Berries, berries, and more berries!

Some time ago we hosted a farewell party for a friend and when it came to deciding on dessert, Robin said we should bake the berry cake again. Needless to say he ended up with the biggest portion of the cake, saving a small portion for breakfast the next day.

If you want to impress your friends, this should do the trick!

The first time we baked this was for an Easter party last year, the original recipe is actually for cupcakes, which I prefer more than the cake to be honest. The cupcakes don’t require as much berries and can be shared with more people easily due to their bite size, and they make great take home gifts for your guests if they just can’t get enough. 

Getting berries here in Singapore is mad expensive, and to bake this cake we spent almost $40 on berries alone. *gulps

You have got to admit though, berries are just so yummy, plus they’re good for you too!

I managed to find a photo of a batch of Blueberry Cream Cheese Cupcakes I baked back in 2011, and in 2 years I’ve baked this recipe at least 5 times (probably more) and it never fails to impress.

Since it’s the weekend and Robin is away in Germany (again), I thought I’d share the recipe for one of our favourite sweet treats with you! Happy baking!

Recipe for Blueberry Cream Cheese Cupcakes :

• 2¼ cups self-raising flour, sifted
• ¾ cup caster sugar
• 100 grams melted butter (I use salted), cooled
• 1 cup milk
• 2 eggs, slightly whisked
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 150 grams blueberries or berries of your choice
• 60 grams cream cheese, cut into tiny bits
• 2 tablespoons blueberry jam

Instructions :

• Preheat oven to 200°c.
• Pour sifted flour and sugar into a mixing bowl and make a well in the centre.
• Whisk butter, milk, eggs and vanilla together in a separate bowl then slowly whisk into flour mixture until smooth.
• Add blueberries, cream cheese and jam.
• Lightly butter cupcake molds if not using cupcake holders, then fill up to 3/4 full.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, remove from oven and cool on wire rack.

The cupcakes taste great on their own, but if you want to frost them for a richer indulgence, here’s how I make my frosting!

• Let cream cheese soften at room temperature while your cupcakes are baking so it is easier to work with, the amount of cream cheese to use would depend on how much frosting you want to make.
• Add 1 – 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract and icing sugar, combine.
• You can also add butter if you like! (I do)
• I don’t use exact measurements for my frosting so just taste along the way and adjust the sweetness to your liking.
• After cupcakes have cooled thoroughly, you can now frost. If you frost too early, your frosting will melt and get runny.
• Frost around the edge and add a teaspoon full of jam in the centre.

ENJOY!