Chocolate Blackberry Cupcakes

Chocolate Blackberry Cupcakes are a sweet sensation! A dark, rich chocolate cupcake is filled with a sweet blackberry jam and finished with a creamy blackberry frosting. The intense chocolate and the sweet blackberries come together to make for a bite to remember!

There's no doubt in my mind that you will go crazy for these brand new, chocolate blackberry cupcakes! A rich, fudgy cupcake is filled with blackberry jam, topped with a dreamy blackberry flavored buttercream, and decorated with fresh blackberries.

Based off of my chocolate fudge cupcakes, these are on equal playing fields when it comes to flavor. The intense chocolate and the dark, fruity blackberries pair so well together.

Best of all, the recipe is super simple as well! Just mix up your cake batter, bake and cool, then add the 3 ingredient compote, pipe on a swirl of frosting, and ta-da! You're ready to enjoy your decadent blackberry and chocolate cupcakes.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• No mixer needed: You can make the cake batter, compote, and frosting all in a few bowls without a hand or stand mixer!
• Rich, intense chocolate flavor: The cupcakes are so decadent, dark, and just full of chocolate flavor.
• Fruity blackberry notes: From the filling to the frosting, the fresh and fruity blackberry flavor takes these cupcakes to a whole new level.
• Simple and easy: It may take some time in between steps, but the actual process of baking and assembling these blackberry chocolate cupcakes could NOT be easier.
• Great for parties: Bring these babies to BBQs, picnics, showers, or 'just because' get togethers and I can guarantee they won't last long.
• Easy to decorate: Finally, thanks to that gorgeous pinky/purple colored frosting, these cupcakes are naturally pretty so all you need to do is add a fresh blackberry on top and they're decorated!

Key Ingredients Needed

*full ingredients list and measurements can be found in the recipe card below*

• Oil: After much testing, I found that chocolate cake is better when made with oil. Butter adds a good flavor, but dries it out. Oil adds moisture, richness, and helps keep the cakes tender for a much longer period of time.
• Sugar: I use granulated sugar for my chocolate cupcake batter. Do not use brown sugar or coconut sugar as the texture will be different.
• Eggs: Unless a recipe tells you otherwise, always use large eggs when baking. They're also better if incorporated at room temp, so take them out of the fridge 20 minutes before using!
• Sour cream: Sour cream adds fat and moisture to the cake batter, resulting in s fudgier cake crumb that's so decadent.
• Flour: I've only tested these with regular all purpose flour, but you can try using gluten free if needed. Just make sure it contains xanthan gum!
• Cocoa powder: The dark color of my chocolate cupcakes comes from Dutch Process cocoa powder. IF you don't have that, you can substitute with regular unsweetened cocoa powder.
• Baking powder: Baking powder helps give these cupcakes a nice rise and keeps them from being too dense! Just check that yours isn't expired before using.
• Espresso powder: No, the cupcakes do not taste like coffee, but the chocolate flavor is intensified.
• Boiling water: *not pictured* the boiling water allows the cocoa powder to 'bloom' and thus mix smoothly into the batter instead of forming clumps.
• Blackberry jam: This is my favorite way to incorporate fruit into frosting! Jam adds a ton of bright, fruity flavor without making the buttercream too liquidy.
• Blackberries: Use fresh berries to make for a simple decoration!

How To Make Chocolate Blackberry Cupcakes

STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 325° and line a muffin pan with 12 paper liners

STEP TWO: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, espresso powder, and salt.

STEP THREE: To the dry ingredients, add in the oil, eggs, and sour cream and mix until well combined. (it will be thick!)

STEP FOUR: Carefully pour the boiling water into your mixing bowl and gently mix everything together until you have a silky, smooth chocolate cake batter.

STEP FIVE: Divide the cake batter evenly between your 12 paper liners, filling each about ¾ of the way full. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

STEP SIX: Carefully take the chocolate cupcakes out of the oven and allow them to cool completely on a wire rack before filling and frosting.

STEP SEVEN: Once the cupcakes are cooled, use a cupcake corer to take out the center. of each one. Fill each cavity with 1-1 ½ teaspoons of blackberry jam

STEP EIGHT: To make the blackberry frosting, combine softened butter and blackberry jam until smooth and creamy. Next, add in the powdered sugar and a small pinch of salt and beat vigorously until the frosting is light and creamy. (If it's too thick, add in 1-2 tablespoons of milk and mix well)

STEP NINE: Decorate the tops of your filled cupcakes with the blackberry frosting. You can pipe it on or use an offset spatula. Decorate as desired, then serve and enjoy!

Expert Tips and Tricks

1. Room temperature ingredients: If you can, try and set all ingredients out 20-30 minutes before you're ready to bake with so that they're all the same temperature. That way they incorporate much smoother and give you a better crumb texture!
2. Measure properly: This recipe is listed in grams in the recipe card so that you can accurately measure the ingredients. Baking in grams ensures high quality baked goods almost every time with much less room for error.
3. Bake with an oven thermometer: Many times the temperature that an oven is set to is not the actual temperature it's baking at. Oven temperatures can be swing almost 30 degrees, so be sure to use a thermometer for accurate baking time.
4. Cool completely before decorating: Make sure you cool the chocolate cupcakes completely before filing and frosting, otherwise everything will melt.
5. Decorate as desired: I just did a simple decoration on top of my chocolate blackberry cupcakes, but you can add sprinkles, edible flowers, or anything your heart desires.

Frequently Asked Questions

Storing and Freezing Instructions

STORING: Store leftover cupcakes in airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. They taste best when served at room temp, so set them out 20-30 minutes before you want to eat one. (or two!)

FREEZING: I do not recommend freezing the cupcakes once they're been filled and frosted because it does not thaw well. You can, however, bake the cupcakes, let them cool, and freeze them for up to 2 months.

Once needed, thaw the cupcakes to room temperature, fill, frost, and enjoy!

A quick note about baking in grams...

You may notice that most of my newer recipes are listed in grams instead of cups. That's because it's really the most accurate way to measure and bake exceptional treats every time with little room for error.

I do try and include cup measurements, but I highly suggest investing in a $10 kitchen scale. It's really worth it!

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