Patriotic Vanilla Cupcakes with Mixed Berry Jam

vanilla cupcake with frosting and red, white, and blue sprinkles on top with lit sparkler in cupcake with more cupcakes around, white flowers, and berries surrounding cupcake.

Patriotic Vanilla Cupcakes with Mixed Berry Jam

Celebrate Memorial Day or the Fourth of July with these sweet Patriotic Vanilla Cupcakes with Mixed Berry Jam! Every bite is tender, full of flavor, and truly melt in your mouth delicious.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 50

Servings: cupcakes

Calories: 567kcal

Ingredients

Jam

1 cup blueberries fresh or frozen
1 cup raspberries fresh or frozen
1 cup blackberries fresh or frozen
1 cup strawberries fresh or frozen
1 cup granulated sugar
¼ cup lemon juice

Cupcakes

1½ cups all purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs room temperature
1 large egg yolk room temperature
⅔ cup whole milk room temperature
½ cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting

1 cup salted butter room temperature
2⅔ cups powdered sugar sifted
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
3 Tablespoons heavy cream

To Finish

red, white, and blue sprinkles

Instructions

Jam

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan.
Cook and stir over medium low heat until sugar melts, berries break down, and the mixture thickens, about 20-25 minutes.

Cupcakes

Heat oven to 350℉/177℃.
Line a cupcake tin with paper liners, or spray with baking spray. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, egg yolk, milk, oil, and vanilla.
Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients.
Whisk until smooth.
Use a 3 Tablespoon scoop to portion dough, or fill cavities ¾ full.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until cupcakes test done.

Frosting

With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
Add cream and vanilla.
Beat until well blended.

Assembly

Core the cooled cupcakes.
Fill each cupcake with jam.
Pipe frosting on top of cupcakes.
Finish with sprinkles.

Notes

Substitutions:

Store-bought jam can be used instead of making your own.
These cupcakes can be made gluten-free by using your favorite measure for measure gluten-free all-purpose flour.

Expert Tips:

Room temperature is about 70℉/21℃.
Fresh or frozen berries may be used to make the jam.
A 6-ounce package berries = 1 cup
While cooking, mash the berries with your spoon!
You can strain the seeds out if you want, but you will end up with much less jam.
Overcooked the jam? No problem! You can add a few Tablespoons of water to loosen it.
Be careful to not over-mix your cupcake batter.
We recommend using a large cookie scoop to ensure that each cupcake is equal in size and not over-filled or under-filled!
If you’re unsure the cupcakes are baked, you can use a cake tester or tooth pick. If it comes clean, the cupcake is baked through!
Let the cupcakes cool COMPLETELY before filling and frosting them.
Depending on how you decorate these cupcakes, you may need more or less frosting!

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