Also try my lemon blueberry cake!
We have lemon cupcakes with blackberry cream cheese frosting on today’s menu. These cupcakes are all sorts of flavorful with a giant dose of naturally colored (yay!) and naturally flavored (yay again!) blackberry frosting. They’re your dessert answer for everything coming up:
- Literally any springtime celebration = these cupcakes.
- Lilac/lavendar wedding color scheme? Done.
- Bridal shower? Obviously.
- Baby shower? This is your dessert, totally gender neutral.
- Mother’s Day or Father’s Day celebration? Parent approved.
- No reason at all? Do you even need a reason to make cupcakes?
In terms of flavors, they remind me of my lemon berry yogurt cake and citrus cake.
This is my basic recipe for lemon cupcakes, which I also use for lemon raspberry cupcakes. They’re soft and fluffy with bright and sunny lemon flavor. I published the recipe 4 years ago and they’ve never steered us wrong! The recipe is actually my most popular cake recipe on my blog: lemon blueberry cake… only reduced to make cupcakes. So if you’ve tried the lemon blueberry layer cake recipe, you know the cupcake version is a winner too.
There’s nothing crazy or fancy about the batter. Simply creamed butter + sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder, milk, and lemon. The usual gang! The batter is creamy, silky, and has the most unbelievable fresh lemon fragrance. You’ll fall in love even before you steal the first taste.
Remember to only fill your cupcake liners 2/3 fullโjust like you see above.
Grab fresh blackberries, puree them in a food processor (I use my little ninja!), then push through a fine mesh strainer to rid the seeds. You’re left with thick and seedless blackberry juice, which will go directly into the frosting. I suppose a blackberry jam works just as well, though the flavor may not be as potent.
(Don’t you just want to swipe a taste with your finger???)
I don’t suggest doing this method with any other berryโthough raspberries *should* be fine. Strawberries and blueberries produce a juice that’s much too thin for cream cheese frosting. You know what to do instead? Freeze-dried berries. You know I swear by freeze-dried berries for this strawberry buttercream frosting.
#1 Issue with Cream Cheese Frosting
This is a cream cheese frosting variation so make sure you’re using brick cream cheese, not cream cheese spread. That’s the #1 issue readers face when making cream cheese frosting. You want the actual brick of cream cheese, sold right next to the tubs of cream cheese spread.
The blackberry flavor in this frosting is mild, but you’ll know it’s there. The blackberry cream cheese frosting is a little thinner than we’re used to because of the added juice, but I was still able to pipe it with my #12 round tip. I actually loved how light it was, especially paired with an equally light lemon cupcake. The frosting is also super soft and just as creamy as you see in the photo above.
Baker’s Tip: Try filling these cupcakes with my homemade lemon curd for an extra special treat! See my How to Fill Cupcakes tutorial and video for exactly how to do so. (Use method #2 outlined in that post for filling.)
This is, without a doubt, my new favorite cream cheese frosting. I’m already planning on using it as an alternate filling in this strawberries and cream cake roll and urge you to try that too! Also, doesn’t looking at the purple color instantly put you in a better mood? Experience it all ASAP. โ
Print
Lemon Cupcakes with Blackberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours
- Yield: 12 cupcakes
- Category: Cupcakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These lemon cupcakes are soft, fluffy, and exploding with lemon flavor. Topped with fresh blackberry cream cheese frosting for the ultimate treat!
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/2 cups (188g) all-purpose flourย (spooned & leveled)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (120ml) milk*
- zest + fresh juice of two medium lemons*
Blackberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 cup fresh blackberries, divided*
- 8 ounces (226g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp; 56g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3 cups (360g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ยฐF (177ยฐC).ย Line a 12-count muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- Makeย the cupcakes:ย Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.ย Add the eggs and vanilla, then beat on medium-high speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed.ย With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients until just incorporated. With the mixer still running on low, slowly pour in the milk, lemon juice, and zest until combined. Do not overmix. You may need to whisk it all by hand to make sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be slightly thick.
- Pour/spoon the batter into the linersโfill only 2/3 full to avoid spilling over the sides. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. For around 30 mini cupcakes,ย bake for about 11-13ย minutes, same oven temperature.ย Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
- Make the frosting: Puree 1/2 cupโ2/3 cup blackberries in a small food processor. Push through a fine mesh strainer to rid the seeds. You’ll have a couple Tablespoons of puree.
- In a largeย bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together on highย speed until smooth and creamy. Add confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, blackberry puree, and salt. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then switch to high speed and beat for 2 minutes.
- Frost cooled cupcakes. I used Wiltonย #12 round tip. Garnish with remaining berries.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. Plain cupcakesย canย be made ahead 1 day in advance, covered, and stored at room temperature. Frostingย canย also be made 1 day in advance, covered, and stored in the refrigerator until ready to use. Frosted or unfrosted cupcakesย canย be frozen up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 12-count Muffin Pan | Cupcake Liners | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Food Processor or Blender | Wilton #12 Round Decorating Tip | Piping Bag (Reusable or Disposable)
- Milk: I suggest whole milk or buttermilk. Any milk is fine, but you’ll get the most wonderful moist, soft, and rich texture with either of those 2.
- Lemons: About 1 and 1/2 Tbsp zest and 1/4โ1/3 cup lemon juice.
- Blackberries: I don’t suggest using frozen blackberries, nor do I suggest any other berry. Raspberries *might* work, but strawberry and blueberry puree will be much too thin. Instead, use freeze-dried strawberries or blueberries like we do in strawberry buttercream frosting.
Reader Comments and Reviews
hi I’ve been wanting to try filling cupcakes and these look so good! do you have recommendations for fillings?
Hi T! A blackberry jam filling or a lemon curd filling would be lovely here. Here’s our guide to filling cupcakes!
Hi there! This recipe looks delicious! Can I use it to make a 6in layer cake? I’m reading that this frosting is a bit thin in comparison to traditional cream cheese frosting, so I wasn’t sure if it would be dense enough to hold layers of cake. I love the idea of having a purple cream cheese frosting. Thank you!
Hi Pilar, it should be fine!
Can blackberry puree be prepped and frozen for future use in making the frosting?
Hi Ang, that should be fine.
Would the blackberry puree be thick enough to fill cupcakes with?
Hi Annabelle, we wouldn’t think so, it will be quite wet, since it’s just pureed berries.
Can this recipe be used for a 10โ cake and do in 3 layers? Would the buttercream hold up ok for the layers?
Hi Jess, We recommend making the lemon blueberry layer cake instead.
I have a question! Can you tell me approximately how many ounces or grams of blackberries should be used for the puree (which calls for 1/2 – 2/3c)? Or should I just fill up a dry measuring cup with the whole berries?
Hi AJ, we measure 1 cup of blackberries as about 140g, but of course it depends on the size of your berries. But aim for about 140g!