Olive Oil Cupcakes Black Currant (Print Version)

Light olive oil cupcakes with tangy black currant cream cheese frosting—perfect for elegant occasions.

# What You'll Need:

→ For the Olive Oil Cupcakes

01 - 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
03 - 0.5 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 0.25 teaspoon fine sea salt
05 - 0.75 cup granulated sugar
06 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
07 - 0.5 cup extra virgin olive oil
08 - 0.5 cup whole milk, room temperature
09 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
10 - Zest of 1 lemon, optional

→ For the Black Currant Frosting

11 - 0.5 cup unsalted butter, softened
12 - 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
13 - 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
14 - 0.25 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.
04 - Gradually whisk olive oil into the egg mixture until smooth and well combined.
05 - Stir in milk, vanilla extract, and lemon zest if using.
06 - Gently fold dry ingredients into wet mixture until just combined. Do not overmix.
07 - Divide batter evenly among cupcake liners, filling each approximately two-thirds full.
08 - Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
09 - Beat softened butter and cream cheese together until smooth and creamy.
10 - Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until frosting is fluffy and light.
11 - Mix in black currant jam, lemon juice, and salt. Beat until fully incorporated and spreadable.
12 - Once cupcakes are completely cool, frost generously with black currant frosting. Garnish with fresh black currants or lemon zest if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The olive oil keeps these impossibly moist without tasting heavy or greasy, a trick that feels like cheating until you taste it.
  • Black currant frosting is tart enough to balance sweetness, making these feel elegant enough for actual dessert, not just an excuse to eat cake.
  • They're less finicky than they sound—no fancy techniques, just good ingredients and a gentle hand.
02 -
  • Overmixing the batter is the one thing that will actually ruin these—your instinct is to keep stirring until everything looks perfect, but that's when you're developing gluten and making cupcakes dense.
  • Black currant jam varies wildly in tartness, so taste your frosting before committing—you might want less jam or a touch more lemon juice depending on what you're using.
03 -
  • If your frosting looks grainy after you add the black currant jam, beat it for another minute or two—sometimes the jam temperature is slightly different and needs a little extra mixing to incorporate smoothly.
  • A light olive oil will let the black currant shine, whereas a peppery or very robust one can overwhelm the delicate balance—taste your oil and choose accordingly.
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