These Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes are everything a summer cupcake should be! Each cupcake has a surprise lemon curd center and a swirl of blueberry buttercream that makes them look stunning and taste amazing!
The original post for lemon blueberry cupcakes was first published in June 2013. It was updated and republished in June 2026.
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Some flavor combos make you happy, and lemon and blueberry are one of them. That bright tart lemon mixed with sweet juicy blueberries is just so good together, no matter what you put them in.
I love using fresh fruit in frostings and fillings. The color and flavor are much better than anything from a bottle. These cupcakes are the perfect example of that!
The blueberry buttercream gets its natural purple color from a simple sauce made with fresh berries. No food coloring needed, and it's honestly one of the prettiest frostings I have ever made.
But wait, because it gets even better! I also added a surprise lemon curd center that takes these from good to great. Every bite has the perfect balance of sweet lemon cake, tart creamy filling, and fresh fruity frosting. One bite, and you will want to make them for every summer picnic.
Why You'll Love This Lemon Blueberry Cupcake Recipe
- Lemon cake mix upgrade. Adding lemon pudding mix, fresh lemon juice, and zest to the cake mix batter gives these cupcakes a bright citrus flavor. Nobody will guess they started with a box!
- Surprise in every bite! A spoonful of lemon curd tucked into the center of each cupcake takes this dessert over the top. It's the best kind of surprise!
- Gorgeous blueberry frosting. The deep purple color comes entirely from fresh blueberries. It's one of the prettiest natural frostings you will ever make.
- Perfect for any special occasion. Trust me, these cupcakes will be a showstopper on any dessert table. Make them for summer parties, baby showers, bridal showers, birthdays, or just because you love blueberries.
Ingredients Needed
A batch of lemon blueberry cupcakes comes together with simple ingredients and a few fun shortcuts. Scroll down to the printable recipe card for the exact amounts.
For the Lemon Cupcakes
- Lemon Cake Mix: A boxed mix gives you a soft, tender crumb. We will jazz it up with a few extra ingredients to make it taste homemade.
- Instant Lemon Pudding Mix: Adds an extra punch of lemon flavor and a soft, moist texture.
- Canola Oil: Keeps the cupcakes moist and tender.
- Lemon Juice and Lemon Zest: Use the zest from one lemon and its juice to replace some of the water. This adds a stronger citrus flavor to the batter.
- Eggs: Bind all the ingredients together.
- Lemon Curd: A spoonful of homemade or store-bought lemon curd adds a tart, creamy surprise to each cupcake.
For the Blueberry Buttercream Frosting
- Unsalted Butter: Set it out ahead of time, so it is soft enough to whip into a fluffy frosting.
- Salt: Balances out the sweetness from the sugar.
- Vanilla Extract: Adds a warm, sweet flavor.
- Blueberry Sauce: Fresh blueberries cooked with a little honey give the frosting a natural purple color and fruity flavor. Make sure it is completely cool before adding it to the butter mixture!
- Powdered Sugar: Sweetens the frosting and gives it a pipeable consistency.
- Heavy Cream: Makes the frosting extra light and fluffy.
Cupcake Variations
- Change the cupcake filling. Raspberry jam, strawberry preserves, or a spoonful of homemade raspberry pie filling are a delicious alternative to the curd. Use whatever sounds good to you.
- Try a different berry sauce. Fresh raspberries or blackberries can be cooked just like blueberries and will give you a different color and taste.
- Add blueberries to the batter. Fold fresh blueberries into the cupcake batter before baking to give the dessert even more fruit flavor.
- Make a layered lemon blueberry cake. Bake the batter in round cake pans, then fill and frost the layers.
- Try a different frosting. A vanilla frosting or lemon buttercream will also taste great.
How To Make Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes
These moist lemon cupcakes with blueberry frosting look like they took all day, but I promise they are so much easier than they look. Here is how to make them step by step.
- Make the lemon cupcake batter. Add the cake mix, pudding mix, oil, juice, water, eggs, and zest to a large bowl and beat until smooth. Spoon the batter evenly into 24 cupcake liners and bake. Remove and let cool completely.
- Make the blueberry sauce. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the blueberries and water. Stir and gently mash the berries until they burst and thicken into a jam-like consistency. Remove from heat, stir in honey, then let cool.
- Make the blueberry buttercream. Beat the butter, salt, and vanilla until light and creamy. Slowly add the cooled berry sauce and sugar, beating until smooth. Add the heavy cream and beat another 1-2 minutes to get it fluffy.
