Inspired by a classic bourbon smash cocktail, these blackberry bourbon smash cupcakes are moist and boozy vanilla cupcakes with a surprise blackberry filling infused with bourbon whiskey and fresh mint! They’re topped with fluffy bourbon vanilla buttercream and are easy to make.
I’ve wanted to try a bourbon smash version of my blackberry cupcakes for a long time, and I think I succeeded! You might also like these mimosa cupcakes and margarita cupcakes, also inspired by classic cocktails.
If there’s one thing that puts a smile on my face like summertime and cocktails, it’s cupcakes! Especially boozy ones, like today’s blackberry bourbon smash cupcakes. A bourbon smash is a cocktail made from simple syrup, muddled mint leaves, lemon, and bourbon. This recipe channels all those flavors into a deliciously moist, bourbon-spiked vanilla cupcake frosted with vanilla buttercream and topped with juicy blackberry sauce.
Cocktails or Cupcakes? What you can expect.
- Cocktail-inspired flavors. I set out to balance the sweet, toasty bourbon and vanilla flavors of the homemade cupcakes with bright and tart blackberries, lemon juice, and mint.
- “Surprise” blackberry filling. The best part? When you bite into a cupcake and are met with a surprise filling of even more juicy, boozy blackberries! I’ll show you how to core and fill the cupcakes like a pro.
- Special occasion ready. These are the perfect cupcakes for any occasion this summer. Just like a mint julep goes hand-in-hand with the Kentucky Derby, these bourbon smash cupcakes are great for 4th of July BBQs, picnics, and parties.
Important Notes!
These bourbon smash cupcakes are a variation of my favorite moist vanilla cupcakes. Replacing half the milk in the recipe with a splash of bourbon whiskey results in a rich, whiskey-infused cupcake with the toasty aroma to back it up.
- The batter will be thin. This recipe uses oil and sour cream in the batter for an ultra-moist cupcake that’s denser, as opposed to light and airy. As a result, the batter is quite thin. It’s helpful if you use a measuring cup or a large cookie scoop to help fill your cupcake pan.
- If you need to substitute the light sour cream, use full-fat sour cream, Greek yogurt, or plain yogurt instead.
- These bourbon cupcakes are for adults only. However, if you’d like to make the cupcakes alcohol-free, replace the bourbon with milk in the cupcakes and water in the blackberry filling. For the frosting, simply leave it out altogether.
How to Fill Cupcakes
Once you’ve baked and cooled your vanilla cupcakes, you’ll fill them with blackberry sauce. I make the blackberry bourbon smash filling for my cupcakes on the stovetop, where I partially cook down the blackberries into a chunky sauce “muddled” with fresh mint leaves and lemon juice. Leaving some berries whole gives it a texture similar to blackberry pie filling.
To fill these cupcakes, you’ll need to core them. This means removing a small piece from the center of the cupcake before piping or spooning the filling into the hole:
- Use a cupcake corer, a small cookie scoop, or a knife to cut out the center of the cupcake. Take care not to cut all the way down to the bottom. Otherwise, the blackberry filling will leak through.
- Fill the cupcakes with the cooled blackberry sauce using a spoon or a piping bag (see how to use a piping bag). Save any leftover filling to decorate the finished, frosted cupcakes. See below.
I use this same coring technique in my lemon blueberry cupcakes, strawberry rosé cupcakes, and chocolate ganache cupcakes.
Tips to Keep In Mind
- You may have leftover filling. My blackberry sauce recipe makes more than enough for filling the cupcakes. I took the extra sauce and drizzled it over the frosted cupcakes. I love it because I can never get enough of the filling inside the cupcake.
- Use a semi-homemade shortcut. You could easily substitute the homemade filling with blackberry pie filling as a shortcut. I still recommend warming it up when you add the mint leaves and lemon, to allow the flavors to infuse.
- Decorate the cupcakes before serving. Drizzle over any leftover blackberry sauce just before serving, or within a few hours of when you’ll serve the cupcakes. The intense purple color tends to bleed into the frosting.
How to Decorate Bourbon Smash Cupcakes
I include the recipe for my easy vanilla frosting, which I use to frost the filled cupcakes. It’s light and airy, almost like whipped cream! This is because I make it with COLD butter, which is whipped in the beginning and at the end to incorporate lots of air into the frosting. I also add a little bourbon to the frosting recipe, which is optional.
To frost these cupcakes, use a large open round tip to pipe swirls of frosting over each cupcake. See my full tutorial on how to decorate cupcakes for detailed tips. In addition to the blackberry sauce, I garnished the cupcakes with a fresh blackberry and a mint leaf.
Make-Ahead, Storage, and Freezing
- Store the frosted cupcakes. Store these blackberry cupcakes airtight at room temperature for 1-2 days, unless you live somewhere hot and humid. In this case, keep the cupcakes refrigerated and let them come to room temperature before serving.
- Make-ahead. You can bake the cupcakes and prepare the blackberry filling a day in advance. Store the cupcakes at room temperature and the blackberry sauce in the fridge.
- Freeze. I recommend freezing the baked, cooled cupcakes before filling and frosting. Flash-freeze on a baking sheet, then transfer the cupcakes to an airtight container or freezer bag to freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature and fill and frost the cupcakes before serving.
