Lemon cupcakes are an easy summer dessert perfect for potlucks and picnics. I topped the lemon cupcakes with a blackberry frosting that is a cinch to pull together by adding blackberry preserves to a basic butter cream frosting.
One of my favorite flavors for spring and summer is lemon. Maybe it’s the yellow for the sun or the tart and sweet flavor all at once, but lemon takes me to a spring day anytime I taste it.
A few years ago I became obsessed with pairing lemon and blackberry flavors together. First I tried lemon and blackberry napoleons, which are quick and easy using pre-made puff pastry. I had the jar of blackberry jam sitting in my fridge and I had to try something else so I decided on cupcakes. Lemon cupcakes are perfect for a baby or bridal shower or a Mother’s Day tea.
Instead of using lemon rind to flavor the cupcakes, I used Young Living Lemon Oil. Why use lemon oil instead of just the rind of a lemon and lemon juice?The lemon essential oil is made exclusively from the rinds of the lemon which is the most nutrient dense. The oil is 68% d’limonene which is a powerful antioxidant. Basically the oil supplies more bang for your buck in regards to the nutrients. Plus it’s a lot less work to use the oil.
Not all essential oils are edible. Due to lack of purity, 98% of essential oils sold should NOT be ingested. An edible essential oil will be labeled “therapeutic-grade” and have a “Supplement Facts” box on the label showing the nutritional value – do NOT use just any brand of essential oil for cooking/flavoring foods. Be sure to use pure oils from reliable sources, not synthetic scents or flavorings.
This is a basic vanilla cupcake batter that I added lemon oil to. You can really add any flavor oil that you want to this basic cupcake batter. I used it to make some amazing lavender cupcakes with orange frosting!
Someday I will figure out how to properly fill cupcake liners so that all the cupcakes bake up exactly the same. I used some smaller self-contained cupcake liners this time and it was a mess. Thankfully, the blackberry frosting hid the imperfections.
I used a Wilton #1M tip to pipe on the frosting. I bought a cupcake decorating kit a few years ago and I love it! It has all the tips needed to make pretty cupcakes in one place. I just use the disposable bags because it’s less clean up.
The frosting is just a basic butter cream with blackberry jam added in. I bought a blackberry “spread” this time and there were seeds in it but I like the the darker flecks they added to the frosting. There are seedless blackberry jams available if you don’t want little seeds in your cupcakes, though.
I added the blackberries to the tops so people would have an idea of what flavor the cupcakes were. I used half butter and half palm shortening in the butter cream so it’d stand up to the berry. You can use all butter if you prefer that taste and texture.
I love these lemon cupcakes with blackberry frosting are for bridal or baby showers and Mother’s Day teas or brunches. The cupcakes hold up pretty well in an airtight container or you can freeze them. Pipe on the frosting the day before serving for a delicious cupcake treat.
Lemon Cupcakes with Blackberry Frosting
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup milk
- 3-4 drops of Young Living Lemon Oil or the zest and juice from 1 lemon
- For the Blackberry Frosting:
- 1 cup butter
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup seedless blackberry jam
Instructions
- To make cupcakes:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer cream butter and sugar together.
- Add 1 egg and beat until incorporated. Add 2nd egg and vanilla and mix to incorporate.
- Add flour and baking powder and mix thoroughly.
- Add milk, lemon juice and lemon zest and mix to combine.
- Fill paper lined muffin tins to 2/3 full with batter.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
- Cool completely.
- To make the frosting:
- Cream butter in a mixing bowl with salt and vanilla.
- Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, until frosting begins to form.
- Add blackberry jam and mix until thoroughly combined.
- Frost cupcakes.
Recipe adapted from Allrecipes.com
I’ve tried 4 lemon cupcakes in the last 2 days and I’m happy to tell you that your’s was the winner – and it wasn’t even close! I’m getting ready to make it again and noticed there’s no salt to go with that baking powder. Was it a happy accident that I didn’t have an issue, an omission in the recipe, or was the salt in the butter enough? Thank you for a lemony, perfectly-textured cupcake.
Salt would be up to you! I generally don’t worry about it too much because of the salted butter. But a pinch of it never hurts.
I love the addition of the oil to the recipe! Thanks so much for sharing your great post with us at Full Plate Thursday, I really appreciate you sharing with us!
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
Looks delicious! Thanks for sharing on the What’s for Dinner link up!
I love cupcakes! These look so yummy and refreshing for summer. Thanks for sharing at the Family Joy Link Party!
These look amazing! Yum!
What a great oily recipe, Camille! Young Living has amazing products. I loved your recipe so much that you’re my choice for Featured Blogger at the Over the Moon Link Party. Come back between Sunday evening and Thursday evening to grab your Featured Blogger button. Congratulations!
