These bright and vibrant blue cupcakes are perfect for spring, and the best thing about them, is they get their beautiful color naturally, by using butterfly pea flower. I love getting such rich blue cupcakes without the use of food coloring. In addition, butterfly pea flower actually has some pretty awesome health benefits.
About Butterfly Pea Flower
Originating in Southeast Asia, the use of butterfly pea flowers dates back prior to the 17th century. It is used for its medical qualities, as well as, its amazing ability to color foods and drinks. Butterfly pea flower actually contains antioxidants, and is said to have a calming effect. It is also known to boost the immune system, fight inflammation, as well as being good for blood pressure and regulating blood sugar levels. If you would like to know more about the history, origin, and benefits of butterfly pea flower, you can check out a more detailed explanation at netmeds.com , and at Singapore Infopedia. If you love science and want even more details check out Frontiers in Science.
What Ingredients Do You Need To Make These Blue Cupcakes?
- Butterfly Pea Flower Powder– You can also use the dried flower itself, though this is a longer process and requires boiling, then straining the leaves first to make a concentrated colored water that you add to the mix. Additionally, to achieve the brightest color, I add the strained leave to the buttermilk for a few minutes. I find the powder so much more convenient for baking.
- Buttermilk– Buttermilk is great in baked goods as it gives the softest texture, a subtle tang, and depth of flavor.
- Sourdough Surplus– As with the buttermilk, the sourdough surplus adds a depth of flavor to these blue cupcakes. Don’t have sourdough starter? You can learn to make your own here, or you can still make these cupcakes without sourdough starter, simply add ¼ cup of additional buttermilk. For more sourdough surplus recipes click here.
- Vegetable Oil– I use sunflower, or avocado oil. Alternatively, you may also use butter. I find the oil creates a softer cupcake, that doesn’t dry out as quickly.
- Eggs– The eggs help bind the ingredients together, as well as improving the texture and height of baked goods. Once, when making waffles, I forgot to add the eggs and the result was a very chewy waffle, that was rather floppy; not the crisp exterior, and fluffy soft interior I was used to.
- Flour– I use all purpose for this recipe, thought cake and pastry flour would work excellent as well.
- Baking Soda & Baking Powder– These ingredients help the cupcakes rise, both are leavening agents. Baking soda requires an acid to be present to be active, whereas baking powder does not.
- Salt– The balance of sweet and salty in desserts is what makes a dessert for me. These cupcakes have the prefect amount of salt to balance the sweetness.
- Vanilla Extract– My preference is always for real vanilla extract in baking.
- Lemon Juice– The lemon juice in this recipe is to adjust the Ph. of the batter, enhancing the color of the butterfly pea flower. In drinks it can change the blue to purple, however in cake batter I find it creates a richer blue, versus the blue/green color you get when the pea flower mixes with the flour in the batter.
Ingredients for Buttercream
Salted Butter– I prefer to use salted butter in my buttercream, as I find the taste is more balanced. If you don’t have salted butter on hand then I suggest adding 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
Icing Sugar-Buttercream recipes use anywhere from 1:1 to a 1:4 ratio of butter to icing sugar. I like my buttercream richer, as opposed to sweet, so I stick to the 1:2 ratio, however any amount between the two ratios will work.
Cream 18%– In my opinion this is the ultimate, in my coffee, as well as in buttercream. There is just nothing like 18% cream. However, keep in mind you can use milk, or a lower percentage cream, 18% is simply the ultimate choice.
Equipment
Naturally Blue Cupcakes, With Butterfly Pea Flower
These bright and vibrant blue cupcakes are perfect for spring, and, they get their beautiful color naturally, by using butterfly pea flower.
12
servings15
minutes20
minutesIngredients
238 g all-purpose flour, 1 3/4 cup
4.5 g salt, 3/4 tsp
3 g baking soda,1/2 tsp
6 g baking powder, 1 1/2 tsp
120 g vegetable oil, 1/2 cup
200 g sugar, 1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
75 g sourdough surplus, about 1/3 cup
121 g buttermilk, 1/2 cup
1-2 Tbsp. butterfly pea flower powder depending how dark you like it. I use 11/2 Tbsp.
8 g vanilla extract 2tsp
8 g lemon juice, fresh 2 tsp (optional, to adjust the blue of the pea flower to a richer color)
- Buttercream Icing
227 g room temperature butter, about 1 cup
400 g icing sugar, about 2 cups
5 g vanilla, 1 teaspoon
28 g cream 18%, about 2-4 tablespoons
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line cupcake pan with cupcake liners. If not using liners spray pan with oil.
- In one bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Crack room temp eggs in separate small bowl set aside.
- In a large bowl with whisk, or in standard mixer with whisk attachment combine sugar, oil, buttermilk, sourdough surplus, mix for 1 minute until well combined. Add eggs and vanilla continue to mix for an additional minute.
- Pour in pea flower, mix until batter is smooth and even color.
- Add flour mixture and continue to blend for about a minute.
- For the last step you will be mixing with a spoon to insure you are not over beating the batter.
- Add lemon juice and stir well with spoon. You should notice the color of the batter changing from a green/blue, to deeper richer blue. Blend with spoon until color is even and lemon juice is dispersed.
- Pour batter into cupcake pan and bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes.
- Buttercream Icing
- With standard, or hand held mixer, using whisk or paddle attachment whip room temperature salted butter on medium high for 2-3 minutes, or until it is smooth and creamy.
- Add the icing sugar, I like a 1:2 ratio of butter to icing sugar, but I have seen as much as a 1:4 ratio in some recipes, and as low as 1:1. A ratio of 1:1 is the richest and has the most butter flavor, and a ratio of 1:4 is the sweetest, and will crust the most after piping.
Important: when you begin mixing again, start with the blender on LOW, and slowly increase the speed as the sugar is incorporated. Once sugar is incorporated mix on high for 3-4 minutes, adding vanilla, followed by the cream. Start with 2 tablespoons of cream, if you want a thinner icing then just add more cream. For decorating these cupcakes, I like to use between 2-3 tablespoons cream. - Continue to whip for another 2-4 minutes, until your buttercream is light and fluffy.
- Scoop buttercream into piping bag and decorate, fully cooled, cupcakes. I love this straightforward tutorial on piping techniques by Lindsay at Life, Love and Sugar.
Notes
- This recipe can be made using the butterfly pea flowers themselves, but does require extra steps, and results in a bit of extra batter. I personally find the powder much easier.
- If using the flowers themselves, first blend 1/3 cup flowers, in a blender, and bring to a boil in 3/4 cup water. (The water will reduce when boiling.) Allow to steep for 10 minutes, after, strain out the flowers. You will only be adding. 4-6 tbsp of the water, the remainder you can keep in the fridge for up to a week or longer. You will also want to add 1 Tbsp. flour, for every 2 Tbsp. blue water to keep the batter the right consistency.
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