More Easy Cupcake Recipes
Blackberry Bourbon Smash Cupcakes
- Prep Time: 60 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 12-14 cupcakes
- Category: cupcakes
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
These blackberry bourbon smash cupcakes are soft bourbon vanilla cupcakes with a fresh, mint-infused blackberry filling and fluffy buttercream frosting.
Ingredients
For the cupcake:
- 1 cup (190g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (59ml) vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (60g) sour cream, at room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cup (180g) all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup (79ml) bourbon
- 1/3 cup (79ml) milk, any type, at room temperature
For the filling:
- 12 ounces blackberries, rinsed
- 2 tablespoons (24g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon (9g) all-purpose flour
- 6 large mint leaves, chopped
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) bourbon
For the frosting:
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, cold
- 4 cups (520g) powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) bourbon
Instructions
For the cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed until the eggs and oil are well incorporated and the batter is lighter in color, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Next, mix in the sour cream and beat until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, combine the remaining dry ingredients: flour, baking powder,r and salt. Add half the dry ingredients and half of the milk and mix just until the flour starts to incorporate. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until well combined. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl and stir the batter from the bottom to the top to ensure it’s well mixed.
- Using a large cookie scoop, divide the batter evenly, filling each liner 2/3 full. Careful not to overfill.
- Bake at 350°F for 14-16 minutes. Test the cupcakes for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cupcake. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cupcakes are done. Cool Completely.
For the Filling:
- In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the blackberries with the sugar and flour. Stir well. Then add the lemon juice, bourbon, and mint leaves. Cook over medium-high heat until mixture starts to break down and is lightly boiling with bursting bubbles on the top. Reduce heat and simmer for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the blackberry sauce starts to thicken.
- Remove from heat and allow the sauce to cool completely, refrigerating to help speed up the process. The sauce will thicken more as it cools.
- Once the filling has cooled, cut out the center of the cupcake using a knife or a cupcake corer. Fill the center of the cupcake with blackberry sauce. Set the leftovers aside.
For the Frosting:
- Cut the butter into pieces, about 1 tablespoon size. Using the paddle attachment, whip the butter for 3-5 minutes, scraping down the bowl occasionally. Beat the butter until it fluffy and whipped, easily spreadable.
- Alternate slowly adding the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, with the liquid ingredients, mixing on low speed until it’s incorporated into the butter. Then increase the speed to high and beat for 30-60 seconds. Repeat until all your powdered sugar and liquid ingredients have been added. Once all the ingredients have been added, beat at a high speed for about 2-3 minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy.
- In a large piping bag fitted with a large open round tip, pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes.
- Garnish with leftover blackberry sauce before serving, top with a fresh blueberry and a mint leaf. Keep these in an airtight container.
Notes
- The batter will be quite thin. It’s important that you stir the batter after mixing to ensure everything on the bottom of the bowl is well mixed.
- Sour Cream: You can substitute the light sour cream for Greek yogurt. You can also use full-fat sour cream if needed.
- Alcohol free option: for the cupcake, replace the bourbon with milk. For the filling, replace the bourbon with water. For the frosting, omit it altogether.
Storage suggestions:
- If you live in a hot and humid environment, then I would suggest that you refrigerate cupcakes that are frosted and allow them to come to room temperature before serving. Otherwise, they can be stored in an air-tight container at room temperature.
- Make-ahead: These are best served within 2 days of preparation, but with proper storage, they can stay fresh for several days.
- Freezing: If needed, flash-freeze the cupcakes on a baking sheet for 15 minutes, then transfer them to an air-tight, freezer-safe container. Thaw in the refrigerator for several hours, then bring to room temperature. Add the filling and topping before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 438
- Sugar: 51.3g
- Sodium: 103.8g
- Fat: 19g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Carbohydrates: 63g
- Fiber: 1.6g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 65mg
This recipe is a MUST and will now be on demand from our friends! Not too complicated and worth all the effort. Just delicious!
Yeah!!! That’s amazing, thank you Marie!
AMAZING!! The bourbon flavor with the vanilla cake and berries was noticeable but not overwhelming. It was perfect!! Only change I’d make next time is to do cream cheese frosting.
Gosh thank you so much Isabel!
Delicious cupcake!! I used my own buttercream frosting but otherwise this cupcake is one of the best I’ve made in ages. Very balanced flavors that compliment one another.
Wonderful!! Thank you so much!
I can’t find fresh mint in my area. Can I just omit it?
Yep!
Even those who said they didn’t care for bourbon liked them! Fingers were being licked and wanted to know if there was more. BIG hit!
Yes Beth!! That’s amazing, thank you so much for sharing!
These came out perfectly!
They’re sooo delicious
Amazing Callie! Thank you so much!
I made these for a work potluck and they were gone in a flash! All components really complimented each other and the texture of this frosting was heavenly. I added a bit of gold dust on the top of mine. By far the best cupcake I’ve made so far!!
That is SO amazing Danielle! Thank you so much for sharing!
How many cupcakes does this recipe yield?
Thanks
24-26 cupcakes
I was reading the recipe and in the filling it calls for mint leaves but in the directions there’s no mention of the mint leaves. Help.
Thank you Jen! They are adding with the lemon juice and bourbon.
Hi Julianne,
Love a boozy dessert! You’re so right that summer and cocktails just go together. You read my mind because I had not heard of a bourbon smash, but have clearly been missing out. Can’t wait to try these!
That’s awesome Carissa!! I love an afternoon cocktail on a hot summer day, but I will also never turn down a cupcake LOL