Vanilla Cupcakes with Blackberry Buttercream

[underused]

We have a blackberry bush at the bottom of our garden. That is awesome. But it never produces more than a cup or two of berries at a time (so no jam or pie) and we have to pick them just before they're sweet or the bugs, birds, and beasties get them. Figuring out how to use them is always a dilemma.

Last week it occurred to me I could use them to flavour other things, so I made a very simple blackberry syrup--and today I used it in a buttercream frosting for cupcakes.



VERY VANILLA-Y CUPCAKES (source)

preheat oven to 350 F

3/4 c butter (room temp)
1 3/4 c sugar
3 eggs
3 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 c milk

Beat butter and sugar until smooth and fluffy-ish. Add eggs and vanilla and continue beating until smooth.

Mix flour, salt, and baking powder. Measure out milk. Alternate adding flour mixture and milk to butter/egg mixture until all is smooth and blended. (I usually fold in with a spatula rather than using the electric mixer.)

Fill lined muffin/cupcake tins half full. Bake 15-18 mins, until tops are very pale golden brown.

EASY BUTTERCREAM with a BERRY VARIATION

3 c confectioner's (icing) sugar
1/3 c butter
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1-2 tbsp milk

Beat all with an electric mixer until light and smooth.

If you want to make the berry syrup variation, leave out the vanilla and milk and substitute with syrup, plus a few drops lemon extract and a pinch of salt. Add liquid gradually; stop adding when you have your desired consistency.

BLACKBERRY SYRUP

This barely needs a recipe. I just crushed my 1 1/2 cups black berries in a small saucepan and added about a tablespoon of sugar, two tablespoons of water, a few drops of lemon juice and a pinch of salt. (A bit less sugar is better than more--you can always add more later.)

I brought it to a boil and, once boiling, stirred and crushed the softening berries to get as much juice as I could. After a few minutes I took it off the heat and let it cool. Then I strained it through a cheesecloth to get the seeds and pulp out.

You know you've got it right when you swirl the syrup in a glass jar and it just barely sticks to the glass before draining down again.

Comments

[full_metal_ox]

Last week it occurred to me I could use them to flavour other things, so I made a very simple blackberry syrup--and today I used it in a buttercream frosting for cupcakes.

Which puts you firmly in the tradition of capturing fleeting seasonal flavors through the magic of syrups, cordials, pickles, preserves, and what have you. (And I bet it would be the perfect ingredient to surprise someone with a radiantly hot-pink (and antioxidant-packed!) Valentine's Day Velvet Cake, parfait, cocktail, or whatever.)

[underused]

It never occurred to me to use the syrup to colour a cake, but you're right, that would probably look (and taste) amazing.

Maybe this will be a weekend experiment...