Vanessa!
on June 15, 2011 at 12:32 am | Reply bluemixer

These are beautiful! Usually blueberry frosting looks very unappetizing, (that’s why I’ve avoided making it) but yours looks delicious… I love the pink/purple hue.
- on June 15, 2011 at 5:20 pm | Reply Brooke
  
  Thanks Michelle! If you try it out, let me know. I love getting feedback.
on June 15, 2011 at 9:50 am | Reply marla

Such pretty little cupcakes – love that the blueberry actually turned our pink
- on June 15, 2011 at 5:15 pm | Reply Brooke
  
  Thanks Marla! I was so happy/surprised with how the frosting turned out. Thought for sure it would be more blue, but I’ll take the pink.
on June 15, 2011 at 1:48 pm | Reply Kelli @ The Corner Kitchen

Pretty, pretty cupcakes!!!

p.s. I love the antiqued board!! Will you tell us how you made it?
- on June 15, 2011 at 5:06 pm | Reply Brooke
  
  Thanks Kelli…I’ll send you the link. Its from Bakers Royale website. It was soo easy!! The natural colored wood slats in the previous post are from my parents house. They had some old barn siding in the attic. It was like finding a treasure. Haha!
on June 15, 2011 at 9:24 pm | Reply Meg's Everyday Indulgence

These are too adorable and sound to die for! Lemon is one of my favorites!
on June 17, 2011 at 8:57 am | Reply Lemon Cupcakes! | This Nest is Best

[...] Lemon Cupcakes with Blueberry Frosting from Baking with Basil [...]
on June 17, 2011 at 9:04 am | Reply thisnestisbest

These look so good! Cannot wait to try them with fresh blueberries!

http://thisnestisbest.com/2011/06/17/lemon-cupcakes/
on June 17, 2011 at 4:44 pm | Reply courtneyr rae jones

These looks amazing!
on June 24, 2011 at 10:59 pm | Reply Tiam

I just found your blog. As a cupcake and all desserts lover, I think I just landed on the most tempting blog ever.
Thank yooooouuuuuu
- on June 26, 2011 at 10:26 pm | Reply Brooke
  
  WOW!! Thanks so much for the compliment! Stop back often!!
on July 1, 2011 at 12:46 pm | Reply Monica

These look delicious! I am making them for the 4th of July!!!
on July 8, 2011 at 6:52 pm | Reply Diane

These cupcakes look beautiful! Do you put sugar or lemon juice in your blueberry puree, or is it pure fruit?
- on July 8, 2011 at 6:57 pm | Reply Brooke
  
  Thanks Diane! I found I had to add a touch of lemon juice but no sugar.
on July 18, 2011 at 2:49 pm | Reply Lemon Cupcakes & Raspberry Buttercream – Rescuing a Fiasco « Grazing Bears

[...] So. I found the recipe below from a great baking blog – Baking with Basil. [...]
on July 24, 2011 at 12:01 pm | Reply Kristin

What is the difference bewween blueberry puree and the juice?
- on July 28, 2011 at 10:28 pm | Reply Brooke
  
  Kristin – the puree are the actual berries blended together until broken down into a sauce form. To get just the juice, I used a mesh sieve and poured the puree into a sieve over a bowl, then used a spoon to push down on the puree to extract just the juice. Hope that was helpful.
on August 6, 2011 at 3:30 pm | Reply mailani

how much does this make?????
on August 17, 2011 at 9:11 pm | Reply Blueberry Buttercream Cupcakes | Laura's Recipe Collection

[...] Vanilla Bean Cupcakes, originally from The Novice Chef , Blueberry Buttercream from Baking With Basil Share this:FacebookTwitterEmailPrintStumbleUponDiggLike this:LikeBe the first to like this [...]
on August 18, 2011 at 2:35 pm | Reply Amy

I came across this recipe while looking for a third variety of cupcakes to make for a big family birthday party. I thought that the chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter cream cheese frosting and the carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese frosting would be the star of the show, but I wanted something involving neither chocolate nor cream cheese in case any of the guests didn’t like these things. This recipe looked good, so it became our third, but it was TOTALLY the hit of the party! I’ve made them a couple of times since because they were SO GOOD!!! My new go-to cupcake recipe, thanks! I’m looking forward to making them with raspberry frosting for a baby shower in a couple of weeks.
- on August 24, 2011 at 1:44 pm | Reply Brooke
  
