Cupcake 33 - Brown Sugar Hazelnut with Blackberry Buttercream

So good and so pretty. The blackberry jam made the most beautiful purple frosting, the picture does not do it justice! I toasted my hazelnuts to intensify the flavor.

(heavily adapted from Raspberry Eggplant Cupcake)

Brown Sugar Hazelnut Cupcakes with Blackberry Buttercream Frosting

(makes 32 cupcakes)

1 c hazelnuts
4 T sugar
3 c AP flour
4 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 c low-fat yogurt, I used greek
1 c milk
2 t vanilla
12 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 c packed light brown sugar
4 eggs, room temperature

Preheat oven to 350. Line wells of cupcake pan with liners.

Toast hazelnuts in large skillet until slightly brown and aromatic. Allow to cool. Once cool, place hazelnuts and sugar in food processor. Pulse until nuts are ground, not to a flour but more of meal. Put scant 1 T in each well of cupcake pan. Set aside.

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In second bowl, whisk together the yogurt, milk, and vanilla. Set aside.

In the bowl of standing mixer, cream the butter, add brown sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs, once at time, mixing well. Alternately add flour and yogurt mixtures, mixing well between each addition.

Fill each well 3/4 full. Bake 18 - 20 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

Blackberry Buttercream

1 c unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 c shifted powdered sugar
pinch of salt
8 T blackberry jam
1/2 t vanilla

In bowl of standing mixer, cream butter until fluffy, add jam and vanilla. Mix well. Add powdered sugar in 1 c increments, mixing well and scraping sides of bowl between each addition. Turn mixer to high, beat 4-5 minutes.