The Story:
My summers seem to have lost their magic. They used to be full of hiking, sleeping in the backyard under the stars, smokey campfires, craft camps and loosing a sense of what day of the week was. But now, all I seem to do is work. When I finally do have time to do something fun, I’m too tired to get out the door. But blackberries always seem to bring back my summer. When they start to grow on the vines in front of my house, I can’t help but run out barefooted with a big bowl and fill it to the brim. The taste of blackberries warm from the sun will always bring back a little of that lost summer magic.

Chocolate Blackberry Cupcakes
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake:
- 1 box Devil's Food Cake mix
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup oil
- 1 cup milk
- 1/3 cup plain or vanilla yogurt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Blackberry Buttercream:
- 1 cup butter softened
- 3-4 cups powdered sugar
- 4-5 tablespoons blackberry puree strained
Instructions
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1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line pans with cupcake liners.
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2. Sift cake mix into a small bowl and set aside.
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3. In a large bowl, use a whisk to gently combine remaining cake ingredients.
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4. Add cake mix to wet ingredients and stir until smooth.
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5. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until an inserted knife comes out clean.
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6. Buttercream: Beat butter for 2 minutes. Slowly add powdered sugar until the frosting becomes very thick. Slowly add berry puree a little at a time. Stop once the buttercream becomes the right consistency. If it becomes too loose, add more powdered sugar to thicken.
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7. Pipe buttercream onto cooled cupcakes and top with a fresh blackberry.
Recipe Notes
To make blackberry puree, place berries in a blender or food processor and mix until smooth. Put the puree through a strainer to remove the seeds.
Yum! My husband loves blackberries, I’ll have to make these for him this weekend.
Very pretty! I like the color combination!
Wow, these look amazing. I too love blackberries, well berries of any sort really! So much so I’m now trying to grow my own, so I don’t have to run to the shop every time I want a berry fix. That frosting is such a pretty colour, I’d make it just for that, but blackberries are a total bonus yum, yum!
Hi Lizzy! I am a freshman in high school and just started a fashion and food blog. I absolutely adore your website and recipes, and I recently created a post that shared your recipe for Strawberry White Chocolate Cupcakes. I was wondering if you could take a look at my blog/post and let me know if you had any tips for better photography, etc.! Thank you so much for your time 🙂
-Emma
I’ll send you an email!
Incredible! This blog looks exactly like my old one!
It’s on a totally different subject but it has pretty much the same layout and design. Excellent choice of colors!
Hey, I’m a freshman in highschool and I would like to make these cupcakes for my mom, only in cake form. What pan would I use and how would that change the cooking time?
Plus, would I need to double the frosting recipe or something?
Thanks!
Yum yum yum! I just love your photos. They are always so full of color.
Blackberries and chocolate just go together so well! I have a bunch of blackberry vines out my back door and I’m (im)patiently waiting for them to bear fruit. I can’t wait! 🙂
Nice! I only recently checked out your blog, but have enjoyed the post and will be back to read more.
WoW…Lizzy Mae I love your site here!!! AMAZING..my Uncle has cancer and while he is going through is treatment things don’t always look or sound good to him food wise, these will definitely perk him up with his appetite!! Two things he loves Blackberries & Chocolate. I was wondering if I could use seedless Blackberry Preserves instead of the Puree? Thanks keep on posting what you make I love it. 🙂
Yes, that will work just fine as a substitute!
Every now and then I come across a blog that I just CANNOT walk away from. I thought you might like to hear that your blog is one of them. I’ve read almost every recipe on here in one sitting…all of your cupcake recipes sound SO yummy & are so unique that I know I’ll have to try them. I pinned a bunch of them to pinterest (made sure to give you credit) ..as well as a muffin recipe that I know my mother will absolutely love. So…basically I just wanted to let you know that you’re doing an awesome job & that your blog is *inspiring* to someone like me. I’d love for my baked goods to someday get to the level that yours are. Much love. =)
so i have made 2 butter cream frosting recipes in the last 2 days and cannot get my frosting to stand up like yours does on this photo…any tips. I put more sugar in. I ended up with about 5 cups on this last one but to no avail. I need help. I have looked at several websites and they all just tell me to add more liquid if it is too thick. Thanks for your time…
if you use blackberry preserves instead of puree how much do you need to put in order to make the frosting?
Start with the same amount, then then add more if needed. You won’t get such a strong flavor though, but it will still be great!
I used greek yogurt instead = super YUM! =)
I’m pretty sure this is a dumb question but here goes: When you list cake mix as an ingredient, do you just use the cake mix or the the cake mix with whatever eggs/oil/water the box calls for?
Just you the mix ALONE. Not a silly question 🙂
Hi Lizzy,
I love your cupcakes! They are delicious! I have tried a few recepies but I have always wondered, do you use salted butter or unsalted? Does it make a difference?
I always use unsalted but people tell me they love using salted butter in their frostings… so either should be good!
I pinned this cupcake recipe from Pinterest the other day and I made them today…they are outstanding!!
The cake part and the frosting are both delicious, and go together so nicely!! Thank you so much, Lizzie!!
Hi Lizzy!
Approximately how many ounces of blackberries would I need to buy to get 4 or 5 tablespoons of strained blackberry puree? I wish they grew in my backyard but no such luck!
Thank you very much,
Elaine
Gгeat article.