Blueberry Pancake Cupcakes

These are the perfect bite of my favorite breakfast in baby cake form! From light and fluffy the vanilla-blueberry cupcake to the blueberry filling and maple buttercream frosting– these really taste like a happy Saturday morning.

I have to be honest though. I cheated a little and used a package of Trader Joe’s Vanilla Bean Cake mix for the batter. TJ’s cake mix is quite tasty and it saved me from making more of a mess in my kitchen in addition to time in the kitchen. I thought about making my basic vanilla cake batter (used as a base for most of my cupcakes), but I just went for the easier route. I added some fresh blueberries into the batter to add an extra ounce of “oomph” and fresh fruity goodness.

Once the cupcakes were baked and cooled, I cored each of them and filled them with some organic blueberry fruit preserves (Trader Joe’s) and spooned a bit of pure maple syrup on top.

Once I allowed the cupcakes to sit for a few minutes, the maple syrup eventually soaked into the actual cake. During this time, I worked on my fresh maple buttercream frosting (Martha Stewart) which was a perfect compliment to these little tasty guys.

After piping a good amount of fluffy buttercream onto each little cake, I topped them with an extra blueberry…for cuteness and taste.

These blueberry pancake cupcakes are fantastic. They are full of flavor, the right amount of sweetness, and warm-fuzzy, feel-good feelings. What more could you ask for from a cupcake?

Blueberry Pancake Cupcakes

makes 18 cupcakes

1 package of vanilla cake mix (plus additional ingredients according to package directions)

1/2 cup fresh blueberries (plus extra for topping)

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

1/4 cup blueberry preserves

1. Bake cupcakes according to package’s directions. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before handling.

2. Core each cupcake down the middle using a corer (or simple take a small knife and remove bits of cake). Warm the blueberry preserves in a small bowl in the microwave until slightly fluid. Fill a small pastry bag with the preserves and inject the filling into the center of each cupcake (about 1/2 tsp). Spoon a bit of maple syrup around the filled core of each cupcake (about 1/2 tsp). Set cupcakes aside while you make the maple buttercream frosting (recipe below).

3. Fill a large pastry bag with the maple buttercream frosting and attach desired pastry pipe. Pipe frosting onto each cupcake (or spread on each with a spatula or knife). Top with a blueberry (or two!).

Maple Buttercream Frosting

from Martha Stewart

3 large egg yolks

1 cup pure maple syrup

2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg yolks on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes; set aside. In a small saucepan set over medium-high heat, bring the maple syrup to a boil, and cook until it registers 240 on a candy thermometer, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. With the mixer running, slowly pour syrup down the side of the bowl in a slow, steady stream, until completely incorporated, about 1 minute. Continue beating until bowl is just slightly warm to the touch, 4 to 5 minutes. Add butter, one piece at a time, until thoroughly incorporated and the frosting is fluffy, about 4 minutes more.

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