Week 25. "Ridiculously Amazing" Blue Velvet Cupcakes

Wow...I'm behind. Darn. That's ok, I'll just make two different kinds of cupcakes for the 4th of July :-) I was intrigued by the idea of a blue velvet cupcake, thinking it would be like red velvet...you know, a little chocolate-y. But no. It was crazy blueberry-full. Don't tell my sister, I used the rest of her blueberries... ps. I converted these measurements from metric, crazytown.



Blue Velvet Cupcakes

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter (at room temperature)
2/3 cup caster sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup fresh blueberries, blended
extra blueberries for cupcakes and decoration
4 tsp blue food colouring (obviously the more the blue-er)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk or natural yoghurt
1 1/4 cup plain flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 1/2 teaspoon white wine vinegar

Cream Cheese Frosting:
2 cups icing sugar, sifted
3 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter (at room temperature)
4 1/2 oz cream cheese, cold

a 12-hole cupcake tray, lined with cupcake cases

Preheat oven to 170°C/325°F (Gas 3).
Put the butter and sugar in a bowl and beat on a medium speed with an electric whisk until light and fluffy and well mixed.
Turn the mixer up to high speed, slowly add the egg and beat until everything is well incorporated.
In a separate bowl, mix together blended blueberries, blue food colouring and vanilla extract.
Add to the butter mixture and mix thoroughly until everything is combined and coloured (scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula).
Turn the mixer down to a slow speed and add half the buttermilk (or natural yoghurt). Beat until well mixed, then add half the flour and beat until everything is well incorporated. Repeat this process until all the buttermilk and flour have been added.
Turn the mixer up to high speed and beat until you have a smooth even mixture.
Turn the mixer down to low speed and add salt, bicarbonate of soda and vinegar. Beat until well mixed, then turn up the speed again and beat for a couple more minutes.
Spoon the mixture into the cases until 2/3 full. Drop in 2-3 blueberries per cupcake and bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until sponge bounces back when touched. A skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean. Leave the cupcakes to slightly cool in the tray before removing to wire cooling rack to cool completely.
When cupcakes are cool, spoon the cream cheese frosting on top.

Cream cheese frosting:

Beat the icing sugar and butter together with an electric mixer. on medium-slow speed until the mixture comes together and is well mixed.
Add the cream cheese in one go and beat until it is completely incorporated. Turn the mixer up to medium-high speed.
Continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy, at least 5 minutes. Do not overbeat, as it can quickly become runny.

**Hannah's Hints**

* Looking back at this recipe, I totally didn't follow it. Oops. Didn't sift the powdered sugar for the icing. But it was still delicious. Also, used regular instead of caster sugar. Eh. No one knew.

* Also, a lot of these measurements were approximate. Haha, that's ok.

* The white wine vinegar smells icky when it goes in, but it bubbles with the baking soda and it's like science...yessss. And, it cooks out.

* Also, I had mom blend the blueberries. Aaaaaaand I forgot to tell her how much to measure out first. So there were probably a lot more blueberries than it called for. But just put a TON of blue food coloring and you'll never know the difference.

* When you put the blueberries in to bake on the top, it looks like a crazy blue alien creature. I love it. I love when cupcakes have eyes!!