Blueberry Cupcakes

You’ve heard of breakfast for dinner, what about breakfast for dessert? If you like to start your day with something sweet like blueberry muffins or blueberry pancakes, you’ll adore these blueberry cupcakes. These cupcakes are tender; they’re moistened with a touch of sour cream and studded with blueberries that burst and become juicy in the oven. Before baking, they’re sprinkled with a spiced brown sugar mixture. Once cooled, swooping swirls of luscious blueberry cream cheese frosting are piped over the top for a luscious finish. Rachel Marek Blueberry Cupcake Components These blueberry cupcakes are made with simple ingredients that pack a punch. When made correctly, each individual component adds to the overall flavor.  Cake batter: These blueberry cupcakes are a bit sweeter and lighter than blueberry muffins, thanks to a few choice ingredients. Using cake flour for cupcake batter makes the cakes more delicate and crumbly than those made with all-purpose flour. The amount of sugar also changes the overall texture slightly, making the cupcakes moister. Lastly, sour cream, rather than milk or buttermilk, is used to moisten the batter and also adds a slight hint of tanginess to the cupcakes. Sugar topping: This three-ingredient topping (made with granulated sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon) acts similarly to the streusel filling inside a coffee cake. It adds a touch more sweetness as the sugar and spices melt into the cupcake batter as they bake. Frosting: Cream cheese frosting is everyone’s favorite—it’s not overly sweet and it has the most perfect creamy texture. To bring home the blueberry flavor, some blueberry jam is swirled into the frosting before being piped onto the cupcakes. Not only does it create a striking design, but it also adds a pop of color and flavor. 5 Tips for Making Perfect Cupcakes If you want cupcakes that come out moist and fluffy every time, consider the following: Cream the butter and sugar properly: To make cupcakes that rise to lofty heights, you want to incorporate some air into the butter and sugar mixture. This is the first and most crucial step. While eggs and leavening agents like baking soda and baking powder will give the cupcakes some lift, it’s important to start off by creaming the butter and sugar well and thoroughly. Use the mixer’s paddle attachment to beat the mixture until it is light, fluffy, and almost doubled in volume. Slowly incorporate the eggs: By adding eggs to the batter one at a time, they will incorporate into the batter much more easily. Be sure to wait until each egg is fully mixed in before adding the next; also, stop a few times to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Use room-temperature ingredients: This is especially important for butter and eggs. The overall texture of the cupcakes will be much more even if you allow your ingredients to come to room temperature before mixing. Alternate adding wet and dry ingredients. We do this for the same reason we use room-temperature ingredients. Give the batter time to rehydrate before adding more flour and your cupcakes will bake up moist and even each time. Don’t overmix. This is probably the number one mistake home cooks make when making baked goods like cakes and cupcakes, but also cookies and brownies. Stir the batter just until the flour is incorporated. Overmixing can make the cupcakes tough and dry. Testing the Cupcakes Are Done These blueberry cupcakes are quite moist, and since they’re chock-full of blueberries, testing for doneness can sometimes be deceiving. When inserting a toothpick into the cupcake, it will likely be covered in juices from the berries—you may have to poke it more than once to find a spot where you don’t encounter a blueberry. Once you find it, the toothpick should come out with some moist cake crumbs still attached. Directions Rachel Marek Make the topping: Mix together granulated and brown sugars and cinnamon. Rachel Marek Preheat oven, line muffin pan cups, and sift dry ingredients: Preheat oven to 375 degrees with rack in upper third of oven. Line cups of a standard muffin tin with baking cups. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Rachel Marek Cream butter and sugar: Beat together butter and granulated sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Rachel Marek Add eggs, one at a time, and vanilla: Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, then beat in vanilla, scraping down sides of bowl. Rachel Marek Add flour and sour cream, in three additions: Reduce speed to low, and beat in flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with sour cream and beginning and ending with flour. Rachel Marek Add berries: Fold in blueberries. Rachel Marek Divide batter between muffin cups: Divide batter among baking cups. Add topping, pressing to adhere to batter. Rachel Marek Rachel Marek Bake and cool: Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 20 to 21 minutes. Remove cupcakes from tin, and let cool completely on a wire rack. Rachel Marek Combine butter and cream cheese for frosting: Beat together butter and cream cheese with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Rachel Marek Add vanilla and confectioners’ sugar: Reduce speed to low, and gradually beat in vanilla and confectioners’ sugar. Raise speed to medium-high, and beat 1 minute. Rachel Marek Add jam and spoon into pastry bag: Spoon jam on top of icing, and without stirring, spoon icing into a disposable pastry bag. Rachel Marek Pipe frosting: Snip off a 3/4-inch opening in tip, and pipe swirled mounds of icing on top of each cupcake. Rachel Marek Storing Blueberry Cupcakes Frosted cupcakes are best eaten immediately, but can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours. Before serving, let the cupcakes sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes to remove the chill.  Make Ahead The cupcakes and frosting can each be made one day ahead of time and stored separately—the cupcakes at room temperature and the frosting in the refrigerator. The frosting should return to room temperature before swirling onto the cupcakes. Frequently Asked Questions What is the difference between blueberry cupcakes and blueberry muffins? The main difference between blueberry cupcakes and blueberry muffins comes down to sugar. Cupcakes usually contain more sugar than muffins. More sugar means a lighter and less dense texture. Can I use frozen blueberries instead of fresh? Yes, you can use frozen blueberries in place of fresh in this recipe. Remember that frozen blueberries tend to bleed their juices more than fresh, so if you use them, your cupcake batter will take on a blueish-gray tint. The flavor will be the same. If you do opt for frozen, don’t bother thawing them first—this will make them bleed even more. How do you keep cupcakes moist and fluffy? The best way to make sure cupcakes come out moist and fluffy is to avoid overmixing and overbaking. Mix the batter just until everything is evenly incorporated, and remove the cupcakes from the oven as soon as they pass the toothpick test for doneness. Is it better to make cupcakes with water or milk? Milk adds more flavor than water. This recipe uses sour cream, but you could certainly use regular milk or even plain yogurt instead if you prefer. More Blueberry Dessert Recipes to Try: Blueberry Crumble Blueberry Tart Blueberry Lattice Pie Lemon-Blueberry Tart Blueberry-Sour Cream Pound Cake With Lemon Cream Originally appeared: Martha Stewart Living, August 2012

Blueberry Cupcakes