Blueberry Pancake Cupcakes with Maple Buttercream Frosting

Just when I thought I’d found the best recipe for a blueberry cupcake, I played around some more and came up with one that was even tastier! Since the baby shower was a brunch theme, I wanted to keep dessert on the same track so I wanted a cupcake that would be more like a pancake. These are pancake cupcakes with fresh blueberries folded in just before baking topped with a maple syrup buttercream and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar…. they’re like a whole pancake breakfast in just a few bites! Start by making the cupcakes. Preheat your oven to 360 degrees and line two 12-cupcake pans with liners. Sift together 3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt, 2 tbsp ground cinnamon and 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg in a mixing bowl and set aside.Cream 1 cup unsalted butter that’s softened with 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add 3 large eggs and 2 large egg whites, one at a time, beating well in between each one. In a glass measuring cup, whisk together 1/3 cup whole milk, 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract and 1 cup sour cream. Alternate mixing that in the mixer with the dry ingredients, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Fold in 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries (toss them in a tiny bit of flour first to stop them from all sinking to the bottom) by hand and fill each cupcake liner about 3/4 of the way full.

Bake for about 18 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

To make the buttercream, you have to play around a little bit to get it just right. Most recipes I found called for a maple flavoring and while that may provide a more intense maple flavor, I wanted to use fresh ingredients. I creamed 1/2 cup unsalted butter that was softened with 8 ounces cream cheese that was room temperature and then added 1/4 cup pure maple syrup. I then turned the speed down to low and added in 4 cups confectioner’s sugar. Here’s where you’ll need to assess the consistency… I had to add more confectioner’s sugar to thicken things up but you may need to add a tbsp of milk to thin it out a little. Once it’s the right consistency I put it into a large piping bag fitted with a 1M tip and swirled it onto the cakes. Sprinkle with some cinnamon and sugar and then top with a few fresh blueberries.