Muffins are just plain, ugly cupcakes.

I read somewhere that muffins are just plain, ugly cupcakes.

I have had frozen blueberries sitting in my freezer for almost 3/4 year now so decided that I'll never get to use them on anything else other than muffins/cheesecakes. Plus since it's been sitting in my freezer for so long, and I have never used these berries in my bakes, I thought that the blueberries must all be used in one hit so it doesn't go back into my freezer. So having remembered the quote "Muffins are just ugly cupcakes, I thought I'd make a cream cheese topping so I don't end up with ugly cupcakes", and remaining blueberries.

Blueberry muffins with blueberry cream cheese topping

Ingredients:

(makes 24 muffins)

3 eggs (small, or 2 large eggs)

2 tsp vanilla essence

125ml oil

420ml buttermilk

600gm self raising flour

335gm sugar

400gm blueberries (frozen or fresh)

Method:

1. Combine vanilla essence, oil, buttermilk and eggs in a bowl and whisk until eggs are incorporated into the fluid mixture.
2. Sift the flour into a bowl.
3. Mix the sugar and blueberries into the flour.
4. Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture and pour in one third of the liquid mixture.
5. Fold until it is half incorporated before adding another one-third of the liquid mixture.
6. Repeat step 5 with the remaining liquid until mixture is well mixed. DO NOT overmix the mixture as this increases the gluten from the flour and makes the muffins tough after baking. Just fold until just combined.
7. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners and fill it two-thirds full with the batter.
8. Place in a preheated 190 degrees Celcius oven.
9. Bake for 25 mins or until skewer comes out clean.
10. Repeat steps 7-9.
11. Allow the cupcakes/muffins to cool to room temperature, before placing it into the fridge for 1 hour.

Icing:
250gm philadelphia cream cheese
200gm whipping cream
80gm blueberries (fresh or frozen)
icing sugar

Method:

1. Whip softened cream cheese until fluffy.
2. Whip the cream until soft peaks form.
3. Puree the blueberries and add into the softened cream cheese.
4. Gradually add the whipped cream and sift enough icing sugar to taste (sorry, I didn't measure)
5. Pour on top of cupcake. To make my decoration, after each layer, place into fridge for 10 mins before adding another dollop of cream on top. Repeat 4-5 times.

Note: I made the topping too runny and cannot therefore place into piping bags to pipe onto the muffins and resorted to step 5 above. To reduce the runny-ness, reduce the whipped cream.