Lemon Blackberry Cupcakes

I have some pretty awesome friends. After driving for about four days from Provo to Idaho, then Idaho to Denver, then Denver to Texas, I'm finally home! Yesterday was my friend Haidyn's birthday. She's the best. We've been friends forever. We fluently speak in movie quotes, ride elephants together, and eat ridiculous amounts of food from her family's catering business. 

I love that Haidyn is not at all a picky eater. She loves the weird food I like, so when I knew I'd be making her cupcakes for her birthday, I knew I could be as creative as I wanted to be. 

I wanted something with berries, and when I came home, there were some scrumptious-looking blackberries in the fridge that I just couldn't resist. 

We had some lemons and I immediately knew I wanted a light lemony cupcake filled with sweetened mascarpone. The frosting would be lemony blackberry cream cheese buttercream topped with a blackberry. I love dreaming up cupcakes. 

Lemon Cupcakes

Yields 18-20 deliciously full-sized cupcakes

• 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup cake flour (I used 1 cup minus 2 tbsp all purpose flour, then added 2 tbsp corn starch. This is my go-to cake flour recipe. Make sure to mix the flour and corn starch together really well.)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup milk
• 4 large egg whites, room temperature (I put my cold eggs soaking in warm water for 3 minutes or so)
• 3 teaspoons lemon juice
• zest of one lemon

1. Preheat oven to 375 fahrenheit (If you're at high altitude, preheat to 385). Line cupcake tins with adorable cupcake liners.

2. Mix together flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk until incorporated.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together sour cream, milk, and egg whites. Set aside. 

4. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar for about 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy.

5. Add the vanilla extract to the butter mixture. While the mixer is on low, add the flour mixture in 3 parts alternating with the milk/sour cream mixture. (You'll start and end with flour mixture).

6. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. (If you make mini cupcakes, they take about 13 minutes.)

Mascarpone Filling

1/2 cup (4 oz) mascarpone cheese

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp lemon juice

Beat it all together and pipe into cupcakes.

Blackberry Cream Cheese Buttercream

4 oz cream cheese

6 tbsp butter

4 cups powdered sugar

1/2 tsp clear vanilla extract

1 tsp lemon juice

1/4 cup blackberries plus some for topping

Heat the blackberries in the microwave to help release the juices. Mash them through a sieve to get the seeds out. Beat the cream cheese and butter in a mixer. Add the powdered sugar until it's smooth. Add vanilla and lemon and beat until it's fluffy. Add the blackberry juice and make sure it's beaten until it's fully incorporated. Pipe onto cupcakes and top with a blackberry and some sugar crystal sprinkles. 

Bon appétit!