Remember how I went berry picking? Doesn't that just sound so Anne of Green Gablesish (I know, I know, not a word but hey how else do you say that)?
Speaking of Anne of Green Gables, does any one else love those movies as much as I do?
I still remember the first time I ever watched them. I was babysitting for my cousin in San Francisco (it was a sweet deal because they flew me out there to watch their kids while she recovered from surgery and I got to ride on a plane for the first time ever and see that amazing city). I would tend the kids during the day until their dad would get home from work...I was eleven by the way and the early nineties were in full swing.
Anyway, at night I was free to watch TV, movies, drink pop, read books, and basically do whatever I wanted. Well these cousins had Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea. I was in heaven! I couldn't wait for it to be evening so I could watch more of it.
I would sit with a pop (Dr. Pepper because that's all they had...) and enjoy my girlish fantasies. Gilbert Blythe was handsome and so dreamy!
And because of that I wanted to move to Prince Edward Island so I could roam through those beautiful trees, walk the sandy beaches, let the wind blow in my hair, and pick berries to my hearts content.
Well I have never moved to P.E. Island and have never had any of Anne's adventures but I sure have been able to go berry picking and I absolutely love it. Especially when I get to come home and make so many delicious recipes.
This cupcake was fantastic. I love lemon paired up with berries so it was a perfect complement in my mind.
Lemon Blackberry Cupcakes
(click here for printable version)
Lemon Pound Cakes:
3 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 c. sugar
3/4 c. plain yogurt
3 Tbsp. lemon zest
2/3 c. lemon juice
5 eggs
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In medium bowl sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Whisk thoroughly, and set aside.
2. In a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. In a medium bowl, stir together yogurt, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Add the eggs to the butter and sugar one at a time, beating in between each addition. With the mixer on a low speed, add the flour mixture in 3 parts, alternating with the yogurt mixture in 2 parts. Start and end with the flour mixture.
3. Line a muffin pan with paper liners and scoop even amounts of the batter into the cups, filling almost to the top. Bake for 16 minutes, rotating the pan after 8 minutes. Once golden brown around the edges, remove from oven and place on a cooling rack for at least 2 hours before icing.
Blackberry Buttercream:
2-1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp. salt
2-1/2 c. powdered sugar; sifted ( I needed a little bit more)
1/4 c. blackberry sauce (see recipe below)
1. Beat butter, salt, and 1 cup of powdered sugar until smooth. Add blackberry sauce to bowl along with 3/4 cup of powdered sugar. Place buttercream in a piping bag and pipe a circle around the outer edge of the cupcake top, spiraling in towards the center. Top with a blackberry and eat!
Blackberry Sauce:
1 c. blackberries
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. lemon or lime juice
1. Combine ingredients in a sauce pan and place over medium heat. Stir frequently until juices from berries boil. Using a wooden spoon, crush the berries in the pan. Let boil for 2 minutes to make sauce more dense. Strain the mixture if you prefer to have smoother frostings. Cool in refrigerator.
Source: Patisserie Natalie
