Olive Oil Cupcakes Black Currant (Printable)

Light olive oil cupcakes with tangy black currant cream cheese frosting, perfect for afternoon tea or dessert.

# What You'll Need:

→ Olive Oil Cupcakes

01 - 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
05 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
06 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
07 - 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
08 - 1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature
09 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
10 - Zest of 1 lemon, optional

→ Black Currant Frosting

11 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
12 - 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
13 - 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
14 - 1/4 cup black currant jam or puree
15 - 1 teaspoon lemon juice
16 - Pinch of salt

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
03 - In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar until pale and fluffy, approximately 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in olive oil until smooth.
04 - Stir in milk, vanilla extract, and lemon zest if using.
05 - Gently fold dry ingredients into wet mixture until just combined. Avoid overmixing.
06 - Divide batter evenly among cupcake liners, filling each approximately two-thirds full.
07 - Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center emerges clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack for complete cooling.
08 - Beat softened butter and cream cheese together until smooth and creamy.
09 - Add powdered sugar gradually while beating until frosting achieves fluffy consistency.
10 - Mix in black currant jam, lemon juice, and salt. Beat until fully incorporated and frosting reaches light, spreadable texture.
11 - Apply frosting generously to completely cooled cupcakes. Garnish with additional black currants or lemon zest if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The olive oil keeps these cupcakes impossibly moist without any heaviness, which means you can actually enjoy two without guilt.
  • Black currant frosting is tart enough to cut through sweetness, making it genuinely sophisticated rather than trying-too-hard fancy.
  • They're surprisingly simple to mix—no creaming butter for ten minutes—so you can have them cooling while you brew tea.
02 -
  • Don't overmix the batter—fold those dry ingredients in like you're tucking someone into bed, not like you're trying to break their spirit.
  • Room temperature ingredients matter more here than in most baking because the olive oil needs to emulsify smoothly, and cold eggs will refuse to cooperate.
  • If your frosting looks grainy after adding the jam, it means the cream cheese wasn't soft enough; next time let it sit out for an extra twenty minutes.
03 -
  • If black currant jam is impossible to find in your area, order it online or make a quick version by simmering frozen black currants with a tablespoon of sugar until they break down—it takes five minutes.
  • The batter actually improves if you let it rest for ten minutes before baking; the flour hydrates better and you get an even more tender crumb.
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