- Fill the cupcakes. Use a cupcake corer to remove the center of each cooled cupcake. Fill the cavity with lemon curd, then place the cake piece back on top to seal it in.
- Frost and garnish. Pipe a swirl of frosting onto each filled cupcake. Top with a few fresh berries or a small slice of lemon for a pretty presentation.
BruCrew Tips
- Zest the lemon before juicing it. Remove the zest, then cut and squeeze for the juice.
- Use fresh blueberries for the sauce. Fresh berries will give you the best color and flavor. Frozen blueberries will work, but will release more moisture, making the sauce thinner.
- Cook the blueberry sauce until thick and jammy. Keep cooking and stirring until the mixture is thick, then remove it from the heat and add honey.
- Let the sauce cool completely. Adding warm sauce to butter will end in a melted disaster.
- Use a piping tip for bakery-style swirls. A piping bag fitted with a 1M tip will allow you to create gorgeous swirls that look impressive.
- Double the frosting. The frosting recipe can cover 12 cupcakes with tall swirls. If you prefer less frosting, you can pipe a smaller swirl on the 24 cupcakes.
Storing and Freezing
Store the frosted cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Let them come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving for the best texture.
Freeze the unfrosted AND unfilled cupcakes in a single layer in a freezer bag for 1-2 months. Thaw at room temperature and fill and frost before serving.
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Recipe
Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes
These Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes are everything a summer cupcake should be! Each cupcake has a surprise lemon curd center and a swirl of blueberry buttercream that makes them look stunning and taste amazing!
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
- 1 -15.25 ounce lemon cake mix
- 1 - 3.4 ounce instant lemon pudding mix
- ½ cup canola oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¾ cup water
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup lemon curd
For the Blueberry Sauce
- ½ cup fresh blueberries
- 1 teaspoon water
- ½ tablespoon honey
For the Blueberry Buttercream
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup blueberry sauce
- 4-5 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Place 24 paper liners in a cupcake pan.
- Mix the dry cake mix, pudding mix, oil, lemon juice, water, eggs, and lemon zest until combined. Spoon evenly into liners and bake 22 minutes. Remove and cool
- Place the blueberries and water in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat. Use a wooden spoon to stir and to smash all the berries. Keep heating until the berries have softened and the mixture has thickened. Remove and stir in honey. Let cool completely before using in frosting.
- Beat the butter, salt, and vanilla until light and creamy. Slowly add the cooled blueberry mixture and sugar until it is fully incorporated. Add the heavy cream and beat on high for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Use a cupcake corer or a melon scooper to remove the center of the cupcakes. Fill with lemon curd and place the cupcake piece back on top.
- Spoon the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a 1 M icing tip. Add a swirl to the top of each cupcake and top with fresh berries.
Notes
- Zest the lemon before juicing it. Remove the zest, then cut and squeeze for the juice.
- Use fresh blueberries for the sauce. Fresh berries will give you the best color and flavor. Frozen blueberries will work, but will release more moisture, making the sauce thinner.
- Cook the blueberry sauce until thick and jammy. Keep cooking and stirring until the mixture is thick, then remove it from the heat and add honey.
- Let the sauce cool completely. Adding warm sauce to butter will end in a melted disaster.
- Use a piping tip for bakery-style swirls. A piping bag fitted with a 1M tip will allow you to create gorgeous swirls that look impressive.
- Double the frosting. The frosting recipe can cover 12 cupcakes with tall swirls. If you prefer less frosting, you can pipe a smaller swirl on the 24 cupcakes.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 226Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 50mgSodium: 236mgCarbohydrates: 45gFiber: 0gSugar: 34gProtein: 2g
Nutrition facts are an estimate and are not guaranteed to be accurate. If you need special diet advice, please see a registered dietician.
Ioana says
These cupcakes look so festive. I bet they are delicious too! (and the pics are fantastic)
cakengifts.in says
I made this cake,it was Fabulous!!!! My whole family enjoyed very much after eating it. Thanks for this amazing recipe……
Christiane says
i doubled the amount of blueberries in the blueberry frosting and it still didn't taste like blueberries. I really like this idea but i think the cake and curd is too strong for the frosting.
Jocelyn Brubaker says
Hhhhmmm that's strange because mine had a very strong blueberry taste. My lemon cake was not strong at all, which is why I added the lemon curd to the centers. Did you use fresh or frozen berries?
Cindy says
You could try using freeze dried blueberry powder to up the blueberry flavour.