Martha Stewart blueberry cupcakes topped with swirls of cream cheese frosting streaked with blueberry jam on a white plate
Desserts

Martha Stewart Blueberry Cupcakes

Martha Stewart Blueberry Cupcakes turn cake flour, fresh blueberries and sour cream into tender, moist cinnamon-crusted cupcakes with jam-swirled frosting in 85 minutes. It's an easy blueberry dessert for summer picnics, birthday parties or Mother's Day brunch, and it's make-ahead friendly.

Cream the butter and sugar for the full 2 to 3 minutes, until it turns pale and fluffy. Skip that and the cupcakes bake up dense instead of tall and soft.

Martha bakes a cinnamon-brown sugar topping right onto the batter, so it melts into a streusel-like crust as the cupcakes bake. She also spoons strained blueberry jam over the frosting without stirring, so the piping gives you purple ribbons.

What you need for this recipe

USA Pan 12-cup muffin pan (set of 2)

It shapes the 12 cupcakes and keeps the batter rising straight up.

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KitchenAid 5-speed hand mixer

It creams the butter and sugar quickly into the pale, fluffy base the cupcakes need.

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Riccle piping bags and tips set

They turn the jam-topped frosting into tall, swirled mounds on each cupcake.

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Pantry pick Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon vanilla extract, 8 oz

Real vanilla extract, not imitation, for a clean and full vanilla flavor.

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Martha Stewart Blueberry Cupcakes

0.0 from 0 votes
Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Medium
Servings

12

servings
Prep time

25

minutes
Cooking time

21

minutes
Calories

380

kcal

Cake flour and sour cream give these cupcakes a soft, moist crumb dotted with juicy blueberries. A crackly cinnamon sugar top and a jam-swirled cream cheese frosting finish each one.

Ingredients

  • 6 tablespoons granulated sugar

  • 1/4 cup dark-brown sugar

  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

  • 1 2/3 cups cake flour (not self-rising)

  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1 stick unsalted butter, softened

  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar

  • 2 large eggs

  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  • 3/4 cup sour cream

  • 6 ounces blueberries (1 ¼ cups)

  • 1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter, softened

  • 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  • 2 2/3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

  • 1/4 cup high-quality blueberry jam, such as Hero, strained (3 tablespoons)

Directions

  • Mix the topping: Stir together 6 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1/4 cup dark-brown sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl. Set it aside until the cupcakes are ready to bake.
  • Prep pan and flour: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees with the rack in the upper third, then line a standard muffin tin with baking cups. Sift together 1 2/3 cups cake flour, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
  • Cream butter and sugar: Beat 1 stick softened unsalted butter with 2/3 cup granulated sugar on medium-high speed. Keep going for 2 to 3 minutes, until the mixture looks pale and fluffy.
  • Add eggs and vanilla: Beat in 2 large eggs one at a time, then add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides of the bowl so everything mixes evenly.
  • Alternate flour and sour cream: Reduce the speed to low and beat in the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with 3/4 cup sour cream. Begin and end with flour, so the batter stays smooth.
  • Fold in blueberries: Gently fold in 6 ounces blueberries (1 1/4 cups). Stop as soon as they are spread through the batter, because overmixing makes the cupcakes tough.
  • Fill and top the cups: Divide the batter among the baking cups. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over each one and press it lightly so it sticks.
  • Bake and cool: Bake for 20 to 21 minutes, until golden and a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs attached. Move the cupcakes to a wire rack and let them cool completely.
  • Beat the frosting base: Beat 1 1/4 sticks softened unsalted butter with 8 ounces room-temperature cream cheese on medium-high speed. It takes about 2 minutes to turn pale and fluffy.
  • Add sugar and vanilla: Reduce the speed to low and gradually beat in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and 2 2/3 cups sifted confectioners' sugar. Raise the speed to medium-high and beat for 1 minute.
  • Swirl in the jam: Spoon 1/4 cup strained blueberry jam on top of the frosting without stirring it in. Then spoon the icing into a disposable pastry bag, so the jam streaks through.
  • Pipe the cupcakes: Snip a 3/4-inch opening in the tip of the bag. Pipe a swirled mound of frosting on each cooled cupcake.

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Want more like this? Try Martha's cookbook Cake Perfection.

FAQs

Can I use frozen blueberries instead of fresh?

Yes, and the flavor stays the same. Don't thaw them first, since thawed berries bleed more, and expect the batter to take on a bluish-gray tint either way.

How do I know when the cupcakes are done?

A toothpick should come out with a few moist crumbs, not wet batter. Blueberry juice can fool you, so poke a second spot if you hit a berry.

How long do frosted cupcakes keep?

They taste best the day you frost them. You can hold them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 8 hours, then let them sit out for 30 minutes before serving.

Can I make these ahead of time?

Yes, bake the cupcakes and mix the frosting a day ahead. Keep the cupcakes at room temperature and the frosting in the fridge, then bring the frosting back to room temperature before piping.

Can I swap the sour cream for something else?

Plain yogurt or regular milk works in its place, though you lose a bit of that gentle tang. Use the same 3/4 cup amount and keep alternating it with the flour.

This week on Amazon

Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals run through December 1. The picks from this recipe we would check first: USA Pan 12-cup muffin pan (set of 2), KitchenAid 5-speed hand mixer, Riccle piping bags and tips set.

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Martha's 100 favorite recipes, all in one book: Martha: The Cookbook.

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