Blackberry Cabernet Cupcakes

Let's chat. Let's discuss how I went from being pretty lazy lately and not wanting to cook, to making cupcakes and lasagna in one afternoon. I'm not complaining or anything, but that much cooking kind of wiped me out. I think I need a nap. Seriously, who needs the gym?


I do if I keep making AMAZING cupcakes.

Now, I'm not one to brag, but I seem to have a knack for making tasty cupcakes. I wish I could take full credit, but I steal other people's recipes. I have been starting to adapt them into my own lately, so that's a step in the right direction, right? Besides, I bet they steal their recipes too. These are my favorite cupcakes I've made so far.

This recipe proves the theory of deliciousness, which is: wine + blackberries + chocolate = deliciousness.
Seriously, I was very much intrigued when I first saw this recipe and I actually made a whole week before I caved and made them. SO glad I did, they are beyond good.

There were a few flaws with this recipe. First of all, the frosting. I thought it was never going to get thick enough. I even had to add some meringue powder and a cup of powdered sugar to it so it would be a good enough consistency to pipe onto the cupcakes. Second of all, the frosting. I hate when I don't read a recipe thoroughly before going into it, I'm not a fan of making frosting that requires making meringue first, I think the meringue is where the frosting may have gone wrong (but I fixed it! Cuz I'm awesome!). And lastly, the recipe makes 12 cupcakes. Twelve! Just twelve.....

My last gripe is that it's probably weird and slightly gross to spoon-feed myself the blackberry Cabernet puree. Even if I was home alone with no one but the dog to witness, I would probably be ashamed of myself for doing so. Luckily, I have found a solution to having leftover puree and frosting. That idea will be shared soon enough.

Blackberry Cabernet Cupcakes
adapted from Baker's Royale (my baking idol)

For the puree:
3 cups blackberries
1/2 cup Cabernet Sauvignon
1 tablespoon sugar

For the cupcakes:
1 cup flour
1.5 cups plus 2 tbsp sugar
1/3 cup plus 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and warm
2 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup Blackberry mixture
** The cupcakes may fall a little flat after baking, to combat this, double the amount of baking soda if you like.

For the frosting:
1.5 cups sugar
5 egg whites
4 sticks unsalted butter, softened and cut into pieces
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup blackberry mixture (or more if you want a stronger flavor)
** If you frosting does not thicken enough, you may want to have the following ingredients on hand:
1 tbsp meringue powder
1 cup powdered sugar

Make the puree ahead of time. Gently mix the blackberries, wine and sugar together in a bowl and refrigerate for 2 hours up to overnight. In a food processor, blend the mixture for a minute or two until pureed. Set aside.

1. For the cupcakes, mix the flour, sugar, cocoa, salt, and baking soda together in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat in the melted butter and eggs. Mix until incorporated and add the salt and vanilla. Mix until combined. Add the puree and mix another 20 seconds. The batter may be a little thick, that's ok. Evenly distribute the batter between the 12 cups. Bake at 350 for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when poked in the middle of a cupcake.

2. Let the cupcakes cool completely. To make the frosting, combine the sugar and egg whites in a heat safe bowl over a pot of simmering water. Whisk constantly until the mix reaches 150 degrees. Transfer the mix to the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium speed until it thickens and doubles in volume, about 10 minutes. Mix in the butter, a piece at a time. It may begin to look lumpy or curdle slightly, don't worry, it will smooth out again. Add the salt and vanilla and mix to combine. Add the puree and mix to combine. **Before adding the puree, check to see if you have the consistency you want. If not, now add the meringue powder and the powdered sugar, 1/4 cup at a time until the desired consistency is reached.

3. Decorate cupcakes as desired.

**If you are feeling fancy, do as I did and inject some of the extra puree into the cakes. They are much better this way! I did this by using a squeeze bottle and poking it into the cakes and squeezing some puree inside.

Close up so you can see the color of the frosting

Yes.