Funfetti Cheesecake Cupcakes with Cake Batter Cream Cheese Frosting

Funfetti and cheesecake in one cupcake? Who can resist?

Taste: Exactly like the name says: Funfetti with cheesecake!
Texture: Moist and cheesecake-y
Would I make these again?: Yes, they put a new spin on funfetti

Funfetti Cheesecake Cupcakes with Cake Batter Cream Cheese Frosting
found: Confessions of a Cookbook Queen

Funfetti cake batter ( use your favorite homemade or boxed version)
8 oz package cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 and line 24 muffin tins with liners.

Spoon funfetti cake batter into each tin until it is about 1/2 full. In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, egg, sugar and vanilla on medium speed until smooth. Spoon one spoonful over the top of each cupcake. Bake for about 15 minutes or until set.

Cake Batter Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 stick salted butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup white cake mix (MIX–NOT BATTER)

In the bowl of a mixer, beat butter, cream cheese and vanilla extract on medium speed until smooth. Add powdered sugar and cake mix and beat on low until just combined. Increase speed to medium-high and beat for 2 minutes. If frosting is too thick, mix in a bit of heavy cream or milk until desired consistency is reached. Frost when cupcakes are cooled.

Lemon Cupcakes with Blueberry Buttercream Frosting

I made these for a summer BBQ. I figured the fruit flavors would make for a light cupcake perfect for these hot temperatures. 

Taste: The cupcake had a perfect hint of lemon. The blueberry frosting didn't taste like blueberries at all. I even added almost double the blueberry puree. I wonder if there is blueberry extract I could have added? The frosting still tasted great though. 

Texture: Pretty dense cupcakes, but still moist. 

Would I make this again?: Yea, but I would try another fruit flavor icing. 

Lemon Cupcakes with Blueberry Buttercream Frosting
Found: Baking with Basil

Lemon Cupcakes
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
Grated zest of 3 lemons
2 Tbsp of fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is until incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in zest and vanilla. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk and lemon juice, and beating until just combined after each.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until golden brown and a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.

Blueberry Buttercream Frosting
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup blueberry puree
2-3 tbsp blueberry juice (from puree)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 Tbsp. lemon zest
pinch of salt
5-6 cups confectioner’s sugar

With a mixer, cream the butter on medium speed until smooth.

Add blueberry puree, blueberry juice, vanilla, lemon zest and salt, and mix on medium-low until well-combined.

Gradually add in the powdered sugar, beating on low speed until combined. Then beat for 3-5 minutes on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.