Pretty Mixed Berry Cupcakes (No Food Dye Needed!)
These berry cupcakes are packed with fresh fruit flavor and vibrant color. They’d be awesome for a ‘Berry First’ birthday theme or whenever berries are in season.
The batter is sturdy enough to handle folded-in berries and you can use any mix of strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, or raspberries.
The real highlight is the frosting, made with a quick fruit reduction and no artificial coloring. Cooking down the berries concentrates the flavor and removes excess moisture, so the frosting stays thick, smooth, and intensely fruity.
Plus, they’re super easy to decorate with just a few fresh berries on top. Light, flavorful, and not too sweet, they’re an easy crowd-pleasers for any time of year (and I can confirm that they’re a big hit with the berry-obsessed toddler demographic if you have kids at home like mine).
We especially love them as spring dessert when strawberries are in season here in FL and as a pretty summer party dessert with the red, white and blue colors from the berries.
Let’s bake some cupcakes!
Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:
For the frosting:
Steps to make Mixed Berry Cupcakes
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two standard muffin tins with cupcake liners and set aside.
2. In a stand mixer bowl, cream softened butter and sugar until smooth.
3. Add vanilla, eggs, sour cream and milk. Mix to combine.
4. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix well, scraping down the sides often.
5. Dice strawberries and blackberries, if using.
6. Gently fold fruit into the batter until combined.
7. Divide batter between cupcake liners, filling each about ½ full.
8. Bake in preheated oven for 14-16 minutes or until the center is set. Allow to cool completely before decorating.
9. For the frosting: In a small saucepan, combine fresh fruit (diced, if needed) and lime juice.
10. Heat over medium-low for 10-15 minutes until fruit breaks down, simmers and thickens to a paste-like consistency. Stir frequently to avoid scorching. Allow moisture to boil off to prevent breaking down the frosting.
11. Cool fruit mixture to room temperature.
12. In a stand mixer bowl, combine softened butter, half of the powdered sugar, and salt. Mix on low until combined.
13. Add remaining powdered sugar. Mixture will be thick but will thin once fruit is added.
14. Add cooled fruit mixture and mix on low until combined. Increase speed to medium and whip until smooth and creamy. If frosting is too thin, add additional powdered sugar only if needed.
15. Transfer frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip.
16. Pipe a dollop of frosting onto each cooled cupcake.
17. Top with additional fresh berries to decorate.
Storage: Cupcakes should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Mixed Berry Cupcakes
Naturally vibrant berry cupcakes packed with fresh fruit flavor
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- ½ cup milk
- 3½ cups flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups mixed berries of choice (strawberries - diced, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, etc)
For the frosting:
- 2 cups mixed berries of choice (strawberries - diced, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, etc)
- Juice from 1 lime
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4½ cups powdered sugar
- Additional berries, to decorate
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two standard muffin tins with cupcake liners and set aside.
- In a stand mixer bowl, cream softened butter and sugar until smooth.
- Add vanilla, eggs, sour cream and milk. Mix to combine.
- Add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix well, scraping down the sides often.
- Dice strawberries and blackberries, if using.
- Gently fold fruit into the batter until combined.
- Divide batter between cupcake liners, filling each about ½ full.
- Bake in preheated oven for 14-16 minutes or until the center is set. Allow to cool completely before decorating.
- For the frosting: In a small saucepan, combine fresh fruit (diced, if needed) and lime juice.
- Heat over medium-low for 10-15 minutes until fruit breaks down, simmers and thickens to a paste-like consistency. Stir frequently to avoid scorching. Allow moisture to boil off to prevent breaking down the frosting.
- Cool fruit mixture to room temperature.
- In a stand mixer bowl, combine softened butter, half of the powdered sugar, and salt. Mix on low until combined.
- Add remaining powdered sugar. Mixture will be thick but will thin once fruit is added.
- Add cooled fruit mixture and mix on low until combined. Increase speed to medium and whip until smooth and creamy. If frosting is too thin, add additional powdered sugar only if needed.
- Transfer frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip.
- Pipe a dollop of frosting onto each cooled cupcake.
- Top with additional fresh berries to decorate.
Notes
Cupcakes should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
