This cupcake, you guys. SO GOOD.
A picture of this cupcake has been up on my Facebook page since January and I’m so excited to finally share this recipe with you now that the weather is warming up and the berries are coming out.
Normally I wouldn’t think to put basil in a cupcake, but I needed a dessert, with basil, for a basil-themed dinner party I had with some friends and this is what I came up with. It even got my sister’s seal of approval and it would be an understatement to say she was skeptical about having basil in a cupcake.
I’m going to warn you know, there are a lot of components to this recipe. It’s not your typical cupcake and frosting kind of deal; it’s a cupcake with a filling, a frosting, a drizzle, and some candied lemon peel. With all that being said, this recipe isn’t that hard. I promise 🙂
I’ve been having way too much fun in my classes over the last few weeks. I’ll have a post all about that in a couple of days, but let’s just say wine tasting and baking my me one happy girl!
Anyway, back to recipe. This has a long list of ingredients, but don’t be intimidated! Chances are if you have general baking ingredients at home there will only be a couple of items you’ll have to buy. See how easy I make it for you?
{Also, I may or may not have come up with ideas for lots of new recipes. Prepare yourselves.}
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
- 6 tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- Zest and juice of 2 lemons
- 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
Blueberry Basil Filling:
- 2/3 cup blueberries
- 2 tbsp. cold water
- 1 tsp. lemon juice
- 3 tbsp. sugar
- 12 basil leaves, finely chopped
Lemon Basil Frosting:
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
- 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp. water
- 1 1/2 lemons, juiced
- 1 tbsp. (3-4 leaves) basil, finely chopped
Blueberry Reduction Drizzle:
- 2/3 cup blueberries
- 4 tbsp. sugar
- 2 tbsp. water
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
Candied Lemon Peel:
- Zest of one lemon, removed with a vegetable peeler, then cut into strips
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- Combine the butter and sugar for the cupcakes and beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the lemon juice and zest, stir to combine. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix. Finally, add the yogurt and stir together. Set aside.
- To make the filling, place all of the ingredients in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir frequently. When the mixture has darkened in colour, thickened, and the blueberries have begun to decompose, remove from the heat. Put in a bowl in the refrigerator for 15 minutes, so it cools and thickens slightly.
- Fill cupcake liners 1/4 full with cupcake batter. Add a spoonful of the filling to each cupcake and top with remaining batter. Bake for 20 minutes, removing from oven and cooling on a wire rack when done.
- Combine all of the ingredients for the frosting, slowly adding the powdered sugar and adding the chopped basil last.
- To make the blueberry reduction, place ingredients in saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. When mixture is dark, thick and blueberries are beginning to decompose, remove from the heat. Allow mixture to cool slightly.
- To make the candied lemon peel, place slices of lemon peel in a saucepan and cover with just enough cold water to cover them. You don't need a lot. Simmer for seven minutes over a medium heat (turning down, if necessary) and drain. Put the lemon peel back in the saucepan and add the 1/2 cup of water and 1/2 cup of sugar. Return to a simmer and cook over a low heat for 10-15 minutes, until the zest is translucent and the sugar-water syrup has thickened slightly. Transfer lemon peel to wax paper and set aside.
- Once cupcakes are cool, cover with frosting (you can pipe or spread it on) and drizzle the blueberry reduction over it. Top each with a blueberry and a couple of strips of candied lemon peel.
