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 and 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?"

♥

I used Royal Blue Americolor Gel Paste to get the perfect color of blue. ♥ If it is too grey of a blue for you, you can also add a tint of purple to your blue batter!

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.

Your Own Bake At Home Version of my creation!

Ingredients:

1 box of white cake mix
1 1/2 Cups of Buttermilk
1/2 Cup Dry Instant Chocolate Pudding or 1 small 3.9 oz packet.
1/2 Cup Canola or Vegetable Oil
4 Eggs
1 tsp almond extract
1/2 Cup Blueberries (thawed if frozen)

Royal Blue Americolor Gel Paste + Violet Americolor Gel Paste-A few drops of each until you reach your desired level of blue color.

Optional: 1 packet of Duncan Hines Blue Raspberry Frosting Creations

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 and line your pans with 24 cupcake liners.
2. In one large bowl, sift white cake mix and chocolate pudding (dry right out of the box-not prepared) together.
3. Measure 1 1/2 Cups of Buttermilk in a separate liquid measuring cup.
4. In stand mixer, cream oil and eggs together until evenly whipped.
5. Alternately add your dry cake mix/pudding mixture and buttermilk to the creamed eggs and oil.  Add 1 teaspoon of almond extract.
6. Optional:  Fold in 1 packet of Duncan Hines Blue Raspberry Frosting Creations (you can buy these at your local grocery store in the baking aisle. Sometimes they are hard to find which is why I left this optional.  The blue raspberry frosting creations packet enhances the flavor of these cupcakes)!
7.  When your batter is smooth and you have scraped the bowl down a few times to make sure there aren't ingredients left on the bottom of the bowl, begin to add your Americolor gel paste for the blue in the cupcake.  I alternately add 2-3 dots of both Royal Blue Americolor Gel Paste and Violet until I reach a pretty royal blue color!  (see photos above for a match).
8.  Fold in 1/2 Cup Blueberries.
9.  Using an ice cream scoop, fill each cupcake wrapper about 3/4 full with batter.
10.  Bake for about 22-24 minutes or until cupcake springs back up when you touch it.

For those who are sensitive to food colors or prefer a more natural coloring:  The blueberries that you fold into this recipe will do the trick!  It will be more like a blue "swirl" in your cupcakes instead of the dark blue pictured here  Or instead of folding the blueberries in, you can puree the blueberries and pour the pureed mixture into your batter for a darker blue color.

Cream Cheese Frosting:(If you want to pipe the swirls like I did above, make sure you add enough powdered sugar to the frosting until it has peaks when you whip it).

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:  1 packet of Duncan Hines Blue Raspberry Frosting Creations
Edible Gems:  Chocolate Covered Blueberries (I found mine as pictured at the Bulk Priced Food Shop in Greenville, Wisconsin)

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 Milk or Heavy Whipping Cream & whip together until blended.

3.   Gradually add powdered sugar until it forms creamy peaks.
4.  Optional:  Whip the Blue Raspberry Frosting Creations packet into your frosting for a light blue color in your frosting and to enhance the flavor of your blueberry velvet cupcake!