Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes

Lemon blueberry cupcakes are a delightful combination of tangy lemon and sweet blueberries, brought together in a soft and moist cupcake. Topped with a luscious lemon cream cheese frosting, these cupcakes are a true treat for your taste buds!

When the warm weather starts to roll in, I begin to think all things bright and light. These lemon blueberry cupcakes could not fit the description of bright and light more! The citrus gives these cupcakes a bright flavor note inside these moist, light cupcakes.

Lemon and blueberry might be one of my favorite flavor combinations for desserts. They just pair so well together especially topped with a creamy lemony frosting! From the first bite of this cupcake, you’ll get a super light cupcake base with a refreshing zing of lemon along with juicy blueberries sprinkled throughout. The tangy lemon cream cheese frosting really rounds out out the flavors of this cupcake.

Why You’ll Love This

Sunshine in every bite. The combination of lemon and blueberries is reminiscent of warm summer days and brings a refreshing twist to traditional cupcakes. The zesty lemon flavor provides a burst of freshness, making these cupcakes a perfect treat for warm weather gatherings or outdoor parties.

Light and fluffy. The cupcake is light, fluffy, and bouncy! Exactly what you want in a cupcake. No one wants a dense, dry, cupcake. You definitely won’t be getting that with these.

Crowd-pleaser. Cupcakes are always loved by both kids and adults alike, making them a versatile treat for any occasion. Whether you’re hosting a birthday party, a baby shower, or simply want to indulge in a sweet treat, these cupcakes will impress and satisfy everyone’s sweet tooth.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Here is a list of ingredients you will need to make lemon blueberry cupcakes. Make sure to scroll down to view the full recipe for exact measurements.

For the cupcake:

• Flour
• Sugar
• Salt
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Butter – you’ll want to melt this.
• Egg
• Buttermilk – if you don’t have this on hand, you can mix 1/2 tablespoon of lemon juice with regular milk and let it sit for 5 minutes. It won’t be the same but it’s a good hack.
• 2% milk
• Lemon zest
• Blueberries

For the frosting:

• Cream cheese
• Butter
• Lemon zest
• Vanilla extract
• Powdered sugar
• Lemon juice

How To Make Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes

Here is a general overview of the steps involved to make these deliciously simple lemon and blueberry cupcakes. Be sure to scroll to the bottom of this post for the full recipe.

Set the oven and prepare muffin pan. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a muffin pan with muffin/cupcake liners.

Whisk the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.

Mix the wet ingredients. In another bowl, whisk together cooled melted butter, egg, buttermilk, milk, and lemon zest.

Make the batter. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of the dry ingredients and using a spatula, gently fold and mix the batter together until just mixed with no flour streaks remaining. Do not overmix!

Toss the blueberries in flour. In a small bowl, toss the blueberries in flour to help prevent sinking to the bottom of the cupcakes. Add the blueberries to the batter and gently fold in.

Divide the batter. Using a large ice cream scoop, evenly divide the batter amongst the lined muffin pan.

Bake. Bake the cupcakes for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let cool completely and prepare the frosting. Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting. While the cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting by creaming together the cream cheese, butter, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and salt with a stand mixer or hand mixer. Carefully add in the powdered sugar and lemon juice and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy, or to a desired consistency.

Pipe the frosting. Once the cupcakes have cooled and ready to frost, add the frosting to a piping bag (or plastic bag and snip the corner off) and pipe frosting on top of the cupcakes. Decorate with additional blueberries, if desired.

