Berry and Mango Buttercream Cupcakes

These Berry and Mango Buttercream cupcakes combine soft chocolate cake with delicious vanilla buttercream flavoured with fresh mango, blueberries and blackberries.

The idea for these deliciously colourful cupcakes came to me when my daughter asked for rainbow themed cupcakes as one of her birthday desserts. Luckily she was happy with was excited about the idea of chocolate cupcakes with fruit icing. I’ve been making a version of this swiss meringue buttercream for years, and I’ve recently started flavouring it with fruit puree inspired by one of my favourite bakeries, Bobette and Belle.

These Berry and Mango Buttercream Cupcakes use my soft chocolate cake and a delicious vanilla buttercream flavoured with fresh mango, blueberries, and blackberries. These cupcakes are rich, chocolatey and moist without being sweet. The fruity buttercream is velvety and smooth. It’s fruity and fresh, and perfectly compliments the dark chocolate cupcakes. Although these beautiful cupcakes have many steps, they can be broken down over several days to make it easier to prepare.

TOTAL TIME

• Preparation Time – 45 minutes
• Cooking Time – 20 minutes, plus 1 hour cooling time
• Total Time – 2 hours 5 minutes

INGREDIENTS FOR BERRY AND MANGO BUTTERCREAM CUPCAKES

All the ingredients for these cupcakes are easy to source from any local grocer.

Soft Chocolate Cake

• 2 cups All Purpose Flour
• 2 cups White Sugar
• 3/4 cup Cocoa Powder
• 2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp Fine Sea Salt
• 2 Eggs
• 1 cup Cold Brewed Coffee
• 1 cup Buttermilk
• 1/2 cup Avocado Oil

Swiss Meringue Buttercream

• 4 Large Egg Whites
• 1 cup White sugar
• 1 lb Butter, unsalted
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Raspberry Puree

• 1 cup Frozen Raspberries
• 1/3 cup Water
• 2 tbsp White Sugar

Mango Puree

• 1 cup Frozen Mango
• 1/3 cup Water
• 2 tbsp White Sugar

Blueberry Puree

• 1 cup Frozen Blueberries
• 1/3 cup Water
• 2 tbsp White Sugar

CAN I MAKE THIS RECIPE INTO A CAKE?

This recipe can be turned into a cake by adjusting the quantities. Simply double the cake and buttercream, and you can easily turn this recipe into a three layer cake. I would suggest layering each cake layer with a different flavour of buttercream.

WHAT IS SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM?

Swiss Meringue Buttercream is a style of buttercream using superheated egg whites that are whipped into a stiff meringue before the butter is added. This results in an incredibly light and airy buttercream.

IS VANILLA PASTE THE SAME AS VANILLA EXTRACT?

While both vanilla paste and vanilla extract are made from vanilla bean pods, they are not interchangeable. Vanilla extract is a liquid (normally made by soaking vanilla beans in alcohol) that will impart a light vanilla flavour to your baked goods. Vanilla paste has the consistency of syrup and contains little black flecks of the vanilla pod. The paste is made using the whole pod and has a more intense taste.

WHY IS MY BUTTERCREAM HARD?

Because this buttercream is made with a large quantity of real butter it firms up significantly when refrigerated. Make sure to remove the cupcakes from the fridge for an hour before serving to ensure your buttercream is soft and delicious.

INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTIONS FOR MANGO BUTTERCREAM CUPCAKES

DO I HAVE TO USE COFFEE OR ESPRESSO IN THIS RECIPE?

Coffee adds an additional depth of flavour to the chocolate cake. The bitterness of the coffee brings out the richness of the chocolate. That said, you don’t have to add coffee to this recipe if you really don’t want to: you can simply use milk in it’s place.

IS THERE A SUBSTITUTE FOR BUTTERMILK IN THE CAKE?

If you don’t have buttermilk, you can easily substitute with it whole milk and a tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice. Simply add the vinegar or lemon juice to a cup of whole milk and leave for at least fifteen minutes to allow it to curdle. The key to a good substitution is milk fat: either whole milk or milk with a splash of cream.

CAN I USE DIFFERENT FRUIT?

Absolutely. Use whatever fruit you’d like. I used mangos, blueberries, and blackberries because they are three of our favourites.

CAN I USE REGULAR BUTTERCREAM INSTEAD OF SWISS MERINGUE?

If you’d like you could use a different buttercream recipe with only butter and confectioners sugar. Those buttercreams are soft and tasty, but they are also incredibly sweet, without the depth of flavour in this swiss meringue buttercream.

CAN I SUBSTITUTE IMITATION VANILLA FOR REAL VANILLA EXTRACT?

Fake vanilla tastes just like it sounds. Fake. Real vanilla is absolutely worth the extra money. There are many brands of real vanilla at different price points, I would strongly recommend buying one.

EQUIPMENT FOR BERRY AND MANGO BUTTERCREAM CUPCAKES

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Below is a list of the main equipment/kitchen tools needed to make these Berry and Mango Buttercream Cupcakes:

• Small Sauce Pan

• Heat Proof Bowl

• Kitchen Aid Mixer – You can certainly make these cupcakes hand if you don’t own a mixer, but you will find it difficult properly whip the buttercream. I highly recommend purchasing a good mixer if you are able to do so. I adore my Kitchen Aid Professional mixer. It will also make whipping cream a breeze!

• Spatula

• Muffin Tin

• Muffin Liners

• Piping Bags

COOKING DIRECTIONS

Despite having multiple components, these Berry and Mango Buttercream Cupcakes are quite simple to make if you follow several rules.

1. Heat your egg whites until they are incredibly hot before whipping them into a meringue.
2. Give the cupcakes time to cool completely to room temperature before icing them.
3. Make sure to fully incorporate the fruit puree into your buttercream.

MAKE AHEAD STORAGE

All components of these cupcakes can be made in advance. The buttercream can be made several days in advance, just make sure to bring it to room temperature before piping it onto your cupcakes. The cupcakes can also be made the day before and stored at room temperature in an airtight container.

These cupcakes will keep beautifully covered in the fridge for five days. They can also be frozen in an airtight container for several months.

FINISHED DISH

Enjoy your delicious Berry and Mango Buttercream Cupcakes!

OTHER DESSERTS WITH CHOCOLATE

Chocolate Mud Cupcakes

Fudgy Nutella Brownie Recipe

Dipped Chocolate Almond Biscotti

Chewy Chocolate Macaroons

Dark Chocolate Mousse Cake

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?

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