Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes are a perfectly balanced treat that's decorated beautifully. They are amazing to make to celebrate a baby shower, Mother's Day, or any other event where you want to share a delicious sweet treat with family and friends.
Recipe Essentials
- 🍽️ Course: Dessert
- ⏱️ Cooking Time: 18 minutes
- 🍴 Servings: 12
- 🧄 Flavor Profile: Bright lemon cupcakes bursting with juicy blueberries and topped with sweet, creamy frosting.
- 🍚 Best Served With: A sprinkle of lemon zest and a cup of tea or coffee.
- 🧊 Make Ahead?: Yes, bake a day ahead and frost before serving, or freeze unfrosted cupcakes for later.
Summarize and Save This Content On
The best part about this lemon blueberry cupcake recipe is the authentic blueberry and lemon flavors. I use fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, and blueberries in both the cupcake batter and the frosting. This makes it taste as fresh and bright as possible, making it even tastier and enjoyable. You'll love that perfect bite of fluffy frosting and soft cake.
If you love the lemon-blueberry combination, you need to make these lemon blueberry scones and this easy blueberry lemon bundt cake. My lemon blueberry ice cream is another to try next!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's beginner-friendly: You don't need to be a professional baker to make these blueberry lemon cupcakes. It's completely homemade, but incredibly easy!
- It's perfect for entertaining: Not only are these made to share with a crowd, but the presentation is stunning, too. This makes them a lovely addition to a party or gathering.
- The flavors are balanced: The blueberries and lemon are balanced well with the other ingredients, so the cupcakes are not too sweet or tart.
Ingredients
Below are the most important ingredients in these blueberry lemonade cupcakes. They are common kitchen items that many people have on hand.
- Sour cream: I love baking with sour cream! It helps with structure, adds richness, keeps the cupcakes nice and tender, and the acidity helps activate the baking soda. I also use sour cream in this rhubarb coffee cake to keep it tender.
- Lemon: I use lemon zest and juice in the batter to have plenty of citrus aroma and flavor, which comes mostly from the zest! I do add a little juice to the frosting as well to keep it nice and bright.
- Blueberries: Use fresh and firm blueberries in the cupcake batter for the best result. They get coated in flour to help them suspend as the cupcakes bake.
- Cream cheese: Ensure that the cream cheese is softened to keep the frosting velvety smooth and not grainy. I prefer full-fat cream cheese as well for structure and flavor.
- Butter: Used in the frosting with the cream cheese to provide structure while balancing the tangy flavor. It will need to be softened, too!
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Lemon frosting: Leave out the blueberry puree and add ½ teaspoon of lemon extract and 1-2 teaspoons of zest to make it more of a lemon cream cheese buttercream.
- Add vanilla bean: Use ½ teaspoon of vanilla bean paste in the cupcake batter to add more sweetness and depth without interfering with the structure.
- Hint of lavender: Add ⅛ teaspoon of culinary lavender to the batter to complement the lemon and provide a subtle floral note.
If recipes like this appeal to you, check out my lemon raspberry cupcakes. They're out of this world good.
How to Make Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes
Before you start working on the batter for your blueberry lemon cupcakes, preheat your oven to 350F and line your muffin pan with cupcake liners.
Step 1: Prepare the cupcake batter. Start by mixing the wet and dry ingredients separately, then combine them. Last, coat the blueberries in flour and fold them into the batter.
Step 2: Scoop and bake. Now you can scoop the batter into the liners, filling them ¾ full. Pop the pan into the oven and bake the cupcakes for 16-18 minutes.
Step 3: Make the frosting. Combine your homemade blueberry puree with the cream cheese and butter and beat until smooth and fluffy.
Step 4: Cool and frost the cupcakes. Once the cupcakes are cool, pipe the frosting, add garnishes, and enjoy one with a scoop of lemon blueberry ice cream.
Expert Tips
- Cool the puree completely: Allow the homemade blueberry puree to cool completely before you mix it with the other frosting ingredients. If it's still warm, the frosting will be runny.
- Try frozen blueberries: You can use frozen blueberries in place of fresh in this lemon blueberry recipe. There's no need to thaw them either. Add them straight to the flour and into the batter!
- Avoid overbaking: Only bake your cupcakes until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of them comes out clean. Any longer and they will become dry and crumbly.
- Storage directions: Keep any extra cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. They don't last at room temperature for more than a couple of hours with the frosting.
More blueberry cakes that you should try are this buttermilk blueberry breakfast cake and my blueberry crumb cake. I can't forget to mention this sour cream blueberry coffee cake. It's so good, you'll want to eat the whole thing.
Serving Suggestions
- These would be a great addition to a fancy brunch spread! Some other items you can serve alongside the lemon and blueberry cupcakes are bacon pancake dippers and sausage crescent rolls.
- Drizzle some homemade blueberry syrup over the top of the finished cupcakes and allow it to soak in before frosting them to reinforce that lovely blueberry flavor.
- Scoop a small amount out of the inside of the cupcakes and add a tablespoon of blackberry jalapeno jam for more fruit flavor with a fun spicy twist.
Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes Recipe FAQs
You can't make good frosting with cold ingredients. The butter and cream cheese must be softened, or the frosting will be stiff and difficult to mix.
Overmixing the batter can make the cupcakes dense and tough. Only mix the batter until the ingredients are incorporated.
Yes! They are similar in consistency and taste, and the yogurt will add the same fat and acidity as the sour cream. Use plain, full-fat Greek yogurt for the best results.
Sure! Use a 9x13 pan and bake for 30-40 minutes, or 2 8-inch round pans and bake for 22-28 minutes.
Of course. Freeze them in an airtight container for up to 2 months with frosting or up to 3 months without frosting.
Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes
Ingredients
Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ¾ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ½ cup sour cream room temperature
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup milk room temperature
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour for coating blueberries
Blueberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- ½ cup fresh or frozen blueberries
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Garnish
- Fresh blueberries or lemon slices
Instructions
For the cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, oil, eggs, sour cream, lemon juice, lemon zest, milk, and vanilla until smooth and well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix gently until just combined. Slowly stir in the milk until the batter is smooth. Do not overmix.
- In a small bowl, toss the blueberries with 1 tablespoon flour. Gently fold them into the batter.
- Divide the batter evenly between cupcake liners, filling each about ¾ full.
- Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Let cupcakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
For the blueberry cream cheese frosting
- Add the blueberries, lemon juice, and granulated sugar to a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the berries break down and the mixture thickens slightly, about 6-8 minutes.
- Blend in a food processor until pureed, and let cool completely before using.
- In a medium bowl with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy.
- Add the powdered sugar gradually until combined.
- Add the cooled blueberry puree, and vanilla extract. Beat until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- If the frosting is too soft, gradually add more powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency, or refrigerate for 15-20 minutes before piping.
- Frost fully cooled cupcakes. Garnish with fresh blueberries or lemon slices if desired.
Notes
- Allow the blueberry puree to cool completely before combining it with the cream cheese and butter to keep your frosting from melting and becoming runny.
- Don't overmix the batter, or you'll have dense lemon blueberry cupcakes. Mix the ingredients until they are just combined.
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