Recipe Tips, Substitutions, and Variations

• Don’t overmix the batter! Cupcakes are generally lighter than cakes for a couple reasons: 1. you aren’t stacking them so the weight doesn’t weigh them down, and 2. you’re working with less batter, and because you are working with less batter, you really want to make sure you don’t overmix. You risk turning this into a pound cake-like density vs. a fluffy cupcake! It’s all about the science of gluten.
• Frozen blueberries work just as well. If it’s not blueberry season and you are craving these cupcakes, frozen works just as well. Do not thaw them though! Just pour it right on into the batter. However, I wouldn’t top the frozen blueberries on the frosting. It’ll be messy.
• Use a citrus zester and juicer. To get all that zesty goodness from the lemon rind, you’ll want to use a lemon zester. This one is my favorite and I’ve had it for years. Similarly, use a citrus juicer to get alllll the lemony juicy goodness from that lemon!
• Use the correct type of cream cheese. Don’t use the tub of cream cheese for this. You’ll want to use block cream cheese.
• Fill the cupcakes! For a fun and tasty variation, before frosting the lemon blueberry cupcakes, you can fill them with Homemade Lemon Curd! What a yummy surprise to bite into!

Storage Instructions

Once the cupcakes are frosted and decorated, they can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Bring them out to room temperature before serving or eating.

If you want to ensure that the frosting doesn’t get smushed, use this cupcake carrier or place cupcakes on a large round plate and use a glass dome to cover. Or…a recent hack I learned is to place the cupcakes on the flat lid of a container then put the cover on top, so essentially using a container upside down!

Want more cupcakes? Here are more tasty ideas!

• Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes
• Lemon Meringue Cupcakes
• Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes
• Honey Lavender Cupcakes

Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes

With bursts of lemon flavor and fresh juicy blueberries throughout, these moist and tasty cupcakes are the epitome of warm weather!

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Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 cupcakes

Author: Julie Chiou

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Ingredients 

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• ▢ 1 ½ cup (188 g) + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
• ▢ ½ cup (100 g) + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ ¼ cup (57 g) butter, melted
• ▢ 1 large egg
• ▢ ½ cup (118 ml) low-fat buttermilk
• ▢ ½ cup (118 ml) 2% milk
• ▢ Zest of 1 lemon
• ▢ ¾ cup (111 g) fresh blueberries, (you can use frozen too)

For the frosting:

• ▢ ¼ cup (57 g) cream cheese, softened
• ▢ 2 tablespoon (28 g) unsalted butter, softened
• ▢ Zest of 1 lemon
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 ½ cups (180 g) powdered sugar
• ▢ 2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

The default measuring system for this website is US Customary. Unit conversions are provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. While we strive to provide accurate unit conversions, please be aware that there may be some discrepancies.

Equipment

• Muffin pan
• Cookie scoop
• Hand mixer
• Stand mixer

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Instructions

• Pre-heat oven to 350 °F (177 °C) and line muffin pan with muffin liners.
• In a large bowl, add flour plus the 1 tablespoon of flour. Whisk together with sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
• In another bowl, whisk together melted butter and egg. Then whisk in buttermilk, milk, and the lemon zest. Add the wet ingredients into the bowl of the dry ingredients and stir and mix until all is incorporated.
• In a small bowl, toss blueberries with the remaining 1 tablespoon of flour. This ensures that the blueberries won't sink to the bottom of the batter when you add them to the batter.
• Add the flour coated blueberries to the batter and gently fold them in until all incorporated.
• Using an ice cream scoop, evenly divide batter amongst the 12 muffin cups.
• Bake for 25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the middle of the cupcakes come out clean. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
• In the meantime, while the cupcakes cool, prepare the frosting by beating together, in a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, cream cheese and butter with the lemon zest, vanilla extract, and salt. Gently add in the powdered sugar and the lemon juice. Beat until the frosting has come together.
• Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, place frosting in a piping bag and pipe frosting on top of cupcakes. Garnish with three fresh blueberries. Repeat for all cupcakes.
• Keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.

NUTRITION FACTS

Serving: 1 cupcake | Calories: 232 kcal | Carbohydrates: 36 g | Protein: 3 g | Fat: 8 g | Fiber: 1 g | Sugar: 25 g

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For the most precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator based on the actual ingredients you used in the recipe.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: blueberry, cupcake, lemon

Photographs by Eat Love Eat