back to baking.lemon cupcakes w. graham cracker crust, blackberry filling & blackberry buttercream

We made and ate an excessive amount of food for the Super Bowl. From seven layer dip to spinach artichoke dip to deviled eggs (oh yes, with bacon grease) to homemade chicken tenders to pork sliders to veggie platters…the list goes on.

I was in charge of bringing dessert and wanted to bake cupcakes since I hadn’t in a while, which is odd considering it’s one of my favorite desserts to make. These weren’t just any cupcake though–not only were they filled with a blackberry puree, but they also had a graham cracker crust, which provided a pleasant textural contrast to the light lemon cake. The cupcakes were a hit at the party and I will most definitely be making them again, as should you!

Though I didn’t have a preference who won yesterday, the majority of our party was rooting for the Patriots. So, obviously it wasn’t the desired outcome for them, but congrats to the Giants fans.

Just a glimpse of half of the (half-eaten) food from yesterday.

Graham cracker crust recipe:

1 1/2 cups graham crackers

1/3 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1/4 cup sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Pulse graham crackers in food processor into fine crumbs. Add butter and sugar and pulse until combined.

Place about 2 tsp. of graham cracker mixture into the bottom of each cupcake paper. Use your fingers or a pastry tamper to press mixture firmly together.

Place muffin tins in oven and bake for 5 minutes. Remove and let cool.

Lemon cupcake recipe:

3 cups cake flour

2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1/2 cup half & half

1/2 cup low-fat milk

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

4 large egg whites

Zest of 2 lemons

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Directions:

Keep oven at 350 degrees. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers.

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. Combine milk, half & half and vanilla in a measuring cup and set aside.

Place butter and sugar in bowl of stand mixer. Cream together for 3-5 minutes until light and fluffy. Add in eggs and egg whites one at a time, beating to fully combine before adding the next one.

Add in the flour mixture and milk mixture in five alternating additions, starting and ending with the flour. Mix just to incorporate before adding the next addition. Add lemon zest and juice; incorporate.

Fill cupcake papers about 3/4 full with batter. Bake for 16 to 20 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. Cupcakes should be just starting to turn golden on top and a tester inserted in the center should come out clean. Remove from oven and let cool on wire racks.

Blackberry buttercream recipe:

1/2 stick salted butter, room temperature

1/4 cup half & half

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

3-4 cups confectioner’s sugar, plus more as needed to reach desired consistency

1/4 cup blackberry puree, plus more to taste

1/2 cup blackberry puree for filling

(About 18 oz. fresh blackberries, for puree, filling and decoration)

Directions:

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter until smooth. Add half & half, vanilla extract and confectioner’s sugar. Puree the berries in a food processor and strain out the seeds. Pour blackberry puree into buttercream and stir. If the puree thins the frosting too much, add more confectioner’s sugar.

Recipe adapted from Dessert First.