Blackberry Chocolate Cupcakes

My favorite way to eat blackberries is over vanilla ice cream, giving it a really good stir to break up the berries and turn the ice cream the most beautiful shade of purple. The blackberries have a very similar effect on cream cheese frosting and they are made even more decadent with the addition of a chocolate cupcake. Blackberries are probably my most favorite of all berries, anyone know anywhere near Houston where they can be picked? Even though the berries I have been getting at the grocer have been sweet and delicious, I imagine fresh picked would be amazing.

Blackberry Cream Cheese Frosting
frosts one cake or 24 cupcakes

1 cup fresh blackberries
1 tablespoon sugar
¼ cup butter, softened
8 ounces of cream cheese, softened
4 ½ cups of confectioners sugar

In a mini-chop or blender, blend blackberries and the tablespoon of sugar. Strain the blackberry mixture over a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds. Cream the butter and cream cheese, add the confectioners sugar 1 cup at a time, adding the blackberry puree halfway through.

Chocolate Cupcakes
makes two dozen

2 cups sugar
1 ¾ cups flour
¾ cup cocoa
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
½ cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin cups (2 ½ inches in diameter) with paper liners.

Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin).

Fill cups ¾ full with batter. Bake 25-28 minutes.

Adapted from Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Cake

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