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You’re going to need more than one of the Blackberry Cabernet Cupcakes. These are a delicate chocolate cupcake spiked with cabernet and baked with fresh blackberries. It’s topped with a silky blackberry frosting.

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I’ve been a little MIA lately, but I promise I didn’t forget about you! First my mom was visiting me for a few days last week and I completely unplugged. We did some outdoorsy activities, although it was pretty hot, and we did some wine tasting and we just hung around and relaxed. I really needed some down time because work has been so crazy lately. It always happens around this time of year. I am so thankful my mom was able to spend a few days with me!

Since I published my cookbook, my mom has been making my desserts to bring to her coworkers. One of her favorites from my book is the Raspberry Cabernet Tart, which is basically a boozy ganache filled tart with fresh raspberries on top.

I wish my mom was around when I made these Blackberry Cabernet Cupcakes because she is a wine enthusiast. And now that I think about it, these cupcakes would be even better if I filled them with a boozy ganache. Dang it! Next time.

These cupcakes start with a box mix, and if that’s not your thing, I encourage you to use your favorite chocolate cake recipe and substitute some of the liquid with a cabernet.

In addition to the wine, this batter contains your standard egg, oil, vanilla extract, but I also added some light sour cream which helps keep this cupcake moist (yea I know, I said it) and extra delicate. My absolute favorite doctored chocolate cake mix is from a book called The Cake Mix Doctor. I took the original recipe and added some cocoa powder and swapped out the milk for wine. I’m good like that.

Before I added the blackberries to the batter, I coated them with a little bit of sugar. This helps prevent the blackberries from sinking to the bottom of the cupcake, and also cuts down on the tartness of the blackberries. You will need two 6-ounce containers of blackberries for this recipe, or one of the larger containers works fine too.

When it comes to the frosting, we’re loading it with blackberry juice. It takes a little bit of work, but it’s worth it! First I pureed the blueberries, but I didn’t want to dirty a dish. So I threw the blackberries in a plastic bag and smashed them as best as I could. Then I poured the puree through a fine sieve because I didn’t want to seeds in my frosting. I did find it best to use a spoon the help push the pulp into the sieve in order to extract as much of the juice as possible. The blackberry juice will do directly into the frosting itself.

I brought these cupcakes into work, and even though I made them over the weekend, they were still fresh a couple days later. These cupcakes were definitely a hit! I am not sure if was the fragrant cabernet chocolate cupcakes or the sweet blackberry frosting, but a few of coworkers came back for seconds!

Even though summer is coming to an end, I refuse to give up. So go grab some fresh berries and let’s do this thing.

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If you love no-bake recipes, be sure to check out my cookbook, No-Bake Treats!

Blackberry Cabernet Cupcakes

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Author: Julianne Dell
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 24 cupcakes

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Instructions

For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350° F and line a cupcake pan with 24 cupcake liners.
In a medium-sized bowl, combine cake mix, red wine, vegetable oil, light sour cream, eggs and vanilla extract. Beat on medium – high speed until all ingredients are well blended. Use a spatula to mix the batter from the bottom of the bowl to the top.
In a small bowl, combine the blackberries with the granulated sugar to coat the blackberries. Gently fold the blackberries into the cupcake batter.
Divide the batter evenly between cupcake liners, about 3 tablespoons for each cupcake.
Bake at 350°F for 14-16 minutes, baking times will vary by oven. Check the cupcakes for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cupcake. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cupcakes are done. Allow cupcakes to cool completely.
For the frosting: Puree or smash the blackberries until they are just juice. Strain the blackberries through a fine sieve so that there are no seeds left in the juice. You may need to press the blackberries through the sieve to extract as much juice as you can. Set the juice aside.
Cut butter into pieces. Using the paddle attachment, whip butter for 3-4 minutes, scraping down the bowl occasionally. Beat until butter looks light in color.
Add 2 cups powdered sugar and mix on low speed until incorporated into butter. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and mix to combine.
Continuing adding powdered sugar, one to two cups at a time, followed by 1 tablespoons of heavy cream and beat on low speed until the cream is incorporated.
Slowly add the blackberry juice and continuing beating until it’s well incorporated. Increase the mixing speed to medium-high and beat for an additional 2 minutes.
Pipe the frosting with a large star tip and top with a blackberry.