Brown Sugar Hazelnut Cupcakes With Blackberry Buttercream

Total Time: 1 hr 18 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 18 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 1/4 cup hazelnuts
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup low-fat yogurt
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 tablespoons butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 4 ounces fresh blackberries
• 1 tablespoon sugar (alternately, 2 tablespoons blackberry jam in place of the blackberries and sugar)
• 2 egg whites
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and at room temperature

Recipe

• 1 cupcakes:.
• 2 heat an oven to 350°f line 8 wells of a muffin pan with cupcake papers.
• 3 put the hazelnuts and sugar into the bowl of a mini chopper and pulse until the nuts are ground – you want some texture so do not grind them too finely. evenly distribute the ground nuts between the lined wells of the pan and set the pan aside.
• 4 in a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. set aside. in another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, milk, and vanilla. set aside.
• 5 in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and light brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the egg, and mix until combined.
• 6 add half of the flour mixture, all of the yogurt mixture, and then the remaining flour, mixing on medium speed after each addition until just combined.
• 7 distribute the batter between the cups. bake until lightly golden around the edges and a toothpick comes out clean, 16-18 minutes.
• 8 frosting:.
• 9 slice 4 berries in half lengthwise and set them aside.
• 10 puree the remaining berries along with the sugar. strain the blackberry puree through a fine-mesh sieve into a small saucepan. gently simmer the puree over medium-low heat until it is thick and reduced to about 2 tablespoons; this will take 10-12 minutes. remove the saucepan from the heat and set it aside to cool.
• 11 put the sugar and egg whites in the bowl of a standing mixer. bring 2 inches of water to a simmer in a medium saucepan and set the mixer bowl on top of the pan. whisk the egg mixture until it is 130 f – the mixture will turn thick and , and this should take about 3 minutes.
• 12 transfer the bowl to a standing mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. whip the egg mixture on high speed until it is cool, thick, and glossy, about 7 minutes. reduce the speed to medium-high and add the butter a few pieces at a time, making sure they are fully incorporated before the next addition. after all the butter has been added, continue beating the frosting until it comes together – this will take a minute or two.
• 13 add the reduced blackberry puree (or jam) and mix to combine.
• 14 frost the cupcakes and top each with a berry half.