Scary Blackberry Blossom Cupcakes

Written by Jamie on November 05, 2011

Blackberry

Blackberries are the center piece of this sinister halloween themed treat.  The cupcake is made with a spooky blackberry puree, filled with a hair-raising blackberry lime curd, and topped with a frightful lime frosting, along with eerie blackberry puree and creepy goji berries.  These cupcakes are almost too scary to eat.  Be warned!!

The inspiration behind this dessert is a bluegrass traditional, Blackberry Blossom.  My introduction to this legendary tune is none other than the String Cheese Incident.  Here is a particularly juicy version that pairs well with this terrifying treat.

 

SPOOKY BLACKBERRY CUPCAKE INGREDIENTS

8 large egg yolks (room temperature)
1/3 cup buttermilk (room temperature)

4 cups sifted cake flour
2 cup sugar
2 tbs baking powder
1 tsp salt

24 oz frozen bag of blackberries or four 6oz boxes fresh blackberries
16 tbs unsalted butter (room temperature/softened)
goji berries (I bought .15 lb from Whole Food Bulk section)

 

FRIGHTFUL LIME ITALIAN MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM INGREDIENTS

Meringue
5 egg whites
pinch salt
1/2 tsp cream of tartar (if not using a copper bowl)
2 ounces (1/4 cup) caster sugar

Syrup
8 ounces (1 cup) caster sugar
1/4 cup water

Butter, 1 lb., unsalted, and soft
3 tbsp lime zest
1 tsp lime juice, optional

HAIR-RAISING BLACKBERRY LIME CURD INGREDIENTS

300g or 11oz blackberries, fresh or frozen
10 medium sized eggs
150g or 10 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
150g or 2/3 cup caster sugar
3 tbsp lime zest
2 tsp lime juice

DIRECTIONS

  1. Curd
    1. Put the blackberries in a pan with 100ml water.
      1. Bring this to the boil and then turn it down to a simmer
      2. Cook them for 10 minutes until the berries have softened.
      3. Take them off the heat and sieve everything into a large bowl, discarding any seeds, to make a smooth sauce.
    2. Add 5 whole eggs and 5 egg yolks into a heavy-based pan and give them a good stir to break up the yolks.
      1. Use the 5 egg whites for the frosting
      2. Stir in the caster sugar and juice from the lime.
      3. Add the butter and then put this over a low heat.
      4. Add the blackberry sauce and cook this mixture over a low heat stirring continuously with a wooden spoon.
        1. It’s ready when it coats the back of the spoon thickly.
      5. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the lime zest
    3. Put the curd into a bowl for the fridge
      1. Place wax paper over the top to prevent skin from forming
  2. Puree
    1. Place defrosted or fresh blackberries in the blender, and puree
    2. Strain mixture through a fine sieve, removing all seeds
      1. They can be unpleasant to chew in a baked good
    3. Divide mixture into:
      1. 1 cup for cupcake batter
      2. 1/4 cup for decoration
  3. Cupcakes
    1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
    2. Place 24 foil liners into muffin tins.
    3. In a medium bowl lightly combine
      1. the yolks
      2. 1/3 cup buttermilk 
    4. In a large mixing bowl combine the dry ingredients and mix on low speed for 30 seconds to blend.
    5. Add the butter and 1 cup blackberry puree.
      1. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened.
      2. Increase to medium speed (high if using hand mixer) and beat for 1.5 minutes to develop cake’s structure.
      3. Scrape down sides.
      4. Gradually add egg mixture in 3 batches, beating for 20 seconds after each addition.
      5. Scrape down sides.
    6. Fill prepared muffin liners with batter, about 1/2 to 2/3 full
    7. Bake for 22-27 minutes or until a tester inserted near the center comes out clean
      1. Rotate pans once
      2. When baking is complete, the cupcake should spring back when pressed lightly in the center.
      3. Let the cupcakes cool in the muffin tins for about 10 minutes
  4. Frosting
    1. Follow directions for the Jameson italian meringue buttercream recipe, included with the Car Bomb Cupcakes recipe.
    2. Substitute the lime zest and lime juice (optional) for the Jameson
  5. Assembly
    1. Fill a pastry bag or plastic squeeze bottle with the curd
      1. I used the bismark tip
    2. Using an apple corer or knife, cut a nickel sized cylinder from the cupcake and fiil each cupcake with curd
    3. Fill a pastry bag with frosting and pipe it onto the cakes
    4. Fill a pastry bag or squeeze bottle with the remaining ¼ cup of blackberry puree
      1. Drizzle the puree onto the frosting haphazardly
    5. Place a few goji berries on top of each cupcake
      1. The goji’s look like scary bugs crawling through the purple goo!

 

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