Blackberry Vanilla Cupcakes

  
Growing up, I lived next to a wooded vacant lot.

Wild blackberry bushes grew there and I would pick blackberries with my brothers.

Sometimes we had so many that my mom would make cobbler or jam with them.

When I spied some fresh blackberries in the store recently,
it brought back all those great memories and I decided to make a new recipe.

Blackberry Vanilla Cupcakes!

You make seedless blackberry puree by processing the berries in your blender,

then straining the puree through a fine mesh sieve.

The puree makes the cake batter a very deep blue color,

while the buttercream frosting becomes a beautiful pinkish purple.

Keep this in mind if you like natural food coloring alternatives!

 

Blackberry Vanilla Cupcakes

by Bird On A Cake

6061152

Ingredients (18 cupcakes)

Blackberry Vanilla Cupcakes

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup blackberry puree

Blackberry Vanilla Buttercream

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened)
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup blackberry puree

Instructions

Blackberry Vanilla Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Alternately add the dry ingredients and the milk to the batter, beginning and ending with the dry. Mix in vanilla and blackberry puree. Pour batter into prepared liners and bake for 18-20 minutes, until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool on a rack.

Blackberry Vanilla Buttercream

In large mixing bowl, mix butter and sugar on low speed until light and fluffy. Add blackberry puree and vanilla. Keep covered.

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 These cupcakes have a delicious flavor. I will definitely be making them again!

Enjoy!

Another berrylicious cake recipe...
Raspberry Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache

I share my recipes & tutorials at these fun link parties.

St. Patrick's Day Green Petal Cake

 
Here is a lovely Green Petal Cake to help you get ready for St. Patrick's Day!
The petal cake decorating technique is easy to do and so very pretty.

You can find my step-by-step petal tutorial here.

My Key Lime Cake recipe was perfect for this green cake...AND it's so delicious!

I used gel food coloring to make the frosting a very pale shade of green,
which I used between the layers and for the crumb coat.

Next, I divided the remaining frosting into three bowls
and colored two of them darker shades of green.

I alternated these colors from darkest to lightest while decorating the cake.

For the top of the cake, I created a flower shape.

This is done by making the petals in overlapping concentric circles,

pulling your dots of frosting toward the center of the cake.

You can also make simple circles on top, which I did on my Rainbow Petal Cake.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

 Another fun green cake...
Key Lime Shamrock Cake

I share my recipes & tutorials at these fun link parties.

This post was featured!

Dr. Seuss' The Lorax Cupcakes

 

Do you have March 2nd marked on your calendar?

It's almost time to celebrate the birthday of Dr. Seuss,

the beloved author of wonderful, wacky children's books.

I have made Green Eggs & Ham Cupcakes for his birthday,

 because my children adore that book and have it memorized.

This year, I decided to make an edible version of one of my favorite Seuss characters...

The Lorax Cupcakes!

He speaks for the trees, you know.

What You Will Need:

A batch of cupcakes

Orange frosting

Yellow candy melts

Piping bag fitted with small round tip (Wilton #3)

Candy eyes

Orange Sixlets, M&M's or Skittles

  
To download my Lorax mustache template below, click on the image to open it. 

Then right click on the image and select "Save Image As".
Print the template and tape it to the back of a cookie sheet.
Tape a piece of wax paper on top of the template.

Next, melt the yellow candy melts according to package directions.

Fill a piping bag with the candy melts.

  Trace over the eyebrow and mustache outlines, piping lines to look like hair.

When they have hardened, carefully peel them off the wax paper.

Arrange the eyebrows, candy eyes and mustache on a frosted cupcake.

Put a dot of frosting on the back of your orange candy and make a nose.

Enjoy!

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot,
Nothing is going to get better. It's not.”
― Dr. Seuss, The Lorax

 Check out my "Dr. Seuss Treats" Pinterest board for more fun ideas!

And my Green Eggs & Ham Cupcakes...