I’ve always been interested in essential oils & now that I see you can bake with them, I want to know even more now! Thank you for joining The Creative K Kids’ Tasty Tuesday linky party – I can’t wait to see what you share next week!
I love lemon flavored desserts in the summer too. These sound amazing with the blackberry frosting. Yum! I am pinning now for later. Thank you!
Those look amazing! Pinning to try one day soon! 🙂
These cupcakes look so pretty and yummy! They just spell Spring!
Hello gorgeous! Just stopping by to let you know that your incredible lemon cupcakes will be featured at our party tonight. Woo Hoo! Pinned and tweeted. I hope to see you tonight. Lou Lou Girls
Such an unique recipe. I have never seen a recipe that uses essential oil.Sounds delicious. Thank you for sharing with us at #HomeMattersParty. We would love to have you again next week.
What a perfect flavor combination! Thanks for sharing on the “What’s for Dinner” link up!
Ooh, anything with lemon is amazing! I usually only add lemon peel and juice to my recipes. Essential oil is a great idea! 🙂
What a lovely spring flavor combination. Thanks for sharing on Creative K Kids Tasty Tuesdays.
The lemon sounds great and they look delicious!
Looks great! I love those wrappers too 🙂
Thank you! I got those at TJ Maxx or HomeGoods last year. They are on the small side, but pretty cute.
Hi Camille! I am loving this blackberry frosting, and the cute cupcake liners!
Thanks, Joanne! I found the liners at HomeGoods.
Ummm..yum! What a perfect combination! Going to have to give these a try!
Thanks, Jessica! It’s my favorite flavor combination for spring and summer.
These cupcakes are the cutest! And the sound delish, too!
Thanks, Rachel! I’m getting so much better at decorating cupcakes. 🙂
So delicious! Thanks for linking up with What’s Cookin’ Wednesday!
Hi Camille,
These sure are great looking cupcakes! Thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday today, it is great to have you at the party. Hope you have a very special week and come back soon!
Miz Helen
This is like the perfect combination! That frosting looks rockin!
These look and sound so good! I love that the cupcakes are from scratch AND that the frosting uses jam. I’ve tried straining out seeds from raspberries and blackberries and it is a PAIN. So this is a much better way to flavor.
Pinning to try! Found you over at Kitchen Fun link party.
Hi Jill! Thanks for stopping by. I know – I need to play with jam in frosting more! Makes it so easy.
I love lemons. I love blackberries. I think I may just be in love! All I have to say is I will be attempting this. very soon!!
Thanks, Hanna! They are very delicious!
I love the blackberry frosting! and combined with the fresh, citrus lemon cupcake! This is perfect! I am pinning this perfect cupcake that I found at the Tuesday talent show!
Cathy
Thanks, Cathy! I absolutely love the combination!
My mouth is watering just reading the title! I can’t wait to try them. I’m glad I found your link through the Time to Sparkle link party!
I’m glad you found me, too, Anne!
These look awesome! The thought of the lemon flavors mixing with the blackberry frosting is almost making me drool! I would love it if you’d link this up to the Frugal Crafty Home Blog Hop, if you don’t mind! I would love to see this at the party!
Thanks for the invitation Carrie!
Wow, I’m loving these flavor combinations! Lemon is my favorite food item this time of the year! I’m pinning to my lemon board! 🙂
This post is being featured on my Lemon Love 50 recipe round up. Thanks for previously linking it to my Tasty Thursdays party. Enjoy!! Nichi
http://mandatorymooch.blogspot.com/2013/07/fantastic-fruit-series-week-1-lemon-love.html
Love the lemon and blackberry combo! Thanks for linking up with What’s Cookin’ Wednesday!
Yummy, you had me at blackberry frosting! And the lemon keeper cupcake holders are adorable. Thanks for sharing at Inspire Us Thursday.
Thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday. Hope you are having a great weekend and come back soon!
Miz Helen
These look really good! I just love cupcakes and the keepers are super cute!
Those look so good! I don’t think I’ve met a cupcake I didn’t like. And blackberry and lemon together just sounds delicious! Definitely pinning these for future use!
Oh my these sound so good! Thanks for dropping by & linking up your tie dye! I’m saving this recipe to try!
The cupcakes sound delicious! And I love the idea of the keepers. They would not get lost nearly as easily as a bag does!
Thank you for the promo code for the very valuable citrus keepers. And thank you for this scrumptious recipe, Camille =)
This great! I am going to showcase this on my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/SeductionInTheKitchen you are welcome anytime to post your photo and post links on it!
Thank you Deanna!