Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes

Six things this Saturday.

1. I hate fresh blueberries. I hate the texture, and I even hate the flavor. They're like gross little balls of mush. But I love cooked blueberries. Blueberry muffins, blueberry cobbler, peach blueberry pie. Even blueberry yogurt. Bring. it. on. Just not with the fresh blueberries.

2. A cupcake without the frosting is really a muffin! Which means you can totally eat these for breakfast. Although, the icing has cream cheese in it. Breakfast food- bonus!

3. I found a lost dog yesterday morning. Well, actually, she found me. Then we found her owners. But not before she got to have a playdate with our dogs. She was sweet.

4. There is a mixing bowl full of this icing sitting in my fridge. I'm not really sure what to do with it or how to dispose of it. So there it sits. Taunting me.

5. I was going to bring these to our neighbors as a thank you for helping us move in...2 1/2 months ago. But since they didn't turn out exactly as I'd planned, they're getting brownies. More specifically, Ina's Outrageous Brownies. I hope they're not disappointed.

6.  It will seem like there is a lot of sugar in this frosting. That's because there is. Don't fight it. The fruit in the cake totally makes up for it.

Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes
Yields 16 cupcakes

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:
¾ cup plus 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour, divided
¾ cup cake flour
1½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
8 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
Zest of  1 lemon
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp lemon juice
½ cup milk, at room temperature
1 cup fresh blueberries

For the icing:
8 oz. cream cheese at room temperature
5 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup fresh blueberries
1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
Zest of 1 large lemon
1 lb confectioners’ sugar, sifted

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the ¾ cup all-purpose flour, the cake flour, baking powder and salt; whisk together and set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, sugar and lemon zest. Beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, blending well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and lemon juice.
4. Add half of the dry ingredients and mix on Low speed until almost incorporated. Add the milk. Add the remaining dry ingredients, beating until almost incorporated.
5. In a small bowl, toss the blueberries with the remaining 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour. Using a spatula gently fold the berries into the cake batter, fully incorporating all the dry ingredients.
6. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared liners, filling each about 3/4 full. Bake 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pans 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
7. To make the frosting, combine the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until well combined and smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Mix in the blueberries, lemon juice, and zest. Gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar until totally incorporated, increase the speed and then beat until smooth. Frost cooled cupcakes as desired* and store in the refrigerator.

*This icing is a little thin, so it's not the best for piping. I simply smoothed mine on with an offset spatula and garnished with an extra blueberry.

Source: Annie's Eats