 I share my recipes and tutorials at these fun link parties.
 

Hidden Heart Red Velvet Cupcakes

 

  
My husband made a very disturbing confession this week.

He doesn't like red velvet cake!!

*stunned silence*

I thought I knew this man!
You can imagine my distress at this revelation.

We may have to go to therapy to get past it.

In the meantime, the kids and I will enjoy these Hidden Heart Red Velvet Cupcakes.
The frosting heart inside the cupcake is a fun surprise
and they make a great Valentine's Day treat!

 What You Will Need:
 Red Velvet Cupcakes with tops cut off
small heart cookie cutter
cream cheese frosting
confectioners' sugar in a sifter

Center your heart cookie cutter on the cupcake and press down.
Use a spoon to scoop out the cake inside the heart.
Eat the cake scraps.

Fill the heart cavity with cream cheese frosting.
(You can fill a ziploc bag with frosting and snip off the corner.)

Trace your heart cookie cutter on a piece of paper.
Cut out the paper heart and center it on a cupcake top.
Use a sifter to sprinkle powdered sugar over the cupcake top.
Carefully remove the paper heart.

 Place the tops back on your cupcakes and enjoy!

Happy Valentine's Day!
 
 I share my recipes and tutorials at these fun link parties.

Another fun Valentine treat idea...

Conversation Heart Cupcake Toppers

This post was featured!

Black Forest Cake with Chocolate Ganache

 

Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte!

That's what this Black Forest Cake is called in Germany, where the recipe originated.

It is a delightful combination of chocolate, cherries and whipped cream.

For my version, I added cherry extract to my favorite chocolate cake recipe.

Then I layered it with fresh whipped cream and cherry pie filling,

and topped it all with thick chocolate ganache.

Scrumptious!

Isn't it simply gorgeous?
Is it fair for a cake to be so pretty AND taste so good? 

Black Forest Cake with Chocolate Ganache

by Bird On A Cake

6058473

Ingredients

Chocolate Cherry Cake

• 1 cup boiling water
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk (OR 1 tablespoon vinegar mixed with 1 cup milk)
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon cherry extract

Chocolate Ganache

• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whipped Cream

• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 (21 oz.) can cherry pie filling

Instructions

Chocolate Cherry Cake

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottoms of two 9 inch round cake pans with wax paper and grease the sides. Bring a small pan of water to a boil and keep it simmering while you mix the other ingredients.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the eggs, buttermilk, oil and cherry extract. Beat with mixer until combined.

Add 1 cup of the boiling water and carefully stir until it is mixed in. Beat for 1 1/2 minutes with mixer. Batter will be thin. Pour the batter into prepared pans and bake for 20-24 minutes (until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean).

Chocolate Ganache

Place the chocolate chips in a small metal bowl. Heat the cream over medium heat. Watch it closely and immediately remove from heat when it starts to boil. Pour over chocolate chips. Wait for 2 minutes, then slowly stir the mixture until all the chips have completely melted and it is thoroughly combined. Stir in the vanilla. Let the ganache cool until it reaches a thicker, spreadable consistency.

Whipped Cream

Chill a large mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer for 10 minutes. Pour heavy cream into the bowl and whip until peaks are just about to form. Add vanilla and sugar; beat until stiff peaks form. Make sure not to over-beat, cream will then become lumpy and butter-like.

Assembling Your Cake

Level cake layers and place one layer on a cake plate. Spread 3/4 of the whipped cream on the cake layer, leaving one inch of space around the edge. Reserve 12 cherries and set aside; drop the remaining pie filling by spoonfuls on top of the whipped cream. Place second cake layer on top. Spread thickened ganache on top of the cake, just to the edges. Garnish with remaining whipped cream and reserved cherries.

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 Enjoy!

 I share my recipes and tutorials at these fun link parties.

Another yummy recipe with cherries...

Mini Funnel Cake Hearts