It’s that time again. Here’s my entry for September’s Iron Cupcake Earth. Ingredient: BASIL. I decided to try and make a cupcake that reminded me of cheesecake, using basil in the filling and topping. Here’s the recipe that resulted, which in hindsight, I should have cut in half because I ended up with 48 cupcakes…48 basil flavored cupcakes, no less. I think I liked these best when they were still warm. They didn’t even really need the topping. But, that would have looked pretty boring, so I added the topping and extra blueberries for the photo.
Cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup graham crackers, ground in a food processor
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup dark brown sugar
1.5 cup regular sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
4 eggs, room temperature
8 oz. sour cream, room temperature
1 Tbsp vanilla
Blueberry Basil Filling
1 can of Blueberry Pie filling (yeah, I took the easy way here.)
1 Tbsp ground basil
Cream Cheese Filling
16 oz. cream cheese, softened to room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 Tbsp lemon juice
Blueberry Basil Whipped Topping
2 cups heavy whipping cream
4 Tbsp powdered sugar
4 Tbsp Blueberry Basil Filling
For the Blueberry Basil Filling:
- Purée the blueberry pie filling and ground basil in a food processor. Set aside.
For the cake:
- Combine flour, salt, baking soda, and ground graham crackers in a large bowl and stir with a wire whisk until combined. Set aside.
- Cream both sugars and butter with a mixer until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs one at a time to the creamed mixture, beating well after each addition.
- Add flour mixture to the wet ingredients in three additions, alternating with the sour cream in two additions and ending with the flour mixture. Mix well with each addition.
- Add vanilla and mix well. Set aside.
For the cream cheese filling:
- In another bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the cream cheese filling and mix until thoroughly combined.
For the Blueberry Basil Whipped Topping (You can make this while the cupcakes are cooling):
- Beat whipping cream and powdered sugar in a chilled mixing bowl until stiff peaks form.
- Add Blueberry Basil Filling until combined.
- And throw in some extra ground basil if you want the taste stronger.
Assemble:
- Fill each baking cup about halfway.
- Spread a spoonful of the blueberry basil filling on top.
- Spoon some of the cream cheese filling on the top of that so that they are filled about 3/4 full.
- Bake at 350 degrees for about 15-18 minutes.
- Cool.
- Top with Blueberry Basil Whipped Topping and whole blueberries, if desired.
Note: You can keep some untopped cupcakes refrigerated. Then, heat them up a little and add the cold blueberry basil whipped topping when ready to eat.
Okay, that’s out of the way. Now don’t forget, you can play, too. Enter here. And, let me tell you… it’s worth it. I’ve started receiving some of the prizes from winning the first challenge and they are fantastic (Thanks again, everyone who voted). When I do get all the prizes in, I’ll show them to you. FYI – I can’t win the main prizes again for a year, so make sure you use your vote wisely and spread the cupcake love. Vote here between September 28 and October 1st.
if i’m gonna make my own blueberry pie filling, should i boil the mixture first and then blend it or just mix blueberry’s, sugar and spices and then blend it?
btw i made your oreo cupcakes and they were delicious :)
hmmm basil and blueberries? That doesn’t sound half bad. You make everything look so great.
Jacquis’bakes – hope it helped.
Hillary – Thanks! Yeah, 45 is a lot. Glad she got to enjoy them too.
Ms Bakerella,
I have recently become fascinated by all that is cupcakes and stumbled upon your site a few months back and love to read about your recipes. This was the first to try on my own. My boyfriend’s birthday is tomorrow and he grows lots of basil so I picked a few springs and used your recipe. Let me say it turned out brilliant! My mother taste-tested one and asked to take some to work for a Thanksgiving party (after all… 45 cupcakes!). She asked where I got the recipe and I sent her the link.
Just wanted to let you know you’ve got a few new readers. Thanks for the awesome ideas. I hope my boyfriend will be surprised :-)
Hillary
Thanks Bakerella, will check with 911 if something match my problem.
I dont use cakemix usually bake from scratch.
Have an awesome weekend.
lfamily5 – thanks!
Jacqui – This happens to me too sometimes. It could be any number of things. Homemade vs. cake mix. room temp ingredients, etc.
Here’s a link where you can learn about cake problems. Try reading and see if one of the scenarios matches your problem.
http://www.baking911.com/cakes/problems.htm
Hello Bakerella
I am impressed with your brand new cupcake idea… Basi with Blueberry. Who could have thought of that.
I bake in Celcius instead of F.
Cupcakes look great and domed in the oven, after I take it out, it shrinks a little loosing the dome:(
My Qs are:
-should I reduce oven heat and bake it longer? What could cause it???
-How do I achieve a nice dome for creaming??? I fill my cupcakes 2/3 full.
Desperately seeking dome result!!!!
Just love your blog.
Jacqui
Very creative! I’m impressed and they look yummy! I will go and vote! Good luck!
Reeni – thanks
Amanda – definitely not me.
Iron Cupcake pushed me.
Dana – You’re a natural. Great job on the blog.
You totally inspired me to enter my own recipe. But then I had to create a blog too – argh! The cupcakes were easier! :) I would love to taste yours, they look yummy!
Amazing, you are just amazing. Who would have thought to use basil??
