Blackberry Cupcakes with Lemon Curd Ice Cream and Mascarpone Frosting

The past several years, I've entered an ice cream cupcake contest. This year I generated a list of possible flavors, several of which revolved around a lemon curd ice cream. I finally decided on a Blackberry Cupcake filled with Lemon Curd Ice Cream and topped with Mascarpone Frosting.

The cupcakes were certainly pretty with the blackberry color. The cupcakes had a nice sweet flavor and moist texture, but I'm not sure you'd pick out the blackberry flavor unless you were told.

After much thought and deliberation, though, I've decided on a different entry for the ice cream cupcake contest.

Blackberry Cupcakes with Lemon Curd Ice Cream and Mascarpone Frosting
Cupcakes
2 cups white sugar
1 cup butter, softened
4 eggs
4 tsp. vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp.baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup blackberry puree*
2-4 Tbsp. milk, if needed
Filling
1 1/2 cups Lemon Curd Ice Cream 
Frosting
6 oz. cream cheese, softened
4 oz. mascarpone
2 cups powdered sugar
Garnish
24 blackberries  

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Beat butter and sugar together in the bowl of an electric mixer until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating to incorporate each egg. Add vanilla extract, and beat another minute.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Alternately add the flour mixture and the blackberry puree, starting and ending with the flour. If the batter is too thick, thin the batter by beating in milk until just blended.

Line 24 cupcake tins, and fill each about 2/3 full. Bake 18 to 22 minutes, or until the cupcakes are set. Cool completely on a wire rack.

To assemble cupcakes, use a cupcake corer or the back side of a large piping tip to core the cupcakes. Set aside (or eat) the cupcake centers. Fill each cupcake with about 1 Tbsp. of ice cream. Freeze 30 minutes or until ice cream is firm.

While cupcakes are chilling, make the frosting. Beat together cream cheese and mascarpone until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until smooth and desired consistency.

Remove cupcakes from freezer, and pipe on the mascarpone frosting. Return cupcakes to the freezer. Immediately prior to serving, garnish each cupcake with a blackberry. Makes 24 cupcakes. 

*I heated frozen blackberries over medium-low heat, mashing them with a spoon, until they were slightly thickened. Then, I strained the mixture to remove any seeds.