Strawberry-Blueberry Spiced Cupcakes

I love fresh summer berries! I’ve been getting lots of strawberries and blueberries from my CSA and baking cupcakes was a perfect way to use up some extras. It was also about time to test out my new oven. Yes, renovation of my teeny kitchen is near completion, and the appliances are installed and in working order!

I puréed the berries rather than leaving them whole (unlike the peaches and blueberries last summer) and mixed them into what was basically vanilla cupcake batter with a little less liquid than normal. I added cinnamon and black pepper for a kick.

I topped them off with a generous dollop of cream cheese icing. I was happy for lots of creamy icing when it came to eating these, as they turned out a little dry. My new oven bakes a little faster than the old, it seems. No complaints from my tasters, though! (Merci, Idlewild classmates!)