Cupcake Hero

I had lost hope for the Cupcake Hero challenge this month. After the cantaloupe experiment, I was out of ideas for melon cupcakes. Then my wonderful mom mentioned a great summer time combination: honeydew and blueberries. "Honeydew is less soapy," she said "It would be perfect paired with blueberries." So following her advice, I was off to Whole Foods to pick out a ripe yellow melon and berries.

After several more trips to the grocery store over the weekend, I finally had settled on a plan. I would bake blueberry cupcakes frosted with a honeydew cream cheese icing. I adapted the white cake recipe on the back of the Softasilk cake flour box. Thankfully, it was an easy recipe that adjusted well to the altitude. The bright blue batter turned out a moist cake with a subtle blueberry flavor, but I have to admit the Honeydew icing is what made this cupcake so special. The fragrant melon added pleasant floral notes to the velvety, sweet icing. Topping the cupcakes with more fresh blueberries made the fruity cupcake even better.

Thanks April for inspiring me to bake outside the box this month. This cupcake will definitely be a favorite summer dessert for Rob and I. And, I never would have thought to create it without this challenge (and my mom of course)!

Blueberry Cupcakes with a Honeydew Cream Cheese Icing

Cupcakes

• 3 c. Cake Flour
• 1 tbs. Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp. Salt
• 1/4 tsp. Baking Soda
• 1 1/2 c. Butter, softened
• 1 1/4 C. Sugar
• 4 Large Eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp. Homemade Vanilla
  
• 1 c. Blueberries, (fresh or frozen) pureed with 1/3 c. milk

Preheat oven to 350 (375 for high altitude). Mix flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. In another bowl cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the flour mixture, eggs, vanilla, and blueberry puree until blended, scraping the bowl a few times. Beat an additional 2 minutes. Then spread batter evenly into 2 lined cupcake pans (Makes about 15 cupcakes). Bake for about 19 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool a metal rack.

Icing

• 6 tbs. Butter, softened
• 1 8 oz. Package of Cream Cheese, softened
• 1 tsp. Homemade Vanilla
• 4 1/2 c. Powdered Sugar
• 1/2 c. pureed Honeydew

After I let the cupcakes cool for an hour or two, I dipped them in the honeydew icing. I wasn't satisfied with their cake to frosting ratio so after a quick cool down in the freezer, I double dipped.

I added fresh blueberries to decorate the cupcakes.



A delicious blue cupcake with sweet, sweet honeydew icing!