Happy Mother’s Day to all the wonderful moms out there! It finally feels like Spring in Texas (which won’t last long!), so I wanted to celebrate with some delicious fruit-inspired cupcakes. These Lemon Cupcakes with Blackberry Buttercream make the perfect Spring or Summer dessert – they are light, fluffy, tangy and sweet! I’m going to post a few more fruity cupcakes over the next few weeks, so look for more in the weeks to come!

Lemon Cupcakes

From Tide & Thyme 

Makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup (1 stick) salted butter, at room temperature
• 1 small lemon, zested
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons buttermilk, at room temperature
• 1 ½ teaspoons lemon extract
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line 2 cupcake tins with paper liners, set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the 1 1/2c cake flour, 1 1/2t baking powder and 1/4t salt. Whisk to combine.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the 1/2c butter and lemon zest. Beat on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of bowl and beat for 1 more minute.
4. Add the 1c sugar to the butter mixture, 1/4c at a time, beating 1 minute after each addition. Mix in the 3 eggs one at a time until incorporated.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition.
5. Combine the 1/2c+2T buttermilk and the 1 1/2t lemon and 1/2t vanilla extract in a liquid measuring cup.
6. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients alternately with the wet ingredients, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients and mixing just until incorporated.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for 15 seconds longer.
7. Fill the cupcakes liners 2/3 of the way full with batter (I like to use a large cookie scoop). Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 16 minutes. Let cool in pan about 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely.

 

Blackberry Buttercream

 Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup salted butter, room temperature
• 2 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 1/2 cup blackberries
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• pinch salt
• blackberries, for garnish

Instructions:

1. Puree the 1/2c blackberries (I threw in a couple extra for more flavor) in a small food processor. Strain the pulp out into a fine-mesh strainer. Using a rubber spatula, push the blackberry pulp through the sieve to remove the seeds. Discard the seeds, and set the pureed blackberries aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment cream the 1/2c butter over medium speed for 1 minute.
3. Reduce speed to low, and carefully add in the 2 1/2c powdered sugar and pinch of salt.
4. Add the 1/2t vanilla extract, as well as the blackberry puree. Increase speed to medium, and beat until smooth and frosting is combined.
5. Frost cupcakes as desired and garnish with a fresh blackberry.

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Happy Baking!

 

-SugarB