Soulmate Cupcakes

I had a wedding-related event to attend this weekend, so what better dessert to bring than one that shows a little love.

I would have preferred to make these in classic red and white using red velvet cake and white cream cheese frosting, but I had a couple pints of blueberries in the fridge and I just can't say no to blueberries.




Not when they are big, blue beauties like these.

For all the cliches about love and marriage, these cupcakes are really quite perfect - for each other. There's a bit of yin and yang mixed with working together to turn weaknesses into strengths…but enough philosophizing.

Let's get to the sugar.




Start off with a shiny new aluminum foil pan. Or in my case, a lightly used aluminum foil pan. Can't waste these babies.




Snip off a side with a pair of kitchen scissors. The foil cut really easily. Be careful that you don't leave any sharp edges where you cut. We don't need bloody cupcakes or trips to the ER or anything.




Fold the sides over so that you avoid those sharp edges I warned you about before. We're all about safety at Baked from a Box.




I used my measuring cup handle to create the smooth edges in my design and the bottom of the measuring cup to smooth any bumps, but you could probably use anything solid that you have handy.




And voila! A heart.




Pretty.




Now wash a cup or two of blueberries. Depends on how many you plan to eat while baking.

And really, how can you help yourself? They're just so good. And it's not like you're eating 15 cupcakes along the way or anything.

Don't worry. That part is coming next.




Mmmm cake batter. So appetizing.

At least it smells lemony-good.




I would lick the whisk, but frankly, eating raw cake batter is just not my thing. If it's your thing, that's cool. Lick away. I won't judge.




Pour the batter right up to the top of the muffin tins. I used a sandwich bag for this. Saves lots of time in drip clean up.




Doesn't have to be perfect.




But they do have to be full. Trust me.




Oh look! My bowl is messy! Let's take a picture! (Ok, my entire messy kitchen is hidden by a slightly drippy bowl).




Now drop a blueberry into each cupcake. Make sure they get really pushed in and covered with batter. Or if you are smarter than me, you put the blueberries in first. I'm a culinary genius.




Grab half a cup of those beautiful blueberries (if you have that many left) and say, "Bye-bye blueberries…"




"…and hello blueberry puree."




Resist the urge to pour this on ice cream or yogurt or directly into your mouth because you have no more blueberries left for that.




Mix the puree into your leftover cream cheese frosting…I mean, I never take short cuts. Oh wait.

Never mind.




Ahhh. The cupcakes are done. Glorious.




Now mercilessly cut off their heads.




Show them some love.




Magic.




Now cover their lifeless bodies in frosting.

I love that I can see the blueberry bits in it. I don't love that I can see the oil from a previous cupcake on my plate.

But whatever. This is not a post about calories. It's about blueberries.

Love and blueberries.




And now the golden crowning moment.




Amazing.




Oh wait, did you break a cupcake? Are you OCD? That's ok! I have problem-solving tips!

(For the cupcakes, not for the OCD. Sorry. I'm stuck on that one, too).




Grab another headless cupcake and frost it. And remember all those heart cut-outs that you weren't totally consuming?




Problem solved.




And there you have it. Beautiful blueberry cupcakes. This pair was just meant to be.




Like soul mates.




But cupcakes.




I actually love this one. Yay for mistakes!

Eating the broken tops of about 24 cupcakes, on the other hand, is a totally different variety of mistake.


B.faB and happy baking!

Inspired by the wonderful recipe at Two Tiny Kitchens.

Ingredients
Cake Mix

• 1 box lemon cake mix 
• 1 package vanilla instant pudding mix 
• 1 cup oil 
• 1 cup lemon-lime soda 
• 2 eggs + 1 yolk 
• 1 cup blueberries 

Blueberry Cream Cheese Frosting

• 6 oz soy cream cheese*
• 1/2 stick margarine*, room temperature 
• 1/2 cup blueberries 
• 3-4 cups confectioners' sugar 

*This recipe is dairy-free. Feel free to use butter instead of margarine and real cream cheese instead of soy.

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F. Combine cake mix, pudding mix, oil, soda, eggs, and yolk in a large mixing bowl until smooth.

Grease the surface (not the holes) of a muffin tin. Place 1-2 blueberries in each muffin paper in the muffin tin. Pour batter into tins at least 3/4 full. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean or 13-15 minutes.

Puree 1/2 cup of blueberries. Slowly combine margarine and 4 cups of sugar in a stand mixer with paddle attachment. Add blueberries until combined. Add cream cheese all at once. Add up to 1 more cup of sugar to reach desirable consistency.

Remove cupcakes from oven. Allow to cool. Gently remove cupcakes from tin.

Using a serrated knife, remove the top of each muffin. Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter (or one made from an aluminum foil pan) to cut a heart out of each top. Reserve hearts and tops.

Frost cupcakes. Place a heart or a top on each cupcake. Serve together.