Blueberry Heaven!
jeske – Me, too. Especially in muffins.
Dawn in CA – Thanks, Dawn. I’m glad you like it.
Hello again. Yes, one of these days, I’ll have to get organized enough to start a blog so I can enter those cool contests! Until then, I am enjoying living vicariously through the “far-more-creative-than-I” blogging community… like you, Bakerella! I look forward to reading your blog every week; thanks so much. :)
Oh yummy i love blueberry’s!
The Carrolls – trust me. I didn’t either.
Kelsie – Can’t wait to see what you make.
sara angel – thanks
Emily – I’m hollaring.
Sara – Fresh basil… lucky.
Rachelle – yeah, 48 is a little too many.
Stephanie – you should just jump in.
Julia – wow, Ice cream, too. Who knew.
WishTrish – Go Mayzie!!!
Patricia Scarpin – thanks!
Anonymous – It wasn’t me. It was Iron Cupcake.
Lori – the brownies are definitely a great alternative.
Ms.Jones – let me know.
Jaina – Iron Cupcake
Atticelf – You can see it on Martha Stewart’s website.
Yummy in my tummy – that’s awesome. Glad you joined.
Dawn in CA – yeah, the creaminess was lost a little when I added the blueberry. But, it still tasted good. Your ideas sound good, but too much for me. I’m done with the basil. Why don’t you enter.
Emily Rose – thank you
abby hall – sure. just credit me please.
made sweet – just trying to have fun.
sanna – go for it.
wow! look at these delicious cupcakes! i totaly love your creativity!
i would loove to try these cuppies, but i live in sweden and don’t know what to add instead of blueberry pie filling (we don’t have anything like that…) could i use blueberryjam?
thank you so much for always sharing your amazing recipes!! you are so generous, and creative.
Wow looks fantastic and delicious. How did you take such a great picture. It is like one of those advertisements of food real close up and looks great. Can I add your recipe to http://www.cheesecake-recipes.org
i think i would have been afraid to try these out with basil- but my best friend was just raving about a pinnapple and basil sorbet she had the other day- so now the idea of basil in sweet things is starting to grow on me! they look beautiful!
P.S. – if you try my suggestion, use fresh basil leaves in the cream… ;)
Oh, Bakerella. The Blueberry-Basil combo sounds so very intriguing. I have to give you props there. But – keeping it real now – that whipped topping just does not look appetizing. Instead of smooth and creamy, it looks curdled and lumpy. Love your site, love your photos, love your recipes… but I can’t get on board with this cupcake topping! Forgive me.
May I be so bold as to suggest gently heating your whipping cream with some bruised basil leaves, vanilla and sugar, straining, cooling, then whipping and topping the cupcakes? You could still garnish with the berries. Pretty AND tasty. :)
I love reading your blogs! I've tried making the cupcake pops and everyone thought it was just the cutest (and delicious) thing! You inspired me to start a blog & join Iron cupcake! I had so much fun with it, I made 2 kinds of basil cupcakes. Thanks for sharing the cupcake love. Your blueberry cheesecake cupcakes look delectable by the way!
Don’t mean to gush, but your cupcakes are always a feast for the eyes (I can only imagine how yummy …). These sounds delish as well.
I missed the Martha episode. Maybe I can find it on YouTube!
Julie
Where did you get the idea for basil in a cupcake? It sounds interesting, not sure if I’d be brave enough to try though. They look pretty neat.
this looks so good. I think I may just try them tonight
Saw you on Martha while home sick from work one day…was so inspired that I spent the next two weeks trying to perfect the process in my little condo kitchen.
To save time, I’ve taken ‘Two Bite Brownies’ and put them in the cuisinart…the consistency of the brownie makes it easier to mold and shape because they are already chewy.
Thanks for your fabulous ideas – these have been my new hostess gift for friends and family!
How in the world do you come up with these combination’s?
Basil! That’s unusual for a cupcake, but they look amazing and so delicious!
Okay. I see another Mayzie Baking Project coming on! :) (Thanks for visiting, by the way.) Those look really good, and I don’t think it is an odd flavor combination at all! Can’t wait to try these.
I recently had blueberry basil ice cream at a trendy little restaurant in Seattle and it’s now my new favorite flavor. Surprisingly it actually tasted more like the basil than blueberry.Now I can try your recipe in a cheesecake. Bravo!
Wow, Iron Cupcake chooses some really strange ingredients! Basil? Strange, but awesome. I think it would be really fun to try cupcakes with basil, but I’m probably too chicken to make them myself.
Look at your creative mind going again! I would’ve been lost at basil + cupcake, lol.
48 of these things! Yikes, better go visit your neighbors with treats in hand :)
This looks like a really interesting use for the basil in my garden!
Okay genius! What an amazing cupcake recipe . . . and basil! Wow! They look very pretty . . . if you have trouble getting rid of all those cupcakes give em a hollar!
blueberry basil? that’s an interesting combination! they look gorgeous!
Those look delicious! I need to stop procrastinating and make my entry soon.
And I saw those slice n bake cupcakes at Kroger, too. That’s just too funny what you can find in a grocery store!
You are so creative. I wouldn’t even know where to begin to add basil to a cake recipe. I love reading your blog – thanks so much!