Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes are the perfect tender and delicious vanilla cupcakes with juicy blueberries, tart lemon juice, and lemon and blueberry frosting.
This amazing Dessert Recipe takes simple Vanilla Cupcakes and gives them a refreshing Summer twist with fresh fruit flavors from lemon and blueberries.
LEMON BLUEBERRY CUPCAKES
This blueberry lemon dessert is easily flavored with fresh lemon juice, fresh lemon zest, and blueberries. The combination of sweet and tart summer fruits makes the vanilla cupcakes refreshing and perfect to enjoy during the spring and summer. You can serve them at your next birthday party, baby shower, or as the perfect dessert to finish off a BBQ.
Along with the blueberry and lemon flavor in the cupcake batter, there’s also fresh fruit flavor in the creamy frosting. This recipe uses a wonderfully simple Buttercream Frosting, but with the addition of lemon juice and blueberry preserves. Blueberry preserves not only add sweet blueberry flavor but also give the frosting a beautiful purple-blue blueberry color. The color makes them the perfect bright addition to any occasion.
You have a few options for the blueberry ingredients you use. We’ve used fresh blueberries in the batter, but if you don’t have any, you can always opt for frozen blueberries instead. Then for the frosting, you can buy your favorite blueberry preserves at the store, or make your own easy and delicious Blueberry Jam. Any of the options make absolutely amazing cupcakes.
MORE CUPCAKE RECIPES
Rich Chocolate Cupcakes
Valentine’s Day Cupcakes
Snickerdoodle Cupcakes
Rainbow Cupcakes with Vanilla Cloud Frosting
BAKING TIPS
- Prep time: Start by preheating the oven to 375 degrees and lining your cupcake tin with paper liners so that they’re ready to go as soon as the batter is done.
- Cupcake batter: Add the softened butter and granulated sugar to the stand mixer. Cream the butter mixture at medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and milk, and continue mixing until smooth. Sift 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. Make sure to leave some of the flour out for the blueberries. Once combined add the dry ingredients to the electric mixer. Turn the mixer speed to low, and stir until the dry and wet ingredients are just combined, but be careful not to overmix.
- Lemon and blueberry: Add in the lemon zest and lemon juice. Then in a separate bowl toss the fresh blueberries with the remaining flour. The four will absorb some of the blueberry juice so that they don’t sink in the cupcakes. Fold the blueberries into the batter to finish.
- Baking time: Scoop the lemon blueberry cupcake batter into the cupcake liners until they’re 2/3 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool at room temperature before adding the frosting.
- Blueberry Lemon Buttercream Frosting: Cream the butter at low speed, then add the powdered sugar ½ cup at a time until combined. Raise the speed to medium-high and continue mixing for another minute. Add the blueberry preserves and lemon juice. Mix for 1 minute until light and fluffy. Transfer the lemon blueberry butter cream frosting to a piping bag, and swirl the frosting over the unfrosted cupcakes before serving.
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VARIATIONS
- Toppings: For even more beautiful Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes, add some toppings over the buttercream frosting. You can add some extra blueberries and grated lemon zest over the frosting, or sprinkle large-gain sanding sugar on top for a bit of sparkle.
- Blueberry lemon cream cheese frosting: If you prefer a more tangy and less sugary frosting, replace the buttercream with Creamy Cheese Frosting. To make blueberry lemon cream cheese frosting, just add in the fruit preserves and lemon juice like we did with the buttercream in this recipe.
- Berries: You can make the same lemon cupcakes with different kinds of fruits like strawberries, raspberries, or blackberries. Or, use a combination of all the berries for delicious Mixed Berry Lemon Cupcakes.
MORE FRUIT DESSERTS
Fresh Strawberry Pie
Summer Fruit Galette
Blueberry Crumb Bars
Lemon Sheet Cake
HOW TO STORE
- Serve: Don’t leave frosted cupcakes at room temperature for more than 2 hours. However, unfrosted cupcakes can be kept covered at room temperature for 3 days.
- Store: You can put the cupcakes in an airtight container to store in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- Freeze: Once they’ve cooled, you can put unfrosted cupcakes in a freezer bag with parchment paper between each layer. They’ll stay good frozen for up to 6 months.
Ingredients
Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes:
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter , softened
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 1/2 cups flour , divided
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 cup blueberries , halved
Blueberry Lemon Buttercream Frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter , softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup blueberry preserves
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
Blueberry Lemon Cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a 12 cup muffin tray with liner cups.
- To a stand mixer add the butter and sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy.
- Add in eggs, vanilla, and milk until smooth.
- Sift together 1 ¼ cup flour (careful to reserve remaining flour for the bluberries), baking powder, and salt and add it to the stand mixer on the lowest speed setting until just combined.
- Add in lemon zest and lemon juice until combined.
- Toss the halved blueberries in a bowl with the ¼ cup flour.
- Stir in the blueberries carefully.
- Using an ice cream scoop fill the cups 2/3 full and bake for 18-20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool completely.
Blueberry Lemon Buttercream Frosting:
- To your stand mixer on low-speed cream, the butter then start adding in the powdered sugar in ½ cup increments until fully combined then raise the speed to medium-high for 1 additional minute.
- Add in the blueberry preserves and lemon juice and beat until light and fluffy for 1 minute.
- Add frosting to a piping bag and frost your cupcakes.
Nutrition
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Question—How much flour should we use total in the muffins? The recipe and the instructions don’t quite add up, unless I am mistaken.
Thank you for bringing this to my attention! I fixed the recipe card 🙂
Hi, I was wondering how/if you could convert this to gluten free? I was thinking of using long Arthur 1-to-1 gf flour.
Any tips would be greatly appreciated!
Would I be able to make this as a cake vs. Cupcakes?
Yes!
For 12 standard sized cupcakes you can make:
One (1) 9 x 13-inch baking pan
How long would you bake a 9 x 13 cake?
24 cupcakes make a 9 x 13 cake. It will take approximately 45 minutes to bake at 325 degrees. Every oven is different so it would be wise to use the “toothpick” method to check your cake in the middle around 40 minutes to be sure not to over bake. Enjoy.
Could I substitute some lemon extract for the zest or juice? I’m making 3 dozen jumbo cupcakes so that will be a lot of squeezing and zesting lol.
Hi
If using frozen blueberries do I thaw them first or use at frozen stage.
If you use them frozen they’ll add too much liquid and if you thaw and very gently dry them they will streak in the batter. I choose option 2 because the muffins will still be amazing, vs the additional liquid of option 1.