Lemon Cupcakes with Blueberry Buttercream

More cake! I can't help myself. These were made in honour of my workmate's last day in the office. She's a glamorous kind of girl so the cupcakes had to look the part, and I wanted them to be sweet but not too cloying. After telling me her favourite colour is purple, I thought, "Ooh blueberry" and then I thought, "Ooh blueberry and lemon!" and then I thought, "I get way too excited about cupcakes" and tried to get back to work.



So this is just a lemoned-up version of a basic yellow cake recipe, with my attempt at a perfect wild blueberry buttercream. Without food colouring (I used Wilton icing colour in violet), the buttercream is a pretty, vibrant pink, so you may not even want to colour your frosting.

"I didn't really have a sweet tooth until you started working here," my co-worker said to me as we were eating these. I'm a terrible influence! A street corner sugar-pusher. Then again, when it comes to getting your friends hooked on substances, there are probably worse things than cupcakes.

Lemon Cupcakes
Adapted from Basic Yellow Butter Cake via The Kitchn
Makes about 24
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon extract
zest of 1 lemon
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp salt
3 1/2 tsps baking powder
1 1/4 cups milk

Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C and line a muffin tin with paper liners. In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking powder. In another large bowl or in a standing mixer, beat the butter and sugar for a few minutes until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Beat in the extracts and lemon zest. Beat in the dry ingredients and milk alternately, starting and ending with the flour mixture.

Pour the batter into the prepared cups and bake for about 18 minutes or until a tester toothpick comes out clean. Allow them to cool completely before decorating them.

Blueberry Buttercream

1 cup butter, softened
± 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1-3 tbsp milk 
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup good quality blueberry jam (I used Bonne Maman) mixed with 1 tbsp lemon juice
purple food colouring (optional)

With an electric mixer, whip the butter for a minute or two until it's smooth and creamy. Add the powdered sugar a little at a time, adding a bit of milk if it seems like it's getting too stiff. Beat until smooth and incorporated, then mix in the food colouring. Gently stir in the blueberry jam mixture with a rubber spatula.

Taste it and get a good look at it - if it's too sweet, cut it with a pinch of salt or some lemon zest/juice. If it's too stiff and un-spreadable, add a bit more jam or milk. If it's too loose, add more powdered sugar. Frosting is my favourite part of a cupcake so I spend a lot of time trying to get it perfect; the amounts are always approximate and depend on your personal taste.

Get the buttercream on the cakes, and then get the whole thing into your mouth. How you do this part is entirely up to you.