These cupcakes were created on a whim and I'm so glad they were! A craving led to this beautiful creation as I was driving home one day---well actually, I just wanted some blueberry cupcakes, then the pomegranate became an addition shortly after. I am dairy sensitive and I've really been missing my cream cheese lately, whether it's on a bagel or mixed into some cream cheese frosting. I recently found out that Trader Joe's has a vegan cream cheese that tastes EXACTLY like the real deal.
Additionally, I usually use sour cream in my cupcakes but have not been able to consume this either so I used a plant-based sour cream and the cupcakes turned out phenomenal!! So let's get started!!
Preparing to make Blueberry Pomegranate Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
A general best practice in baking is to prepare all of the ingredients ahead of time; if you schedule out a few minutes before baking, this will streamline the process and make everything come together even faster. Additionally, I'll even separate everything into stages (the order they will occur) sometimes because I like to be super organized when I can. Be sure to let the butter soften well ahead of time and as always, don't forget to preheat your oven!
How to be successsful when making this frosting
A typical cream cheese frosting is a mixture of butter, cream cheese, and powdered sugar. This one is no different and you can use regular cream cheese with the exact same measurements if you desire but this recipe does call for vegan cream cheese! You will definitely need an electric mixer. First, you'll go about creaming the butter and "cream cheese." This should only take about 30 seconds, I wouldn't recommend whipping them much longer than that, the two should be incorporated but not overmixed; you can scrape the bowl halfway through if need be. The best tip I can offer during this stage is to sift the powdered sugar and add in a little at a time. Sifting the powdered sugar will significantly decrease the number of little balls within your frosting and make it smooth.
More about the dairy-free alternatives
I have tried several brands of cream cheese alternative and on the day this blog is being published, I have found the Trader Joe's Vegan Cream Cheese to be the one that tastes and performs most like cream cheese. This is the only (non-dairy) alternative I recommend using for this recipe at this particular moment in time. Of course, if you aren't dairy sensitive like I am, just go for regular cream cheese.
Putting it all together
After the cupcakes have baked, give them plenty of time to cool completely before topping them off with frosting. I currently do not own a piping set for frosting; mainly because it wouldn't get that much use. With that being said, I usually put anything I need to pipe inside of a sandwich bag (or gallon-sized bag), close it, bring all the frosting to one corner, twist the top of the bag where the frosting entered, and then snip the corner of the bag to create a place for the frosting to leave.
Enjoy these Blueberry Pomegranate Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting!!
Blueberry Pomegranate cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 16 cupcakes 1x
Description
Blueberry Pomegranate Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting are almost entirely dairy-free; (minus the butter) they are moist, fruity, and delicious!
Ingredients
For the cupcakes
¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
⅓ cup sour cream
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 ¾ cups cake flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
⅔ cup milk (I use almond milk for everything)
For the frosting
3 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
1 container (8oz) Trader Joe's Vegan Cream Cheese
4 tablespoons butter, softened
Instructions
For the cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a separate bowl combine cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Lightly whisk to incorporate all ingredients.
- Line a cupcake pan with baking cups. Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each one. Mix in sour cream, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the mixer. Slowly pour in the milk and mix until incorporated (about 15 seconds). Transfer batter to baking cups and bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
For the frosting
- Cream butter and cream cheese together for 30 seconds using an electric mixer. Add in confectioners sugar a little at a time until all sugar has been incorporated. Pipe on top of cupcakes.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 286
- Sugar: 32.1 g
- Sodium: 133.9 mg
- Fat: 10.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Protein: 2.8 g
- Cholesterol: 41.3 mg
Great recipe.