It's a Berry Nice Cupcake for a Berry Nice Brother!



A couple of weeks ago, my brother...who lives in Spokane, Washington, and is married to my lovely sister-in-law Mary...they got married in Las Vegas...asked me if I knew where to find a cupcake recipe using black raspberries. For his birthday, which was July 20, I decided to make him Black Raspberry cupcakes. But I couldn't find any black raspberries around the DC area.


I went to five grocery stores...no way...no black raspberries. humpf! So I modified and made up a recipe that could use raspberries, black raspberries, or black berries...which I could find.


However, (lucky me!...) I was able to find Black Raspberry Liqueur at the Montgomery County Liquor Store on Rockville Pike...and, I used that in the glaze for my recipe: Black Raspberry Lime Cupcakes with Black Raspberry Lime Glaze!




The flavor was great...summertime in a cupcake. You could use any kind of berry. I'll keep looking for black raspberries. If anyone lives near dc and finds some, let the Cupcake Queen know! We had these for dessert tonight and everyone wanted to take some home...Happy Birthday, Bro...I'll try to make some for you when we're in Vegas! If you live in Spokane and see Jim today...tell him happy belated birthday! He's a sweetie!

Layla and her new friend trying to figure out just who was going to get this cupcake. Lucky for Layla, she won out. Her friend...we don't know his name...got any ideas?... is such a nice boy...he gave up the cupcake for his girl friend!

Here's the recipe:

Black Raspberry Lime Cupcake with Black Raspberry Lime Glaze

Make 18 cupcakes. Bake at 350 degrees.

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. Mexican vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole milk
2 cups self-rising flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 cup berries
1 tbsp lime zest

Prepare cupcake pans with cupcake liners.

Beat butter until fluffly. Add sugar and beat until light and creamy.

Add eggs, one at a time, until well mixed.

Beat in vanilla and milk.

Sift flour and baking powder and stir into the batter until combined.

Fold in berries and lime zest.

Spoon batter into cupcake cups.

Bake for 18 minutes. Remove pans from oven and cool for 10 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pans and cool on a rack.

While waiting for cupcakes to cool, make the glaze.

Glaze

1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp lime zest
4 tpsp lime juice
1/4 cup black raspberry liqueur (optional)
2 tbsp boiling water

Mix sugar, lime zest, lime juice, liqueur and boiling water in a smal sauce pan on medium heat. Bring to a simmer, and stir for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and brush glaze on the cupcake tops. Add berries for decoration and brush glaze on them, too. Drink the glaze...just kidding!

Next winter, thinking about these cupcakes will take you right back to the nice summertime you had this year!

I hope you all have a berry nice week....Rock On!

CQ

21 comments:

  1. Anonymous10:45 AM

    hey theree genius!
    new fan of yours ;)

    i want to know whether if there is difference betweeen the normal choc and van icing and those rich coloured ones i see in pictures.
    cos i intend to use the former for
    an upcoming birthday project :)

    if it's fine,can i get the recipe?
    i get so mixed up when i search the net!

    and what can i use to get purplecoloured cupcakes?

    billy's with raspberries?

    thanks!
    i'm rather a kitchen newbie. 15! ;)

    <3 jenn,m'sia.

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  2. Black Rasberries are out of season now, sadly, but if you are willing to drive to Maryland, Larriland Farms is a pick your own fruit farm that has black, red and purple raspberries when they are in season. Now it is blackberry season though, so just as good! I used a combo of their black and red raspberries for a buckle back in June.

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  3. You come up with some rockin cupcakes. Layla's new friend? Name?? Hmmm..all I can think of is Caesar...but that is a bit too easy, you think?

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  4. Ohhh those look so good I think I just may have to make a batch tonight. Thanks!!!

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  5. Anonymous6:07 AM

    These cupcakes are fantastic and I will adore trying this recipe. Blackberries are everywhere right now.

    Cherry Menlove xxxx

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  6. Anonymous3:33 PM

    Layla's friend could be named Othelo. He was smart enough to give a lady the cupcake...

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  7. Anonymous12:48 PM

    I'm partial to the name Jim, myself. Giving up his cupcake to a lovely lady is something he would do.
    CQ you are AWESOME. The Black Raspberry cupcakes are amazing.

    Jim always buys Black Raspberry jam while we are in DC, so I know Black Raspberries must exist somewhere on the East coast. Love, Mary H., wife of Jim and "lovely sister in law".

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  8. Hi CQ,
    I know how much you love your cupcake liners. There is a company that carries a pretty big selection but they don't have much on their website... you have to get the catalog.

    Sweet Celebrations, Inc
    1-800-328-6722 to call and request a catalog.

    Take care!

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  9. Yummy...Not only do those look delish, but they are absolutely beautiful!

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  10. Anonymous2:29 PM

    Was just at Costco in Sterling, VA and saw 18 oz clamshell of blackberries for $7.00. The other Costcos should also have them.

    First Time Visitor, Kathy

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  11. Anonymous5:09 PM

    Did you try Wegman's out in Sterling? They always seem to have them when I need them!

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  12. Just new to your blog, and the cupcakes look phenomenal!!

    Have you ever caught your puppy eating one of them without you catching him/her in time! He/she seems like such a good puppy to not be all over them!!

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  13. I'm new to your blog but your cupcakes look great. I'm sure you've touched on this but how do your liners stay true to color once baked. This has been my biggest dilema so far. Help!

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  14. Anonymous11:03 PM

    Hello everyone....this is my first time here...I so do love this web page!!! I just got hooked on making cupcakes and I love making them more then I do cakes. My family is now starting to request my cupcakes! I do have a question. I am going to make your Hershey's Reeses Chocolate Covered Cupcakes....I noticed you didn't frost them is that because if I were to frost them would that make them way to sweet? I am making a cupcake tower for my sister's birthday and I know she will love those. So should I just go for it and frost them or would that be to much sweetness?

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  15. Actually, I did frost the Hershey's Reeses Chocolate Covered Cupcakes...but I got so fascinated with the way the cookie turned out on the bottom that I didn't post any of the frosted version!

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  16. aek: i've had that same problem sometimes. One thing I do sometimes is put on double liners...in different colors or patterns...that way the outside one stays true in color.

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  17. Anonymous1:39 PM

    Hello cupcake queen,
    Thank you so much for responding. I have one more question for the Reeses cupckaes. You said you added one cup of sour cream. What exactly does that do? Thanks for your input. Once again I love your web page!!!!

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  18. Is that a dark brown cupcake liner on your blackberry cupcake? I would love to know where you get them if it is! Some of your other liners are different also, would you please share your supplier? Thank you!!!!!

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  19. Anonymous11:54 AM

    Don't know if you want to make the drive or not, but Westmoreland Berry Farm down in Virginia (about an hour out of Fburg) has black raspberries! They are usually pretty early in the summer.

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  20. Anonymous10:52 AM

    Hi,
    The bust is the head from a statue of David - as in David and Goliath. Look perhaps at http://vlsi.colorado.edu/~rbloem/david.html

    Thanks for all the great pictures - looks yummi:D

    ~;)

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  21. Greetings from South Africa, sorry for the late comment but I have been away for awhile so catching up on everthing is taking ages. Your blog is lovely and your cupcakes are fabulous. I love your doggies involvement in your posts. I had to have my 17yr old Mini Schnauzer euthanased yesterday so am very very heartsore. The bust by the way is Michelangelo's David, the original is in Florence, Italy. Keep blogging!!

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