Blueberry cupcakes
These blueberry cupcakes are a moist, and fruit filled cupcake topped with a delicious blueberry buttercream. They’re an easy twist on a classic cupcake, and the perfect bake for any blueberry lover.
These blueberry cupcakes are a beautifully moist and fruity bake. Topped with a delicious blueberry buttercream, they not only look fabulous they taste great too.
We’ve made them based on our favourite easy cupcake recipe but the added blueberries takes them to a whole new level, with very little additional effort.
How can kids help to make blueberry cupcakes?
I always like making cupcakes with my kids. Not only are they really easy, and it’s easy to adapt the basic recipe to make them a bit more interesting, and that’s exactly what we’ve done with this recipe.
Our basic cupcake recipe is one of the easiest things you can bake, and the addition of the blueberries doesn’t make it much more complicated. For the basic cupcake recipe everything just gets mixed together in one bowl which is great as it not only limits the mess, it means there’s less washing up to do!
When you make them, your kids will be able to measure out all the ingredients and add them to the mixing bowl. And once they’ve done that you just mix it all together. It’s really that simple.
Your kids may also be able to help you divide the cupcake batter among the cupcake cases. You might find it easier and less messy if they use a soup spoon or an ice-cream scoop to do it as they generally distribute just the right amount of batter.
Finally, your kids might like to help make the blueberry frosting and then use that to decorate the cupcakes. They’ll have the chance to practice their piping skills, or if that’s too difficult you can simply spread the icing on top of each cupcake with a spoon and get them to add the blueberry on top to decroate.
What’s the difference between a blueberry muffin and a blueberry cupcake?
The main difference between blueberry muffins and blueberry cupcakes is the sugar. Cupcakes have more sugar in them which makes them a bit lighter and fluffier, and of course, sweeter than muffins.
Both our blueberry cupcakes and muffins are filled with delicious fresh blueberries, but our cupcakes are also topped with a beautiful blueberry frosting.
How long do blueberry cupcakes keep?
As blueberry cupcakes have real fruit in them they won’t keep for quite as long as some of our other plain cupcakes. Having said that, they will still keep for a few days in an air tight container.
If you want to keep them for longer, you can freeze them for up to three months. Pop them (before being iced) in a freezer bag to store them. Make sure you defrost them fully before you decorate and serve them.
How do I stop the blueberries from sinking to the bottom?
Before adding the blueberries to your mixing bowl, mix them with a spoon of flour. This should stop them sinking to the bottom of your muffins. You can also add a few blueberries to the top of the muffin batter in their cases before you bake them.
Should I use fresh or frozen blueberries?
Yes. You can use either fresh or frozen blueberries to make these cupcakes.
If you use frozen blueberries, coat them in flour then pop them straight in your batter frozen, don’t allow them to defrost first. You may need to adjust the cooking time up slightly and double check that the middle of the cupcakes are cooked through after 25 minutes. You can do this by inserting a cocktail stick or skewer in the centre. If there’s still a lot of uncooked batter, pop them back in the oven for a few more minutes.
Frozen blueberries are more economical so are a great option for the blueberry coulis.
What can I use if I don’t have any self raising flour?
You should be able to fins self raising flour easily in your local shops here in the UK. If you live somewhere that doesn’t stock any or don’t have any at home, you can swap it for an equal amount of plain or all-purpose flour and add an extra 1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder and a generous pinch of salt.
What is baking margarine/baking?
Baking spread (Stork being a famous example) is just a non dairy margarine and can be used as an alternative to butter in baking. Baking spreads are perfect for baking cakes and cupcakes as they make them lighter and fluffier than butter. They’re also great for people with dairy allergies.
I still recommend using real butter for making icing as I find it has a better texture and flavour.
What else can I make with blueberries?
