Blueberry Vanilla Cupcakes with Whipped Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

Tick the ingredients as you go

Cupcakes

• 1 2/3 cups (209 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113 g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• 2 large egg whites
• 1/4 cup (60 g) sour cream or plain yogurt
• 3/4 cup (180 ml) whole milk
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• Seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean (or an extra 1/2 tsp vanilla extract)
• 1 1/3 cups (about 186 g) fresh blueberries

Whipped lemon cream cheese frosting

• 1 cup (240 ml) cold heavy cream
• 12 oz (340 g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 1 1/3 cups (160 g) confectioners' sugar
• 1 tsp fresh lemon zest
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• Optional garnish: fresh blueberries and mint

Instructions

1. 1

   Heat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan, plus 3 cups of a second pan, with liners (or plan to bake in batches).

2. 2

   Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together and set aside.

3. 3

   In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter with the sugar until it looks gritty. Whisk in the egg whites, sour cream, milk, vanilla extract and vanilla bean seeds.

4. 4

   Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and whisk until mostly smooth; a few small lumps are fine. Fold in the blueberries gently by hand.

   
5. 5

   Spoon the batter into the liners, filling each about two-thirds full so they do not overflow.

   
6. 6

   Bake for 20–22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

8. 7

   Leave the cupcakes in the pan for 10 minutes, then move them to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

9. 8

   For the frosting, whip the cold cream on medium-high until stiff peaks form, about 3–4 minutes. If it starts to look curdled from overwhipping, fold in a splash of cold cream by hand. Transfer the whipped cream to a medium bowl.

10. 9

    In the same mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Add the confectioners' sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla and beat for about 2 minutes. Fold in the whipped cream with a spatula just until combined; do not overmix.

11. 10

    Pipe or spread the frosting over the cooled cupcakes and garnish if you like. A large round piping tip works well.

    
12. 11

    Serve right away or refrigerate. Keep leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.