Soft and fluffy cinnamon-spiced cupcakes stuffed with fresh blackberry filling, topped with silky cream cheese frosting and brown sugary oat crumble!
It’s my favorite berry season of all–BLACKBERRY SEASON. Not only are they lusciously sweet and juicy, but they’re free since you can find them growing everywhere this time of year. Although they can sometimes be a bugger to pick (Darn thorns!), it’s SO worth it for all the yummy sweets and desserts you can make with them.
One of my all-time favorite desserts is blackberry crisp. With that sweet blackberry filling and crumbly topping, I can NEVER get enough. So this week, I decided to make my favorite blackberry crisp in cupcake form…
Why You’ll Love These Blackberry Crisp Cupcakes
Light and Fluffy Cupcakes: These cupcakes are super light, fluffy, and perfectly moist. They’re also spiced with just enough ground cinnamon to add a nice warmth to the cupcake.
Fresh Blackberry Filling: Made with three whole cups of fresh blackberries, this filling is absolutely to-die-for. There’s absolutely no shortage of blackberry sweetness, and the cupcakes are absolutely brimming with this luscious filling.
Silky Smooth Cream Cheese Frosting: Cinnamon and cream cheese frosting are truly the perfect pairing. The subtle tang of the frosting complements the cinnamon-spiced cupcakes so well. Not to mention, blackberries and cream cheese frosting BELONG together.
Crunchy Brown Sugar Oat Crumble: Blackberry crisp is not complete without a ridiculous amount of crumble baked on top. These cupcakes are sprinkled with that same toasty crumble, giving the cupcakes a nice crunch.
Tips for Making The Best Blackberry Crisp Cupcakes
Don’t Rush the Creaming Process: When it comes time to cream the butter with the sugars, don’t rush it. During this step, the sugar crystals cut into the butter, creating thousands of tiny air pockets. This air gets trapped in the butter, which expands in the oven, helping the cupcakes to rise properly. Make sure to beat the butter and sugars together on high for 3-5 minutes, or until the mixture looks light and pale. I’d also recommend using a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl every once in a while.
Don’t Over-Mix the Batter: If you want your cupcakes to bake up tall and fluffy, avoid over-mixing the batter. More specifically, after the eggs have been added. You’ve already incorporated enough air into the batter during the creaming process, so there’s no need to add anymore at this point. You’ll end up with dense, tough, and rubbery cupcakes if you beat the batter too much. Once the eggs have been added, mix on low until just combined. Repeat this with the dry ingredients, followed by the milk.
Use Room Temperature Ingredients: It might seem like an unnecessary step, but using room temperature ingredients really helps the batter blend more evenly. This smooth emulsion traps air, forming tiny air pockets, resulting in a proper rise and fluffy texture. Additionally, using room temperature ingredients prevents the batter from curdling, which happens when cold eggs or milk are added to warm butter. I recommend leaving your butter and eggs out for 45-60 minutes. Let the milk sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes, or zap it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds.
Thoroughly Combine Sugar and Cornstarch: Cornstarch is always my thickener of choice when it comes to berry toppings/fillings since it has double the thickening power of flour and it results in a nice glossy finish. However, if you’re not careful when adding it, you can end up with annoying clumps that never dissolve. To prevent this, it’s important to thoroughly combine the cornstarch with the sugar BEFORE tossing it into the blackberries. The granules of sugar break up the cornstarch so that it blends more evenly into the berries.
Spice up the Blackberry Filling: Adding just an 1/8 of a teaspoon of ground cinnamon to the blackberry filling really livens it up by enhancing the berry’s natural sweetness. It adds some warmth without being overwhelming, and makes such a difference in the overall flavor.
Add a Little Heavy Cream: To achieve that smooth and silky texture, beat about 2 tablespoons of heavy cream into the cream cheese frosting at the end. This lightens up the frosting, making it fluffier and easier to pipe onto the cupcakes.
What kind of frosting tip did you use?
I used a Wilton 2A round tip. To pipe the cupcakes, I used a circular motion by starting on the outer edge and piping a spiral slightly inward, finishing in the center.
How should I store these cupcakes?
The cupcakes will stay fresh for up to 5 days if sealed in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I recommend letting the cupcakes sit out at room temperature for at least 20 minutes before serving to take the chill off.
Can I make these cupcakes ahead of time?
Yes! You can bake the cupcakes up to a day in advance, and store them in an airtight container at room temperature. As for the blackberry filling, you can make it up to 3 days in advance, and store it covered in the refrigerator. The crumble can also be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in either a ziplock bag or airtight container. I would make the frosting and assemble the cupcakes the day that you plan to serve the cupcakes.
Blackberry Crisp Cupcakes
Ingredients
Blackberry Filling:
- 3 cups blackberries, fresh or frozen
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
Crumble Topping:
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 Tablespoons quick-cook oats
- 2 Tablespoons chopped pecans
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 Tablespoons salted butter, melted
Cinnamon-Spiced Cupcakes:
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup whole milk
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 6 ounces cream cheese
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 Tablespoons heavy cream, room temperature
For Topping:
- Fresh blackberries
Instructions
Make the Filling:
- In a medium saucepan, heat the berries over medium heat until they soften and their juices start to release, about 2-3 minutes. In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and salt. Add mixture to the berries and continue cooking and stirring until it begins to form a thick sauce, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and pour into a shallow bowl. Chill in the refrigerator to cool completely.
Make the Crumble:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, oats, pecans, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Add the butter and stir until a moist crumb forms. Spread crumble evenly onto the lined baking sheet and bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes. Remove and allow to cool completely.
Make the Cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together until combined; set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and both sugars together on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until combined, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Beat in the sour cream and vanilla on medium speed.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until combined. Add the milk, then mix until just combined, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Scoop the batter into the liners. Fill only 2/3 full to avoid baking over the sides. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the Frosting:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and salt together until smooth and creamy. Add the cream cheese and continue beating until completely incorporated.
- With the mixer on low, add the powdered sugar a cup at a time, and beat until smooth between each addition. Add the vanilla and heavy cream, beating until smooth and creamy. Transfer frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a medium round tip.
To Assemble:
- Using a paring knife, carve a cone-shape piece out of the center of each cupcake. Try to cut only about halfway deep. Fill each cupcake with the blackberry filling. Pipe the frosting on top of each cupcake. Holding the cupcake with one hand, sprinkle/press crumble topping onto cream cheese frosting. Top each cupcake with fresh blackberries.