Blackberry Gingerbread Cupcakes

I made something for you.

It goes a little something like this: gingerbread cupcakes filled with blackberry cream cheese topped with vanilla buttercream.

 Yummalicious.  Look at the beautiful blackberry filling!  I love how blackberries are nature's purple food coloring.

 Another recipe I mashed together all by myself.  I'm enjoying this!

 Cupcake

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground allspice

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/3 cup light molasses

4 tbsp butter, room temperature

2 tsp crystalized ginger, finely chopped

1/3 cup whole milk

Filling

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature

1 tbsp sour cream

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup blackberry jam/preserves

Frosting

1 c. butter, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)

2 c. powdered sugar

1 tbsp cold milk 

 Preheat oven to 350°F

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, ground ginger, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and salt.  Using a stand mixer, in another bowl beat the brown sugar, molasses, and butter together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.  Add the egg and crystalized ginger and beat until combined.  Add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.  Beat on low speed until just combined; scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. 

Divide the batter evenly among the liners, filling each 3/4 full.  Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 18-20 minutes.  Let cool 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack.  

For the filling, beat the cream cheese until fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Add the sour cream, sugar, and jam and beat until combined.  Using the cone method, fill the cupcakes with the cream cheese mixture. 

To make the frosting, beat the butter until creamy. On low, mix in the vanilla bean paste. Carefully beat in the powdered sugar about ½ cup at a time. If the buttercream is too thick, add 1-2 tbsp of cold milk until the desired consistency is reached. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes.

 Wilberforce said he loves the combination of gingerbread and blackberry.  I wasn't so sure when I came up with the idea.  But I saw blackberries at the store and needed to put them in my cart.

 The cupcakes turned out not as beautiful as other cupcakes I've made.  Nothing a little buttercream can't cover up though.  That's why God made buttercream, I'm fairly certain.

 After being my taste-tester all day yesterday, Wilberforce is in a sugar coma.  The prognosis isn't great, but what are ya gonna do?

 Happy Sunday!