Wild Blueberry Velvet Cupcakes ♥

I have a wild imagination.

I know you probably have some wild in you too.

So I'm sharing a Wild Blueberry Velvet Cupcake recipe with you.

I see blueberries as nature's little edible ♥ gems.  They are blue on the outside..but how sensational is it that blueberries are bursting with violet on the inside!? Think of the blueberry as a beautiful ombre delight.  

My vision of a Wild Blueberry..Swirled with Electric Pink & Electric Blue frosting

(using Americolor Gels).  See my Rainbow Cupcakes Tutorial for how to Create A Rainbow Frosting Swirl.

Blueberries as the "gems" on top.

Sometimes I use chocolate covered blueberries on top. They're pretty & shiny. 

I buy them at my local Bulk Food Supplier.

What makes a cupcake *velvet*?

 Everyone has a different perception of velvet. To me..a velvet cupcake is rich. Rich in color...Rich in flavor..and combines some Luxurious tantalizing flavor journey that you can't quite explain. Leaves you asking, "What is that......Velvet?"

♥

Colors mixed to create the perfect "blueberry velvet":  Americolor Royal Blue Gel Paste (1 Tablespoon ) & Americolor Royal Purple or Electric Purple Gel Paste (1 - 2 Teaspoons).

You can liven up the blueberry flavor even more..by cutting a blueberry pop tart into squares.. and baking a square inside of each cupcake.  I pipe a small layer of blueberry batter into the cupcake liner, place a blueberry pop tart square on top  of this first layer.  Then I pipe another layer of blueberry batter on top of the pop tart. Sometimes..I don't even tell people about this surprise. The blueberry pop tart baked inside of the cupcake creates so much wonder.. "What in the world was that amazing gush of blueberry they just bit into?!"

You're turning Violet.♥

Wild Blueberry Velvet Cupcakes.

The Recipe 

Ingredients:

3 Cups Flour

1 1/4 Tsp Baking Soda 

1 1/4 Tsp Salt

1 1/4 Tsp Cocoa powder

1 1/2 Cup Veg Oil

2 1/4 Cup Fine Baking Sugar 

1 1/4 Cup Buttermilk

3 Eggs

1 Tablespoon Royal Blue Americolor Gel Paste

1-2 Teaspoons Royal Purple or Electric Purple Americolor Gel Paste

1 1/4 Teaspoons Apple Cider Vinegar

1 1/4 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract

1 1/4 Teaspoons Almond Extract

1/8 Cup Water

1 1/2 Cups Blueberries

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 and line your pans with 24 cupcake liners.
2. In one large bowl, sift flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder together.
3. In stand mixer, cream Vegetable Oil, Eggs, and Sugar together. After you have creamed these together, add your vinegar to this mixture.
4. In separate bowl, combine/ whisk liquids together: Water, Vanilla, and Almond Extract.
5. Alternate the addition of dry ingredients & liquid ingredients to the creamed mixture. 

6. Add colors and beat into batter, scrape down bowl in between addition of colors to make sure batter is colored evenly.

7. Using a spatula, fold blueberries into batter.

6. Fill Cupcake liners about 1/2-3/4 full and bake for 18-22 min at 325 or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cream Cheese Frosting

(If you want to pipe the swirls like I did above, make sure you add enough powdered sugar to the frosting).

8 oz Cream Cheese (softened)

½ Cup Butter (softened)

3-5 Tablespoons Milk or Heavy Whipping Cream

1 Tablespoon Vanilla

6-8 Cups Powdered Sugar

Optional piping tips to use:  French Star Pastry Tip, Open Star Pastry Tip

Optional colors to use in frosting:  Electric Pink, Electric Purple, Royal Purple, Royal Blue, Electric Blue

1.   Whip Cream Cheese and Butter until Creamy.

2.   Add Liquids & Mix together until blended.

3.   Gradually add powdered sugar until it forms creamy peaks.