Lemon Cupcakes with Blackberry Filling

When I mentioned to Matt that I wasn't sure what flavor cupcake I wanted to make this week he came up with this flavor combination. I think the inspiration came from the blackberry preserves we have in the fridge to make PB&Js for a visiting five year old. This cupcake came out fabulous! The lemon flavor really comes through in the moist cupcake and the lemon milk icing. The blackberry filling is a really nice contrast to that tartness. Now typically, I do not eat jams, jellies or preserves on things (I'm much more of a straight butter girl) but this was a great use for it.
I also used this cupcake to test different ways of adding the filling. Method 1 involved putting a scoop of the filling in before cooking & I thought worked perfectly, just a little dab of filling in the middle.

Method 2 required cutting a cone out of the top of the cupcake after cooking & putting the filling in the hole that is left & replacing the top of the cone. This method is good if you like a lot of filling. I don't think it was great with icing though as you could see the cut out lines, it would work well with more of a buttercream frosting I think.

I've yet to try method 3 which would be using my pastry bag to fill the cupcakes after cooking like a donut. I've read this gives you the least amount of filling & I'd also have to take the cupcakes out of the papers.

Lemon Cupcakes with Blackberry Filling
makes 6 cupcakes but can easily be doubled

2/3 c all-purpose flour
1/4 t baking soda
1/4 t baking powder
pinch of salt
3 T unsalted butter, softened
1/3 c sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
zest of one lemon
juice of one lemon (with 1 t held aside for the icing)
1/4 c plain yogurt
6 t blackberry preserves

Preheat oven to 350 and prepare muffin tins.
Stir flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together. Set aside.
Beat the butter until light and fluffy. On high speed, gradually beat in the sugar until light & fluffy. Lower speed and add egg, beating until just blended. Then beat in lemon zest & lemon juice. On low speed beat in flour mixture & yogurt until just blended. This will be a very light fluffy batter.

If filling before baking - Divide half the batter evenly among the 6 muffin tins. Place a scant teaspoon of blackberry preserves on top of the batter in each cup, try to keep to the center as much as possible. Top with the remaining batter.

If filling after baking - Divide the batter evenly between 6 muffin tins.

Bake for 18 minutes. The edges should just be turning golden brown.

Let cool on wire rack. If filling after baking - cut a cone out of the top of each cupcake with a sharp knife. Fill the resulting hole with a teaspoon of blackberry preserved. Cut all but the top off of each cone & place back on the top of the cupcakes.

Lemon Milk Icing

1/2 c powdered sugar, shifted
1 t lemon juice
milk

Mix powdered sugar, lemon juice and 1/2 t milk. Add more milk as needed by 1/2 t amounts until icing consistency. After icing allow cupcakes to sit until the icing has set, about an hour.

Makes enough to ice 6 cupcakes.