Growing up I always loved when my dad would make blueberry pancakes on Sunday mornings. There was something about the combination of maple and blueberry that was so perfect. That is why I decided to create these maple blueberry cupcakes! I first started making this cake recipe back when I would sell my baked goods at farmers markets. I recently got an email from a former farmers market customer that mentioned how much she loved these cupcakes. She asked if I would share the recipe so here it is!
My secret ingredient that makes these cupcakes so flavorful is that I use natural blueberry extract. Whenever I would make a fruit based cake I always felt that just adding in the fruit itself didn’t give it enough flavor. That’s when I started using natural fruit extracts in addition to adding the fruit itself. To get the maple flavor I use real maple syrup in place of some of the sugar. Real maple syrup alone will give the cake a great maple flavor, but I also use a natural maple extract to bump it up a bit. Silver Cloud Estates and Batko flavors are the two main brands of natural flavoring I use, but there are a lot of others out there.
I usually make this recipe as cupcakes, but it can easily be made as a layer cake as well. Just divide the batter evenly between two 8 inch round cake pans and bake at 350°F for 35-45 minutes. Be sure to check out my video on how to properly prep cake pans if you decide to make it as a layer cake. You can frost these maple blueberry cupcakes (or cake) with whipped cream or my simple vanilla buttercream.
Blueberry Maple Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 2 2/3 cups (11.3 oz) unbleached all-purpose flour (spooned into a cup)
- 2 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 16 Tablespoons (8 oz) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/4 cup (9 oz) sugar
- 1/2 cup (4 oz) pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon pure blueberry extract see notes
- 1/4 teaspoon pure maple extract, optional see notes
- 1/4 cup (2.1 oz) milk at room temperature
- 1 cup frozen blueberries see notes
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the unbroken eggs in a bowl of warm water to bring them to room temperature, set aside
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Sift the flour and baking powder into a mixing bowl. Add the salt and whisk well to combine, set aside.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the flat beater, beat the softened butter on medium speed for 1-2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
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Add the sugar to the butter along with the vanilla, blueberry and maple extracts. And mix on low until incorporated, then beat on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until the butter is light a fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
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Add the eggs one at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition until well incorporated. Be sure to scrape the bowl in between additions.
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Add the flour mixture to your mixing bowl in 3-4 batches alternating first with the maple syrup and then with the milk. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix well (about 30-40 seconds) after each addition.
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Fold in the frozen blueberries until they are evenly distributed.
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Fill each cupcake liner with about 1/4 cup of batter. I like to use a #16 disher/scoop to portion out my cupcake batter (see recipe notes). Bake at 350°F for about 20 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove onto a cooling rack.
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Top with whipped cream or my simple vanilla buttercream
Recipe Notes
- All-natural flavor extracts are a great way to ramp up the flavor in baked goods. I like to use both blueberry and maple extracts in this recipe. Silver cloud estates and Batko flavors are two of my favorite brands.
- I like to use frozen blueberries since they will not break apart as easily as fresh, but you can use fresh blueberries if you prefer.
- A 4 tablespoon scoop (sometimes called a #16 disher) is a great tool for portioning out cupcake batter.
- This recipe goes great topped with my simple vanilla buttercream.
- This recipe can also be baked as a layer cake. Spray two 8-inch round cake pans with non-stick vegetable spray for baking (like PAM® For Baking or Baker’s Joy). Line the pans with parchment paper and spray again, then use a pastry brush to spread it evenly. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and then tap the pans on the counter a few times to eliminate any air bubbles. Bake at 350°F for 30-35 (40-45 if using cake strips) minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean.
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