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Ingredients
For Blackberry curd:
1 pint blackberries
3 large egg yolks
zest of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup lemon juice
6 Tbsp. sugar
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces
For cake:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 cup milk
For Lemon Buttercream:
10 egg whites
2 1/2 cups sugar
3 cups unsalted butter, cool and cut into cubes
juice of 1 lemon
Directions
To make the curd:
Puree the blackberries in a blender. Strain to remove the seeds, pour into a bowl and set aside. Combine egg yolks, zest, lemon juice and sugar in a sauce pan. Set over medium heat and stir constantly with a wooden spoon. Cook until the mixture has thickened, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and add in butter, one piece at a time. Stir until completely combined. Once completely combined, add in blackberry puree and mix well. Place a sheet of plastic wrap directly on to the surface of the curd then refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour.
To make the cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin tin with paper liners. In the bowl of a mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in eggs, one at a time, and beat until combined. In another bowl, combine flour and baking powder. With the mixer on low, add in the flour and milk in three additions, beginning and ending with flour. Evenly fill the muffin tins about 2/3 full. Bake for 20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely then core out the center. Fill with about 1 to 2 teaspoons blackberry curd.
For frosting:
Add egg whites and sugar to the bowl of an electric mixer and simmer over a pot of water until the temperature reaches 160 degrees so the sugar has completely dissolved. With the whisk attachment, whip the whites until the meringue is thick and glossy. The bottom of the bowl should feel neutral to the touch. Once thick and glossy, switch to the paddle attachment. With the mixer on low, add butter cubes, one at a time, until incorporated. The mixture may curdle but keep mixing, it will come back to smooth. Add in lemon juice and mix until well combined. Place frosting in a piping bag fitted with a star tip and pipe on top of the cupcakes.
Makes approximately 12 cupcakes.
