Mini Chocolate Cupcakes with Blackberry Buttercream

I found this recipe on The Crafty Penguin, and the color of the frosting was what inspired me to make these delicious cupcakes. There's no added food coloring, just the blackberries! There are a few added steps in the cupcakes, but it's worth it, they're so fluffy and moist.

Mini Chocolate Cupcakes

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips, chopped up

1/2 cup boiling water

2-1/2 cup cake flour (I used all-purpose flour)

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup butter (salted)

2 cups granulated sugar

4 eggs (separated)

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup buttermilk

Prep: Line mini muffin pan with mini cupcake wrappers. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

1. Sift the flour and backing soda in a separate bowl and set aside. 

2. Separate the egg yolks and egg whites and set aside. 

3. Pour the boiling water into a bowl with the chopped up chocolate chips. Continue to stir until all of the chocolate is melted. Put the bowl in the fridge to cool the chocolate until you are ready to add it to the batter. 

4. Cream the butter and sugar in your stand mixer for about 5 minutes. 

5. Add the egg yolks and vanilla, just until combined. 

6. Slowly mix in the chocolate. 

7. With a spatula fold in a 1/3 of the flour mixture. Fold just until combined. Fold in 1/2 of the buttermilk. Fold in another 1/3 of the flour. Fold in the other half of the buttermilk. And then the rest of the flour mixture. 

8. In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites with a whisk until medium peaks form. (This may take about 10 minutes). Then fold the egg whites into the batter. Do not over-mix. 

9. Scoop the batter into the mini cupcake tins with a small ice cream scoop. Fill up about 2/3 high. 

10. Bake for 12 minutes. Check with a toothpick, it should come out clean. 

Blackberry Buttercream

1/3 cup butter

2 cups blackberries (1 cup for the buttercream, and 1 cup for decoration)

4 cups powdered sugar

Cream the butter and mix in 2 cups of powdered sugar. Add the blackberries. Slowly add the rest of the powdered sugar until it has your desired thickness. Frost your cupcakes, and add a blackberry on top! Delicious and beautiful!