Eggless Sunday: Chocolate Blackberry Cupcakes

With the start of summer and the constant 100 degree heat in Houston, I wanted to make a summer appropriate cupcake that was as refreshing as it was fattening. I would need to bake something that would allow me to imagine I was skipping through a field picking berries (or something else as equally manly). To accomplish this, I acquired the help of my friend Alex (who was willing to work for batter), which added the extra stipulation that they had to be eggless, and we began our baking adventure. First we tackled chocolate blackberry cupcakes. Then we moved on to the wild world of strawberry banana quinoa muffins.


Chocolate Blackberry Cupcakes
Cake adapted from Food.com
Idea and frosting adapted from Your Cup of Cake
Servings: 15 cupcakes
Time: 45 minutes

Cake
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk
5 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp vanilla


Frosting
1 cup butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
6-7 tbsp blackberry puree (about one small carton blended), strained
Sparkly sugar for garnish
Blackberries for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. Mix the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt together in a bowl.
3. Stir the milk, vegetable oil, vinegar and vanilla together in a stand mixer at medium speed.
4. Gradually add the dry ingredients in at low speed until just incorporated.
5. Fill lined cupcake tins 2/3 full with batter. Remember to reserve some for paying off your friend/helper.
6. Bake for 13-17 minutes or until the toothpick test comes back clean. Be sure to rotate once halfway through. Let cool on a wire rack.
7. Make the frosting. Start by beating the butter until light and fluffy. Then slowly add in the powdered sugar (scrape down the sides of the bowl in between each round). Finally mix in the blackberry puree on low speed then ramp up to high speed. 
8. Pipe the frosting on to the cupcakes then garnish with colored sugar and a blackberry.

It's all about the sparkly sugar.

This chocolate cake recipe was previously used for my black and white cupcakes (with ridiculously awesome cream cheese filling). I was a little concerned how they'd work without the filling, but they provided a fantastic cake that delivered all the chocolate flavor while allowing the blackberry to take center stage. The blackberry buttercream was a somewhat light and not overly sweet frosting that worked perfectly with the moist cake. Proper refreshment levels were reached thanks to the fresh blackberry and sparkly sugar garnish that rounded off one interesting looking cupcake.

Dennis demonstrates the proper way to unhinge your jaw to allow for maximum cupcake eating.

The baking adventure concludes with strawberry banana quinoa muffins, which Dennis had to eat through a straw thanks to the unfortunate consequences of jaw unhinging.