Lemon Cupcakes With Blueberry Buttercream Frosting

1. 1

   Follow cake mix recipe specified on the box, except substitute lemon juice for the required amount of water and ADD 1 Cup of lemon curd (*the box I use called for 1 1/2 cups of water; so instead of the water I substituted 1 1/2 cups of lemon juice). Pour the batter into cupcake tins (number and pan prep specified on your cake mix box). Bake according to the box instructions, though it may take a minute or two longer since the curd makes the cupcakes so moist. Cool completely.

2. 2

   Cream together powdered sugar and softened butter until very smooth. Add the whipping cream, vanilla and blueberries** and whip for 2-4 minutes, or until well incorporated. Add more cream if needed to achieve a spreadable consistency.***

3. 3

   **My grocery store carries refrigerated individual fruit cups of blueberries packed in juice in the produce section (made by a major manufacturer). One of these, drained and mashed up, works perfectly for this recipe.

4. 4

   ***This frosting recipe makes a lot. It will easily frost 24 cupcakes AND a 9x13 cake (I usually make the cupcakes as specified above, and I make an additional lemon cake using another box of cake mix).

5. 5

   And finally, if you want the frosting to be blue, rather than purple, add tiny pinches of baking soda into the frosting as you mix it, until it changes color-note, the color will change the longer it sits. And if you add too much, you'll end up with green.

* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.