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Mixed Berry & Lemon Cupcakes

These cupcakes just scream summer! Berries and lemons are such a perfect combination. But the two things that really set this recipe apart are cutting butter into flour (think fluffy biscuit texture!) and adding the mixed berry jam right into the batter. I like to make my own fresh mixed berry jam but you can use store bought as well. I love that the berries are baked right into the batter and you can see the pretty purple swirls when you bite into the cupcake. I’m also revealing my secret for baking cupcakes with the perfect little dome in this recipe. It involves baking the cupcakes at a higher temperature initially, then baking them at a lower temperature. This recipe is definitely one of my all time favorites and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

TIME

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DIFFICULTY

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SHARE IT

2 hours
1 out of 5

RECIPE

 

For the Mixed Berry Jam:

 

  1. Add all the ingredients to a small sauce pan and bring to a boil while stirring. Roughly mash about half to three quarters of the berries in the pan with a spatula, leaving some of small berries whole.

  2. Boil until about half of the water evaporates, about 5-7 minutes.

  3. Remove from heat, transfer to another bowl, and refrigerate until completely cool, at least four hours.

  4. NOTE: Alternatively, you could also use store bought mixed berry jam.

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For the Cupcakes:

 

  1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Add cupcake liners to cupcake pan. (This recipe makes 18-22 cupcakes).

  2. Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a large mixing bowl (if using electric beaters) or into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and cut in on medium-low speed until the flour is crumbly and no pieces of butter are visible, about 2 minutes.  

  3. In a separate bowl, whisk the milk, lemon juice, oil, eggs and vanilla. Add this all at once to the flour and mix first on low speed until combined and then increase the speed to medium high and beat for 1 minute until lighter in color.  

  4. Fill each cupcake liners about half way through with batter, add about 2 teaspoons of jam, and then add enough batter on top to almost completely fill the cupcake cavity. Using a toothpick, make swirls in the batter of each cupcake. Drop (or tap) the cupcake pan on the counter a few times to remove any air bubbles if needed.

  5. Bake cupcakes for 5 minutes at 400F. Then turn down the temperature to 350F and bake for an addition 13-15 minutes until slightly golden brown around the edges. Do not open the oven during the cooking process. The cupcakes are completely cooked when a toothpick is inserted into the center and it comes out completely clean. Cool the cupcakes completely on a rack, about 30-40 minutes. 

  6. Once cooled, cut out a small center in each cupcake using a corer. Fill the center with lemon curd.

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For the Buttercream:

 

  1. Add Swiss Meringue Buttercream, cooled Berry Jam, lemon zest, and vanilla to a hand or stand mixer bowl. Beat until jam is fully incorporated into the buttercream. 

  2. Add buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a large open start piping tip and pipe buttercream onto cupcakes. 

  3. Add Lemon wedges for garnish for decoration.

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INGREDIENTS

Lemon Curd

2 cups Lemon Curd (see recipe on my blog)

 

Mixed Berry Jam

4 cups of fresh or frozen mixed berries of your choice

1/4 cup water

1 cup granulated white sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

Mixed Berry Cupcakes

2 ½ cups cake or all purpose flour

1 ½ cups granulated white sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into small cubes

1 cup whole milk

¼ cup lemon juice

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 large eggs, at room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

 

Mixed Berry & Lemon Buttercream

4 cups Swiss Meringue Buttercream (see recipe on my blog)

1 cup Berry Jam

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1 teaspoon Vanilla

Lemon Wedges (for garnish, optional)

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