Vegan Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes
These vegan lemon blueberry cupcakes are soft, light and fluffy with lots of fresh lemon flavor. The whole blueberries and naturally-colored blueberry frosting perfectly complement the cupcakes!
Ingredients
Dry ingredients
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose plain flour spooned and leveled (note 1)
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest (note 2)
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- Pinch of salt
Wet ingredients
- 1 cup (250g) dairy-free milk room temperature
- ⅓ cup (80g) neutral flavored oil
- 3 tablespoons (45g) lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (140g) fresh or frozen blueberries plus 2 teaspoons of all-purpose flour
To Decorate (note 3 for alternatives)
- Vegan Blueberry Buttercream Frosting
- fresh blueberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line one or two 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners. This recipe yields about 14 cupcakes (depending on the size of your pan) so you will have a second batch.
Prepare the cupcakes
- In a small bowl, toss the blueberries with the flour until the blueberries are evenly coated in flour. Set aside. If you used frozen blueberries, set them aside in the freezer.
- Add the sugar and lemon zest to a large mixing bowl. Use your fingertips to rub them together until fragrant.
- Add the remaining dry ingredients to the bowl and whisk until the mixture is well combined and there are no lumps. Add the wet ingredients (except the blueberries) to the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Add the floured blueberries and fold the batter until just combined.
- Use an ice cream scoop or a large spoon to divide the batter between your cupcake liners. Each cupcake cavity should be three-quarters full.
- Bake the cupcakes for 20-25 minutes. If you used frozen blueberries, you may need to bake them for a few extra minutes. They are ready when you insert a toothpick in the center of a cupcake and it comes out with no wet batter on it (a few crumbs are fine).
- Cool the cupcakes in the tray for 5 minutes then transfer them to a wire rack.
Decorating the cupcakes
- When the cupcakes have fully cooled, use a spatula or piping bag to frost them. Decorate with fresh blueberries, lemon segments or as desired.
- Serve the cupcakes within a few hours. Store the frosted or unfrosted cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day, or in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Allow the cupcakes to come to room temperature before serving. The cupcakes freeze well but I recommend storing them separately from the frosting.
Notes
- Measuring the flour: Make sure you accurately measure the flour, otherwise your cupcakes may be dense and dry. Fluff up the flour in its container, use a spoon to add flour to your measuring cup, and level it off with a knife. Using your measuring cup to scoop flour out of the container will pack in too much flour. For the best results, use the grams measurements.
Gluten-free version: These cupcakes work with King Arthur's measure for measure flour, however the texture is different to the original. Other gluten-free flours will vary. - Do not omit the lemon zest as most of the lemon flavor comes from it. You'll need 3-4 medium lemons for the amount of zest and juice in the recipe. When you zest the lemons, try to avoid getting any of the white lemon rind as this can make the cupcakes slightly bitter.
- Alternatively, top your cupcakes with lemon buttercream from my lemon cupcakes recipe or cream cheese frosting from my red velvet cupcakes. I've listed more decoration/frosting alternatives in the post above.