August 14, 2023

Blueberry Cupcakes for the Mister

It's Chris' birthday today, and how do you express your admiration, gratitude and love for someone you've been with for nearly 20 years?  Food!

After a lunch of Harirra (Moroccan bean soup), homemade bread and a haiku about our boys, Chris enjoyed a few blueberry cupcakes on his special day.
I found the recipe in the August issue of Martha Stewart Living, and despite not usually liking Martha's cupcakes (I find the use of butter makes them too dense and dry), these were really good.  I modified it a little using lower fat options when possible.

These cupcakes are like a cross between a muffin and a cupcake--a cup-kin, we've decided to call them.  The sour cream makes them moist while the butter and cinnamon sugar topping gives the tops a nice crunch beneath the icing.

BLUEBERRY CUPCAKES (via Martha Stewart Living)
makes 18-20 cupcakes
Ingredients
Topping
  • 6 tbsp sugar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
Cupakes
  • 1 2/3 cups cake flour
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla 
  • 3/4 cup light sour cream
  • 1 1/4 cups blueberries
Icing
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
  • 8 oz light cream cheese, room temperature
  • 2 2/3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
  • 1/4 cup blueberry jam, strained
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line the cups of a standard muffin tin with papers.  Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and set aside.

In another bowl, beat together the sugar and butter with a mixer until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla, scraping down sides of the bowl.  Reduce speed to low, and beat in flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with sour cream and beginning and ending with flour. Fold in blueberries.
Divide batter among baking cups.  I found that unlike the original, which called for 12 cupcakes, I was able to make 20 since I didn't fill them more than 2/3 full.

Mix the topping together, and sprinkle on each cake, pressing to adhere to batter.  Bake until golden, 20-21 minutes and until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with crumbs attached.  Cool completely on a wire rack.
Icing: Beat together butter and cream cheese with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low, and gradually beat in vanilla and confectioners' sugar. Raise speed to medium-high, and beat 1 minute. Spoon jam on top of icing, and without stirring, spoon icing into a disposable pastry bag (I just mixed it all together).

Snip off a 3/4-inch opening in tip, and pipe swirled mounds of icing on top of each cupcake. Although best if eaten immediately, cupcakes can be refrigerated up to 6 hours and brought to room temperature 45 minutes before serving.
Happy birthday to my darling husband!  Your daily dose of patience, honesty (even when it's hard to hear), love and letting me sleep in each morning is noted and appreciated.  We love you!

4 comments:

  1. These look amazing! I love the blue icing!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Of course, these look delicious...but I *must* ask: where did you get your amazing plates?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Gorgeous and I'll bet they taste as good as they look! Happy Birthday, C!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Happy Birthday Chris! Enjoy those cupcakes!

    ReplyDelete

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