I will be completely honesty, I’m not about mixing fruit with dessert. However, I made these cupcakes for a coworker’s baby shower and people FLIPPED! I have never received more requests for a recipe than this one. So, for you lovers of fruity desserts, I present you my secret:
Ingredients:
For cake:
3 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 lemon (zest + 3 tablespoons juice)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup milk
For frosting:
1 8oz cream cheese, softened
½ cup butter, softened
6 cups powdered sugar
¼ cup blackberry jam
Blackberries (for garnish)
Preheat oven to 325.
In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Beat butter and sugar until creamy. Mix in eggs until incorporated. Add vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
Slowly begin adding dry ingredients and milk, alternating so the batter stays smooth and you don’t have a puff of flour covering your kitchen floor.
Line muffin tin with cupcake liners. Fill each about 2/3 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a pick comes out clean. The cupcakes may look moist on top.
Remove cupcakes from tin and allow to cool on a cooling rack (don’t burn yourself!).
Once the cupcakes cool, start on the frosting!
Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth and fluffy. Slowly add in powdered sugar until incorporated. If the frosting gets too thick, you can add a little milk or heavy cream to make it easier to pipe onto the cupcakes.
Remove the bowl of frosting from the mixer. Spoon the jam into the bowl in clumps. Using a large spoon or spatula (and being sure to not overmix the jam into the frosting) place the frosting into a piping bag. I don’t mix the jam in so it gives the appearance of a swirl when piped.
Pipe blackberry frosting onto cupcakes. Top with a blackberry and you have a beautiful dessert for any occasion.
