Bite-Sized Bliss: Blackberry Vanilla Bean Cupcakes

First, I'd like to apologize for this post being a little late. I went to London for my spring break and had not been baking at all. Regardless, right before my break I made my favorite cupcakes thus far. I know I often say certain things are my favorite, but these actually were by far the winners. I think they were my favorite because they were very light and not too rick. Over the years I have lost my taste for rich and decant dessert - weird right? I can always have a bite of things but my sweet tooth just isn't what it used to be. This being said, I could not stop eating these.

At my school, the GSA (Gay Straight Alliance) was having a lunch event and I was asked to bake for it. Since the color representing the club is purple, I decided to make Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with Blackberry Frosting. I had seen multiple recipes on a few different websites and thought they looked amazing every time. I tweaked the frosting recipe a bit, but most of the components were the same. The cupcakes were a delicious vanilla bean flavor. Instead of extract, the cupcakes called for vanilla bean paste. This paste is not quite as strong as actual vanilla beans, but it is easier to use and tastes unreal. I didn't think the difference in flavor would be noticeable, but it was! In addition, I added White Chocolate filling into the cupcakes for an extra surprise. I am personally not the biggest white chocolate fan, but I love adding it as a filling to fruit-flavored cupcakes because I think it always complements the flavors nicely. (see my raspberry buttercream cupcakes).

For a change of pace, I decided to make mini cupcakes. This was a great decision for MANY reasons. First, they are adorable!! Anything mini looks cuter than the larger size (probably why cupcakes are a new fad instead of large cakes). Plus, they were perfect size for people who don't want to eat a large dessert.

For the frosting instead of pureeing and straining blackberries, I used seedless blackberry preserves (not this is different than jam). I think the flavor was delicious, and probably a better decision since blackberries can sometimes have a bitter aftertaste. After piping the frosting, I decided to garnish them with an edible pearl. I think it made them look fun and pretty, and it was a garnish I hadn't used before. Everyone seemed to love them, so I will definitely be eating making them again!

-J

With extra batter I made a few normal-sized cupcakes with a blackberry garnish