I got inspired to create these cupcakes after buying a bag of beautiful Meyer lemons at the market.  The pale yellow cupcake topped with the dark, bright blackberry frosting is not only gorgeous, it’s a refreshing and unusual combination of flavors.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp Meyer lemon zest (from about 2 lemons)
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• Simple Meyer Lemon Curd
• Blackberry Buttercream Frosting

Cupcake Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Add 12 muffin paper liners to a 12-muffin pan.

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla extract and lemon zest.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and milk, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

1. Fill the muffin cups with batter. Bake for about 18 – 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
2. Add some of the Simple Meyer Lemon Curd to a pastry bag fitted with a large tip.  Force the pastry tip into each cooled cupcake and fill with about a teaspoon of lemon curd.
3. Add some of the Blackberry Buttercream Frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a large tip.  Pipe about 3 tablespoons of frosting onto each cupcake, creating a desired design.

Makes 12 cupcakes.

Notes: Inspiration for the cupcakes is from a Joy of Baking recipe I’ve used.  For extra cuteness, top each cupcake with a fresh blackberry.