If you have more blueberries to use up, why not try our favourite blueberry bakes below:
Blueberry muffins
Blueberry crumble bars
Lemon and blueberry muffins
Berry yogurt parfait
Blueberry pancakes
Lemon and blueberry loaf
Blueberry and apple muffins
Blueberry scones
Banana and blueberry bread
Blueberry muffins
American style blueberry pancakes
Blueberry cookies
Blueberry crumble
Or if you want to make some other easy cupcakes, why not try one of these easy recipes:
Peach cupcakes
Blackberry cupcakes
Lemon cupcakes
Eton mess cupcakes
Victoria sponge cupcakes
Raspberry cupcakes
Orange cupcakes
White chocolate cupcakes
Strawberry cupcakes
Useful equipment
You might need the following baking tools/gadgets to make these blueberry cupcakes
Digital scales
Mixing bowl
Wooden spoons
Measuring cup
Measuring spoons
Apple slicer
Muffin tin
Cupcake cases
Wire rack
Piping bag
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Ingredients
For the cupcakes
150g (2/3 cup) butter or baking margarine
150g (¾ cup) caster sugar
175g (1 ¾ cups) + 2 tbsp self raising flour
½ teaspoon of baking powder
3 eggs
175g (1 cup) blueberries
For the blueberry icing
200g blueberries
300g (2 cups) icing sugar
150g (2/3 cup) butter
Blueberries to decorate
* If you don’t have any self raising flour, swap it for an equal amount of plain or all-purpose flour and add an extra teaspoon of baking powder.
How to make blueberry cupcakes
Preheat your oven to 180C / 160C Fan / 350F and get your kids to line a muffin tin with cupcake cases.
Measure all the cupcake ingredients out
Get your kids to measure out all the cupcake ingredients (except the blueberries) and add them to the bowl of a free-standing mixer or a large mixing bowl.
It doesn’t matter what order you add everything, but we find if we stick to the order they’re listed we’re less likely to miss any ingredient out.
Start by adding the baking margarine or butter if you’re using it. If you are using butter, it needs to be soft enough that it will easily mix in. If yours isn’t soft, get your kids to cut it into a few pieces and pop them in the microwave for a 5-10 seconds to soften it. Don’t do it for so long that it starts melting.
If, like us, you’re using a baking spread you can add it straight into your mixing bowl.
Measure out the sugar, flour and baking powder and add them to your bowl. Make sure when your kids measure the baking powder they use their finger to level the teaspoon so that you add just the right amount.
Finally, add the eggs. Get your kids to crack the eggs into a small bowl and then add them to your bowl. We tend not to add the eggs straight in to our mixing bowl just in case any shell goes in. If/when any does simply fish it out with a larger piece of shell or a teaspoon as it will stick to that much better than it will your finger. (And it’s a bit less messy). We also find it handy to have a spare small bowl nearby to put the egg shells in.
Mix the cupcake ingredients together
Using a hand held mixer, the k-paddle of your free-standing mixer, or even just wooden spoons, beat everything together until the cupcake batter is nice and smooth. Beat it all for a minute or so until there are no lumps of flour or butter showing but be sure not to over mix it or they won’t rise as well.
Get your kids to scrape down the sides of your mixing bowl with a spatula to make sure there’s no lumps of flour or other unmixed ingredients hiding at the bottom of your bowl.
Add the blueberries
Measure the blueberries out then coat them in a few tablespoons of flour.
Add them to your cupcake mixture then stir them in with a wooden spoon or spatula until they are well dispersed.
Bake the blueberry cupcakes
Using dessert spoon or an ice cream scoop get your kids to divide the cupcake batter evenly among your paper cases. An ice cream scoop often dishes out the perfect amount but if you need to, even them out with any left over cupcake batter from your bowl. Each case should end up about ¾ full.
Bake the cupcakes for about 20-25 minutes. The cupcakes are ready when they’ve risen and turned a golden brown colour. If you want to double check that they are ready, insert a cocktail stick (or a sharp knife) into the middle of a cupcake. If it’s fully baked it should come out clean. If there’s still some wet batter on it, pop them back in the oven for a few more minutes.
You can also check by pressing down gently on the top of a cupcake. It should sprint straight back up again if they’re cooked.
Remove the cupcakes from the oven and leave them to cool in the tin for a few minutes before removing them from the tin and popping them on a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the blueberry puree
Measure the blueberries out and blitz them in a small blender or with a stick blender until they are nice and smooth. Pass them through a sieve into a small pan. Add the lemon juice and caster sugar.