  Amy thats fantastic they were such a hit!! Thanks so much for taking the time to stop back and let me know. I love reading each and every comment, especially ones like this. I bet the raspberry will be delish as well!
on September 24, 2011 at 3:04 pm | Reply Tonya

So I recently began baking cupcakes, and my cute liners I use have been coming out oily and you can no longer see the print? Am I using too much oil in recipe? Or am I missing something else?
on October 27, 2011 at 2:56 pm | Reply Madelyn

These were so good and easy! Thanks. The blueberry frosting took a good cupcake to a great cupcake!
on December 14, 2011 at 1:16 am | Reply Andrea

I’m curious. Last time I made these I used blueberry, sugar, and lemon juice to make a blueberry puree. Was I supposed to do this or do I just use pureed blueberries?
- on December 16, 2011 at 9:47 am | Reply Brooke
  
  You can do either, it’s more of a personal preference. I liked adding the other ingredients for a bit more flavor.
  
  Sent from my iPhone
on April 11, 2012 at 5:53 pm | Reply Lemon Blackberry Buckle Cupcakes with Lemon Curd Filling and Blackberry Buttercream(ish) Frosting | compoundedmodifications

[...] Blackberry Buttercream Frosting (Adapted from Baking with Basil) [...]
on May 12, 2012 at 11:08 am | Reply molgina

Your frosting looks soo pretty! I made a cream cheese based blueberry frosting and it came out super purple lol check it out
http://cookingwith-gina.blogspot.com/2012/05/blueberry-cupcakes.html
on June 3, 2012 at 9:52 am | Reply Lemon Cupcakes with Blueberry Buttercream | The Smiley Kitchen

[...] chef to zest 3 lemons and puree a package of blueberries. It was found on Pinterest and from this blog. I’ve made it twice and received lots of [...]
on June 3, 2012 at 5:58 pm | Reply Karen

I made theses today and they taste amazing!
- on June 3, 2012 at 9:40 pm | Reply Brooke
  
  Thanks Karen!! I’m so glad you liked them! Perfect combo to welcome summer flavors!
  
  Sent from my iPhone
on July 18, 2012 at 6:17 pm | Reply Donna

i made these i had no lemon so i used lime instead and they were fantastic.I love the blueberry icing.It was so beautiful . thank you!!!
- on August 2, 2012 at 5:45 am | Reply Brooke
  
  I bet that combo was delish!! Glad you enjoyed them!
  
  Sent from my iPhone
on August 2, 2012 at 5:38 am | Reply roisingrace

I made these cupcakes at the weekend, and they went down a treat! So delicious, thanks for posting the recipe
- on August 2, 2012 at 5:42 am | Reply Brooke
  
  That’s fantastic!! So glad you liked them!
  
  Sent from my iPhone
on August 3, 2012 at 2:50 pm | Reply My Top Choices-50 Great Cupcake Recipes from the Blogosphere! -

[...] 4) Lemon with Blueberry Buttercream Frosting [...]
on August 7, 2012 at 6:57 pm | Reply Tina

I will bake them today, how long do you think the blueberry frosting will last? In the fridge and on the cupcakes?thanks
on October 7, 2012 at 12:21 pm | Reply Lemon Cupcakes with Blueberry Buttercream Frosting | Cupcake Recipes

[...] Brooke Pin ItShare Posted by admin in Fruit Cupcake Recipes and tagged with Blueberry, Buttercream, [...]
on November 13, 2012 at 9:35 pm | Reply Jenna

Wondering how many cupcakes this recipe will make..? They look delicious!!
on January 13, 2013 at 6:19 pm | Reply Jamie

I made this frosting yesterday with lavender extract instead of lemon and it was delicious however it started to separate and didn’t look as smooth and creamy as yours. Any suggestions on how to keep it smooth and stop it from breaking down? Maybe I didn’t purée the blueberries enough?