April is flying by. It’s crazy. I feel like last week was really fast, which surprised me because it was my first week back at school from spring break. I appreciate that it felt quick, but I’m a little unhappy that it was because I had a test on Friday and I was stressed out. Whenever I have a big important test at the end of a week, the week seems to go by quickly.
I have a lot gong on right now, from final exams to my dance school’s spring performance. I’m trying to balance all of my activities, while also be thinking about the future and next school year. It’s all a little much for me right now but I’m trying my best to work hard and stay focused. With that being said, baking is a little lower on my list of priorities so I’ll probably be posting less in the coming weeks.
On another note. this is my ONE HUNDREDTH POST. That is so crazy. Not all of my posts are recipes, but most of them are. So I guess this is a pretty momentous post.
For such an anniversary, we certainly need some sweets to celebrate. Cupcakes sound perfect to me, so here we are! I actually didn’t plan this but I guess sometimes stuff just works out. And these cupcakes are pretty great. I prefer chocolate cupcakes, but I have gotten lots of good feedback on these so I figure they must be good.
Describe these Cupcakes to Me
Taste: These cupcakes taste so springy and light! The cupcakes are swirled with almond paste, almond extract, lemon, and buttery vanilla. Then they’re filled with a fruity blueberry compote and topped with a matching blueberry frosting.
Texture: Like all cupcakes should be, these are perfectly fluffy with a moist crumb. Plus you’ve got that blueberry compote filling to offer a refreshing fruitiness to it, and a creamy blueberry frosting to top it all off.
Ease: These cupcakes are pretty simple to make, The batter is nothing special, just a classic vanilla batter with a few additions. You do have to leave time to make the filling, but it’s also super quick. And lastly, we have that frosting which is pretty straightforward but has the added step of pulsing some freeze dried blueberries.
The Batter
This batter is a pretty familiar cake batter, but there are a couple of special steps we take to make sure these are packed with flavor. First off, make sure to rub your lemon zest into your sugar. This helps to release the oils in the zest, which brings out the flavor! Second, we are using almond extract and almond paste. Almond extract has a very strong flavor so we only use a little. As for the paste, it’s a lot less strong, and more sweet, so it offers speckles of almond flavor throughout the cupcakes without drying them out.
The Filling
The filling here is pretty straightforward. It’s a blueberry compote, which is like a simplified version of jam. It’s just a mixture of frozen blueberries, lemon juice, cornstarch, and sugar; cooked down on the stove. I like to use frozen wild blueberries because they’re smaller and have a brighter flavor. The cornstarch thickens up the sauce, and the lemon adds some tartness.
The Frosting
Ok before I start breaking down this frosting, would you LOOK at that color! It’s completely natural, and SO pretty. That color comes from freeze dried blueberries which get ground up and thrown into some vanilla frosting. The frosting is pretty simple otherwise, some butter we whip up, confectioners sugar, heavy cream to lighten it up, vanilla, salt, and the blueberries. You could even add a little lemon zest to brighten it up.
How to Fill Cupcakes
Alrighty, you have all your components made, so how do we fill a cupcake? The technique is really simple, you just cut a hole down from the top into the center of the cupcake. Pop that little cone-shaped piece of cake out and slice off the pointy part (save the hat!) Fill the whole with your blueberry sauce, and then place that little cupcake circle on top. Then all that’s left is to pipe on your frosting and decorate to your hearts content!
Almond Cupcakes with Blueberry Filling and Frosting
Ingredients
Method
- In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and cornstarch. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the frozen blueberries, sugar, and cornstarch mixture over medium heat. Stir frequently and let the mixture cook for 5-7 minutes or until it turns thick and saucy. It will begin to boil during this time, which will help it thicken up. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract and salt. Allow to cool while we make the rest of the cupcakes.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ and line a 12 count muffin tin with liners
- Add the granulated sugar and lemon zest to a large mixing bowl. Using your hands, rub the sugar with the zest to release the oils. Add the butter and almond paste and use a hand or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment to beat on medium speed until fluffy and creamy. If you still see some specks of the almond paste, don't worry! Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract and beat on medium speed until just combined. Set aside.
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add this mixture into the wet ingredients and beat on low speed until just combined. Stream in the milk and beat on low speed until just combined.
- Scoop the batter evenly among the liners. Bake for around 18-22 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow cupcake to cool completely in the pan.
- Once cooled, use a sharp knife to cut a circle into the center of each cupcake to create a pocket a little over 1 inch deep. The piece you remove will be cone shaped, so cut off the pointed end but keep the circular part. Spoon a little less than a Tablespoon of the blueberry filling into the hole to fill to the top, and place the round part you cut out on top to seal the hole.
- In a food processor, pulse the freeze dried blueberries into a very fine powder. You should have about half a cup. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl using a hand or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Once smooth, add the blueberry powder, granulated sugar, cream, salt, and vanilla. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then turn the mixer up to high speed and whip for at least one full minute.
- Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes, or use a spoon to spread it on. I used the piping tip Wilton 1M to create this swirly design. I like to top them with sliced almonds and blueberries, but it's up to you!
- Cupcakes stay fresh sealed in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
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