Heat the blueberries for five to ten minutes until they have thickened and reduced in volume. Remove your pan from the heat and set it aside to cool while you make the rest of the icing.
Make the blueberry buttercream
Start by adding the butter, icing / confectioners sugar, and a few teaspoons of milk to a mixing bowl or free-standing mixer. The butter needs to be soft enough so that it will mix in. If yours isn’t, cut it into a few pieces and pop it in the microwave for a few seconds to soften it.
Beat the butter and icing sugar using the k-paddle of your mixer or a hand held mixer until it is nice and soft. The longer you beat it for the softer it will become, so leave it mixing if you can for at least five minutes.
Once the blueberry puree has cooled, add it to your icing and mix it in.
Decorate the Blueberry cupcakes
Add the icing to a piping bag fitted with a large star shaped nozzle and add a bag clip at the end to stop it coming out the top. (The clip isn’t essential but it does make piping a bit easier, especially for children).
Get your kids to pipe a swirl of icing onto the top of each cupcake. If they need a hand you can help them to hold the piping bag down by the nozzle with one hand and squeeze it at the top with their other hand.
Add a blueberry to the top of each cupcake to decorate.
Serve and enjoy!
Blueberry cupcakes
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat your oven to 180C / 160C Fan / 350F and line a muffin tin with cupcake cases.
- Measure out all the cupcake ingredients (except the blueberries) and add them to the bowl of a free-standing mixer or a large mixing bowl.It doesn't matter what order you add everything, but we find if we stick to the order they're listed we're less likely to miss any ingredient out.
- Using a hand held mixer, the k-paddle of your free-standing mixer, or even just wooden spoons, beat everything together until the cupcake batter is nice and smooth. Beat it all for a minute or so until there are no lumps of flour or butter showing but be sure not to over mix it or they won't rise as well.Scrape down the sides of your mixing bowl with a spatula to make sure there's no lumps of flour or other unmixed ingredients hiding at the bottom of your bowl.
- Measure the blueberries out then coat them in a few tablespoons of flour. Add them to your cupcake mixture then stir them in with a wooden spoon or spatula until they are well dispersed.
- Using dessert spoon or an ice cream scoop divide the cupcake batter evenly among your paper cases. An ice cream scoop often dishes out the perfect amount but if you need to, even them out with any left over cupcake batter from your bowl. Each case should end up about ¾ full.
- Bake the cupcakes for about 20-25 minutes. The cupcakes are ready when they've risen and turned a golden brown colour. If you want to double check that they are ready, insert a cocktail stick (or a sharp knife) into the middle of a cupcake. If it's fully baked it should come out clean. If there's still some wet batter on it, pop them back in the oven for a few more minutes.You can also check by pressing down gently on the top of a cupcake. It should sprint straight back up again if they're cooked.
- Remove the cupcakes from the oven and leave them to cool in the tin for a few minutes before removing them from the tin and popping them on a wire rack to cool completely.
- Measure the blueberries out and blitz them in a small blender or with a stick blender until they are nice and smooth. Pass them through a sieve into a small pan. Add the lemon juice and caster sugar.
- Heat the blueberries for five to ten minutes until they have thickened and reduced in volume. Remove you pan from the heat and set it aside to cool while you make the rest of the icing.
- Start by adding the butter, icing / confectioners sugar, and a few teaspoons of milk to a mixing bowl or free-standing mixer. The butter needs to be soft enough so that it will mix in. If yours isn’t, cut it into a few pieces and pop it in the microwave for a few seconds to soften it.Beat the butter and icing sugar using the k-paddle of your mixer or a hand held mixer until it is nice and soft. The longer you beat it for the softer it will become, so leave it mixing if you can for at least five minutes.
- Once the blueberry puree has cooled, add it to your icing and mix it in.
- Add the icing to a piping bag fitted with a large star shaped nozzle and add a bag clip at the end to stop it coming out the top. (The clip isn't essential but it does make piping a bit easier).
- Pipe a swirl of icing onto the top of each cupcake. Add a blueberry to the top of each cupcake to decorate.
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