Blueberry Cupcakes, Lemon Filling & Blueberry Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

Vanilla Cupcakes:
• 1 vanilla bean
• 1 cup (225 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 3/4 cups (175 grams) cake flour, not self-rising
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup (57 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/3 cup (75 grams) full-fat sour cream (or full-fat plain yogurt)
• 1/4 cup canola oil or vegetable oil (60 ml)
• 1 tablespoon pure (not imitation) vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup (160 ml) whole milk
• 32-48 fresh blueberries + more for garnish
Blueberry Cream Cheese Frosting
• 4 tablespoons frozen blueberries
• 1 cup of butter, room temperature
• 8 oz of cream cheese, room temperature
• 1.2 oz (34 grams) freeze dried blueberries, processed in a mini food processor until it is powder
• 3-5 cups of confectioners sugar, sifted
Lemon Curd
• 3 lemons
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/4 pound unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4 extra-large eggs
• 1/2 cup lemon juice (3 to 4 lemons)
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Method

Preheat oven to 350 F/175 C.

Split vanilla bean down the middle. Using the back of your knife, run the knife up the cut in the bean, scraping the seeds out of the bean. They will clump together, Add the tiny seeds to the sugar in a small bowl.

Use the back of a spoon to break up the vanilla bean clumps and mix them thoroughly into the sugar. Set aside.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Stir in the vanilla bean sugar.

Add the butter and mix on medium-low speed for three minutes, The texture should look like a very fine crumb texture.

In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, sour cream, oil and vanilla extract.

Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture, beating on medium speed until just combined,

Slowly add the milk while mixing on low speed.

Fill cupcake liners just over half full. Drop 2-3 blueberries in each.

Bake for 15 minutes and test with a toothpick to see if they are done. If not, bake a few minutes more. They should not brown.

Remove cupcakes from tin and allow to cool.

In a very small saucepan, cook frozen blueberries over medium heat until they soften. Mash with a spoon and cook another 2-3 minutes more on low heat, allowing the juice to evaporate until a thick paste forms. Do not let it burn. Set aside to cool.

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and cream cheese until combined and fluffy. Add blueberry powder and blueberry paste.

Add 3 cups of confectioners sugar and mix until well combined.

Add more sugar if necessary, until the mixture is creamy and spreadable.

Zest the lemons with a zesting tool or vegetable peeler. If using a peeler, scrape the back of the skin to remove any white.

Add the zest to a food processor with a steel blade.

Add the sugar and pulse until the zest is finely chopped.

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter. Beat in the sugar mixture. Add the eggs 1 at a time. Add the lemon juice and salt and mix well.

Pour into a 2-quart saucepan and cook on medium heat until thick while stirring constantly (about 10 minutes). It should remain just below a simmer.

Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Assembly:

Using a melon-baller or small spoon, scoop out the middle of each cupcake. Fill with a spoonful of lemon curd. Frost with blueberry frosting and garnish with fresh blueberries.

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