Nothing is more comforting than a big piece of pie in the evening, especially a big piece of blueberry pie. I made these cupcakes for my mother’s birthday last year, and they were a hit! I wanted to experiment with several different techniques that I don’t usually do, including a crust and a blueberry filling.
This buttery cupcake with a tart blueberry filling and light whipped cream frosting is perfect for any cupcake lover that has a soft spot for blueberry pie. What really makes this cupcake unique is the layer of flaky pie crust that was put in the bottom of the liner. It adds that extra finishing touch that really elevates this cupcake.
The amount of components in this recipe may be intimidating, but I promise you, it is totally worth it!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup cold, unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons cold water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons cake flour (not self-rising)
- 2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
- 4 1/2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons corn starch
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 3/4 cups of sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups of heavy cream, well chilled
- 1 cup confectioner's sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400° F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Put the bowl and paddle attachment of a stand mixer in the refrigerator. Cube the butter and refrigerate the butter. Put the cold water in a small cup, add the sugar and salt, stir to dissolve, and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
- Remove everything from the refrigerator. Sift the flour into the bowl, and position the bowl in the stand. Add the cold butter pieces and mix at the slowest speed until they are the size of peas. Slowly add the water mixture and mix just until it is incorporated and the dough just starts to come together. Add a little more cold water, 1 teaspoon at a time if the dough is not holding together.
- Form the dough into a flattened disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Remove the chilled dough disc from the refrigerator. Roll our one disc on a lightly floured surface until it is about 1/4 inch thick. Use a 2 inch round cookie cutter to cut our 24 pieces of dough (for the bottom crusts of the cupcakes).
- Place the rounds on the prepared sheet pan. Prick each round with a fork a couple of times. Bake until the rounds feel firm but are still pale, for about 9 minutes. Let cool on the pan for 5 minutes.
- Put the blueberries, sugar, lemon zest, and butter in a large pot over medium heat.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring constantly and crushing the berries as you stir to make juice.
- Reduce the heat to keep the mixture at a simmer and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until blueberry juices begin to concentrate, for about 8 minutes.
- Mix the lemon juice with corn starch to make a slurry. When the berries have finished cooking, turn off the heat and slowly add the slurry, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens.
- Cool completely for 15-20 minutes, and use immediately or transfer the mixture to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to a week. Bring up to room temperature before using.
- Preheat the oven to 350° F and line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.
- In a large bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Combine the milk, heavy cream, and vanilla extract in a large measuring cup with a spout.
- Cream together the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment until smooth and creamy, for about 1 minute.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well and scraping the bowl until incorporated.
- Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with adding the wet ingredients in two parts. Do this with the mixer at a low speed. Scrape the bowl and paddle until everything is incorporated and the batter is smooth.
- Let the batter rest for 15 minutes. Stir gently before use.
- Place pie crust rounds in the bottom of your liners, and then fill the liners 3/4 full.
- Bake for about 20 minutes. The cupcakes should still be very pale and turn golden on the edges. Let cupcakes cool in the pans for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
- Beat the heavy cream in the bowl of a stand mixture with a whisk attachment.
- Gradually add in the vanilla and confectioner's sugar.
- Whip until it becomes a light, fluffy, thick consistency.
- Frost your cupcakes, and enjoy!
Cupcake, pie crust, and blueberry filling recipes inspired by Jennifer Shea from Trophy Cupcakes.
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