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Greek Yogurt Blueberry Cupcakes with Hibiscus Ricotta Buttercream

Double blueberry cupcakes are super moist thanks to greek yogurt, and then topped with a fun and tangy buttercream frosting made with ricotta and hibiscus tea.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 20 cupcakes
Calories 382kcal

Ingredients

Cupcakes: Blueberry Sauce

  • ½ Cup Blueberries see note
  • 1 Tbsp Sugar
  • 1 Tbsp Water
  • ¼ Cup Milk
  • ¾ tsp Vanilla Bean Paste or vanilla extract

Cupcakes: Batter

  • 2 ¼ Cups All-purpose flour
  • 1 ¼ Cups Sugar
  • ¼ Cup Cornstarch
  • 3 tsp Baking Powder
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • ½ Cup Vegetable Oil
  • 2 Eggs
  • ½ Cup Plain Greek Yogurt
  • 1 Cup Blueberries

Hibiscus Ricotta Buttercream

  • 1 Cup Butter
  • ¼ Cup Ricotta
  • 5-6 Cups Powdered Sugar
  • 3 Hibiscus Tea Bags see note
  • Gel Food Coloring optional, see note

Instructions

Cupcakes

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the center. Line a standard cupcake pan with paper liners, and set aside.
  • In a small saucepan, stir together the blueberries, sugar, and water for the blueberry sauce over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a simmer, cover, and let cook for 2 minutes until the berries soften.
  • Continue cooking, uncovered, for an additional 2-3 minutes, squishing the blueberries against the sides and bottom of the pan. Set aside to cool at least 5 minutes.
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt for the cupcake batter until thoroughly combined.
  • In a smaller mixing bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the oil, eggs, and yogurt until smooth. Add the liquids into the bowl with the flour and mix until just combined, and there are no large dry pockets or streaks.
  • To the saucepan with the blueberries, add the milk and vanilla bean paste, and stir to combine. Add this into the cupcake batter along with the blueberries, and fold with a flexible spatula until distributed.
  • Spoon the cupcake batter into the prepared cupcake liners, filling each about ¾ full. Bake for 20-22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the top bounces back when gently pressed.
  • Let the cupcakes cool for 2 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Do not frost until the cupcakes are room temperature.

Hibiscus Buttercream Frosting

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip the butter on low speed until fluffed up and lightened in color, about 3 minutes.
  • Add 1 cup of the sugar and 1 Tbsp of the ricotta, and continue mixing on low until fully incorporated. Repeat this until you have added 4 cups of sugar and all of the ricotta.
  • Add the 5th cup of sugar along with the contents of the hibiscus tea bags, and mix until full incorporated. Add the remaining sugar as needed to achieve the desired texture. Then add dye and mix in.
  • Transfer the frosting to a piping bag with a large star tip, and top the fully cooled cupcakes.

Notes

  • Make ahead tips:
    • Store unfrosted cupcakes in a sealed container at room temperature for 1 day, in the fridge for up to a week, or frozen in foil for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen cupcakes in the fridge overnight before frosting and enjoying. 
    • The frosting can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 weeks directly in a sealed container or inside a piping bag in a sealed bag. Allow the frosting to warm up to room temperature before decorating.
    • Frosted cupcakes can be stored in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Double wrap cupcakes in foil for long-term freezer storage, and thaw in the fridge before enjoying.
  • Ingredients: 
    • You can use fresh or frozen blueberries to make the blueberry sauce. If using frozen blueberries to mix into the cupcake batter, let them thaw and dry thoroughly first.
    • The strongest hibiscus flavor will come from natural herbal hibiscus tea that contains only hibiscus flowers as the ingredient, but many brands make hibiscus-based blends that will still be absolutely delicious here. If you can't find pure hibiscus, try a blend that combines it with rose hips, orange peel, and/or sweet berries. I used Wegmans brand.
    • If you are dying your frosting with gel food coloring, I used 3 drops of red and then mixed in a toothpick dipped into blue. A tiny bit of blue goes a long way, so add it slowly.