Blueberry butter & Vanilla bean cream upside-down cupcakes

DISCLAIMER

If you are on a diet, trying to diet, want to diet or need to diet. This is not the recipe for you; it’s pure decadence, rich, sweet, heaven on a plate comfort food. So please check out a less fatty post…You have been warned.

So how did I even concoct this little recipe?  Especially since I hate to bake

Over the last few months I noticed that every time I go out to eat with my boyfriend, when it comes to dessert he always asks the servers if they have blueberry muffins. If the answer is yes, he then proceeds to tell them he wants it sliced down the middle and warmed with butter.  He really really loves blueberry muffins. So his love was the inspiration for this dessert.

My goal was to incorporate the butter and blueberry flavor into one. And instead of mixing the fruit and batter like traditional muffins, I use the upside-down technique; it’s not just for pineapples.  

Get ready for the awesomeness that is this vanilla bean cream cake. It can be made and enjoyed all on its own, no fruit compote needed. I can only imagine it vamped up with some lemon or orange zest. It’s like you’re eating vanilla ice-cream in a cake form.

Makes 12 cupcakes

                                                                                                          Ingredients:

Blueberry butter sauce

2 cups frozen or fresh blueberries

½ cup red wine

½ cup sugar

1 tbsp. cinnamon

4 tbsp. butter (salted)

1 tbsp. honey

Vanilla bean Cream cake

1 stick salted butter (room temp)

1.25 cup brown sugar

2 eggs (room temp)

1.75 cup flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

½ cup heavy cream

½ cup skim milk

½ stick of vanilla bean

1 tbsp. vanilla extract

(Printable Recipe) 

1. Preheat oven to 350 F

2. Blueberry sauce: In a sauce pan add butter and melt

3. Then add blueberry, sugar, wine, and cinnamon and let it cook on med/low heat until all the  liquid has thickened and the consistency is close to a jam. 8-10 minutes depending on stove.

4. While the BB sauce is cooking. Combine heavy cream and milk in a separate small pot and warm. Do not allow this to boil, as soon as its warm to the touch remove from heat.

5. Once its removed add vanilla and vanilla beans and let it steep in the warm milk until you’re ready for the cake.

6. When the BB sauce is thick, remove from heat and stir in honey. This is very necessary or you may end up with blueberry butter candy after the sugar gets cold.

7. Vanilla cake: Cream butter and sugar on high speed for about 5 minutes till the mixture is fluffy ( brown sugar does not get as fluffy as white)

8. On medium speed blend in one egg at a time

9. Sift together  flour, baking soda and baking powder in a dish

10. On low speed add milk and flour mixture alternately ending with flour (do not over mix)

11. Take a muffin tin and spray with nonstick cooking spray

12. Spoon the fruit mixture in the bottom of the pans

13. Add cake batter on top of each, place in the oven for 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

14. Remove after 20 minutes and allow to cool before flipping over unto a cooling rack.

Greedy tip:

1. I have experimented with cooling times. I think the more it’s cooled the more the cupcake comes out clean without leaving anything in the pan. In general it has to cool at least 5 minutes before attempting to flip. My first batch I waited 5 minutes, and my second 15 minutes. The 15 minute wait time came out much cleaner than the 5.

2. Even  if bits of fruit are left in the muffin tin, just spoon them out and stick them on the missing areas. It will be very sticky so it will adhere like glue and no one will be able to tell.

3. I also tend to use salted butter when I bake. To me it eliminates the need to add salt, and it adds the right amount of balance to the sweetness. 

4. If you don't have vanilla beans, just double the vanilla extract and add 1 tsp. of nutmeg.

So you all have my significant other to thank for this one. Yummy gooey blueberry butter soaked in a vanilla cupcake. I think he has a new favorite dessert now

Hope you give it a try

Xoxo Greedygirl