Blackberry Lemon Cupcakes

We have a BBQ coming up and I wanted a new fresh tasting cupcake to take. I love berries during the summer especially straight from the Farmer's Market so I wanted a cupcake that used some kind of berry. Although I have a great recipe for strawberry cupcakes and will probably make and take some of those, I wanted something new to try. I went to handy dandy google and searched 'berry cupcakes' and found a lot of options, then I found this recipe and this recipe. I liked the idea of blackberry and lemon together and adding a glaze so I used them as a starting point and off I went! Anytime I want to bake I always search google for recipes and ideas, although I rarely will use a recipe exactly as is-- why completely reinvent the wheel?!?!

The recipes I found used a cupcake that was just lemon flavored and the berry was just in the icing but I wanted the berry in the cupcake too! I decided to puree the blackberries and drop small amounts of it into the cupcakes once they were in the pan; I then used a toothpick to swirl the puree into the cupcake so I could have the blackberry flavor without mixing the flavors. 

               

I pureed the blackberries in my food processor but you could also use a blender or if all else fails, chop them up as best you can! I also used cheesecloth to strain out the puree from the seeds but a strainer with small holes could also be used. I definitely recommend straining the puree though! If fresh berries aren't readily available you could use frozen or even a preservative, although using a preservative wouldn't taste as fresh. You could also substitute raspberries, blueberries, or even strawberries for the blackberries if you wish! 

When I took the cupcakes out and tried them they were delicious, but not as lemony as I would like. Once I made the glaze, spooned it on, and let it set I tried them again and they had that perfect lemon bite! If you want less of the lemon flavor you could skip the glaze but I loved the fresh lemon taste that the glaze added! I finished them off with a simple swirl and a blackberry garnish! 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Blackberry Lemon Cupcakes

Yield: about 2 dozen

Ingredients

Cupcakes:

1¾ cups all-purpose flour-sifted

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

2 cups sugar

Zest of 2 large lemons

1 cup butter-softened

3 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

½ cup sour cream

¾ cup milk

¼ cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice, about 2 lemons

1 cup of blackberry puree

Lemon Glaze:

Zest of half a lemon

¼ cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice

1⅔ cup of powdered sugar

Frosting:

1½ sticks of butter- softened

12 oz. of cream cheese

1 tbsp. vanilla

1 tbsp. heavy cream

4-6 cups of powdered sugar- sifted

1 cup of blackberry puree

Directions

Cupcakes:

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.
2. Sift flour into mixing bowl; add baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 
3. In the bowl of your stand mixer beat on low the sugar and lemon zest until the sugar is infused with lemon flavoring.
4. Add butter and beat on medium until light and fluffy. 
5. Add in eggs, one at a time, mixing thoroughly in between each addition. Wipe down sides of the bowl with spatula as needed. 
6. Beat in vanilla until well incorporated. 
7. In a small bowl whisk together sour cream, milk, and lemon juice. 
8. Starting and ending with the dry ingredients, alternate adding the dry and wet ingredients to the butter mixture. Mix thoroughly. 
9. Evenly divide batter between lined cupcake pan. 
10. In a food processor puree blackberries until smooth, use cheesecloth to strain out the seeds. 
11. Use a spoon to drop small amounts of the blackberry puree into each cupcake, use a toothpick to swirl in the puree. 
12. Place cupcakes in oven and immediately decrease the temperature to 325º. Bake for 16-23 minutes, cupcake should bounce back when touched and toothpick should come out clean.

Glaze:

1. Whisk together lemon zest, lemon juice, and powdered sugar. 
2. Once cupcakes are completely cooled spoon glaze onto cupcakes and let it set completely before frosting. (You can either place them in the fridge for quicker setting time or leave them on the counter)

Frosting:

1. In the bowl of your stand mixer combine butter and cream cheese; beat on medium-high until smooth, scraping sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed.
2. Beat in the vanilla extract. 
3. Beat in the heavy cream. 
4. Once well mixed, turn mixer down to low and begin adding sifted powdered sugar until desired consistency.
5. Mix in blackberry puree; if icing is too runny add more powdered sugar until you reach the desired consistency.

Try them out and let me know what you think! 

Thanks for coming, stay awhile, and return often! xoxo