Table for Two: Blackberry Cupcakes

one of my favourite simple pleasures, is dragging the boy through the fields of our local berry farm (which is definetley aimed at the under tens...) to pick some fresh strawberries, raspberries and blueberries. This annual tradition tends to take place in the warmer summer months (mud isn't one of my favourite things) but these past few months have been so chaotic, and of course the weather hasn't been ideal, so we're a season behind and went blackberry picking instead.

with the (fairly lacking) blackberries left after we demolished far too many on the journey home and in a further fruit salad, I decided to make a batch of my favourite cupcakes, with a blackberry twist.

y o u ' l l  n e e d  . . .

For twelve blackberry cupcakes...

225g sugar
100g butter, softened
2 large eggs
300g all purpose flour
1 1/2tsp baking soda
350 ml blackberries
2tbsp milk
1/2 vanilla bean

For the vanilla buttercream icing...

4 large egg whites

250g butter, softened but cool

200g sugar

2tsp vanilla extract

For the blackberry sauce...

100g blackberries

1tbsp sugar (add to taste)

y o u ' l l  n e e d  to  . . .

Preheat oven to 175 C (350 F). Whip butter and sugar until white and fluffy. Add eggs and beat another 2-3 minutes. Mix flour and baking soda in another bowl. Set aside. Mash blackberries and add them and flour in additions to the butter mixture. Scrape vanilla seeds out of bean and mix until batter is smooth. Divide evenly between 12 cupcake cases and bake for about 20 minutes (check after 17).Put the egg whites and sugar into a clean, heatproof bowl. Put the bowl in a double boiler, the water should be simmering. Wisk sugar and eggs to avoid curdling, the mixture should be about 65degrees celsius (or until the sugar has melted) - then remove from the heat and wisk until white, fluffy and cool. Be warned, this can take around ten minutes! Start adding the butter, very slowly, then once you're white, fluffy and cool again, add the vanilla extract.

For the blackberry sauce, put blackberries and sugar in a saucepan. Mash berries and let come to a boil. Strain to get rid of seeds (optional). Let cool. Spoon over the frosted cupcakes and garnish with any leftover berries. rachelle xo

p r e v i o u s  t a b l e s  f o r  t w o  . . .
cherry trifle  |  ginger, basil & grapefruit spritzers  |  strawberry buttercream cupcakes  |  no-bake berry cheesecake  |  peach collins  |  berry & fruit summer coolers  |  strawberry mojitos  |  chocolate espresso cupcakes