Sharing joy with lemon blackberry cupcakes

Amy McCauley | Last updated Apr 05, 2023 4:14pm
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Homemade cake is one of life's great joys - something that should be enjoyed on more than just special occasions. Making time to bake is a wonderful way to celebrate the everyday.

Cake in my mind is a gift to be shared. This is one of the reasons that I love cupcakes. They are every bit as delicious as a large frosted cake and much easier to decorate and share. Mention the word cupcake and my daughters will run to the kitchen. All the measuring and mixing is worth it for a taste of the batter.

This featherlight lemon cake is made with oil, which makes it moist, but it also has a small amount of potato starch that gives it a light texture. When I was creating this recipe, the cake was so good that my daughters were trying to eat them before I could even get them frosted. Still, don't skip the frosting because the blackberry buttercream is what puts them over the top.

Fresh blackberries give the icing a gorgeous color. This recipe makes a generous amount of icing because I like to give my cupcakes a couple of swirls of frosting. I recommend getting a large pastry bag, a coupler (a device that attaches the icing tip) and a large open star tip. However, if using a pastry bag feels like too much, then use a butter knife to frost them. They will still taste wonderful!

If you are looking for a way to brighten someone's day then these cupcakes are like a little love note from the kitchen. The blackberry buttercream is sure to put a smile on their face.

- Amy McCauley is The Hinsdalean's food columnist. Readers can email her at [email protected].

 

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Lemon Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar

• 2 eggs

• 1 ½ teaspoons lemon zest

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• ¼ cup potato starch

• 1/8 teaspoon salt

• 1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder

• 6 tablespoons vegetable oil

• ¼ cup milk

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In the bowl of a stand mixer add sugar, eggs, lemon zest and vanilla. Mix on medium speed for one minute. Add in the potato starch, salt, baking powder and half of your flour with your milk and oil. Mix on low speed until just blended. Add in the remaining flour and mix until just incorporated. Line your muffin tins with a paper liner and lightly spray with cooking spray. Fill the cups three-fourths of the way full.

Bake for 20 minutes. Let them cool completely before frosting.

Blackberry Syrup

• 2 cups blackberries

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 1/4 cup water

• 1/4 cup sugar

In a food processor puree the blackberries, lemon juice and water. Then strain the berry mixture through a fine strainer into a small saucepan. Once you have pushed all the juice through add one-quarter cup of sugar and heat the berry mixture over medium high heat. Stir the berry juice frequently until it reduces down to one-quarter cup. It’s ready when you can pull a line down the pan with your spoon and it holds for a few seconds.

Blackberry Buttercream

• 1 stick butter, well softened

• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

• 1/4 cup of the blackberry syrup

• 1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons of milk

• 8 cups powdered sugar

Using a mixer, beat together the butter and salt. Add in vanilla, lemon juice, blackberry syrup, milk and gradually add in your powdered sugar a few cups at a time. Beat the buttercream over medium speed until light and fluffy.

Decorate the cupcakes using a pastry bag with a large star tip. Pipe a swirl starting around the outside edge of the cupcake and finish the swirl with a second circular motion in the middle. Add a sprig of mint and a blackberry on top. Makes one dozen.