Blackberry Piña Colada Cupcakes – Moist coconut cupcakes filled with sweet pineapple and a hint of rum, finished with fresh blackberry frosting. A tropical cocktail-inspired cupcake with a delightful twist.
I recently attended the Everything Food Conference, where I had the chance to take part in a mock “Cupcake Wars” competition alongside previous Food Network Cupcake Wars host Justin Willman. My piña colada–inspired cupcakes with blackberry frosting won the contest, which was an unforgettable highlight of the weekend.
My teammate Yvonne from Tried and Tasty and I competed against three other talented teams, each presenting gorgeous and delicious cupcakes. We were thrilled to take first place; the judges praised the flavor combination even though our decoration was simple and the icing was a little soft that day.
The inspiration for these cupcakes came from a favorite drink, a Blackberry Piña Colada. I built the cupcakes to echo that flavor: coconut milk and coconut extract in the batter for a tender, tropical crumb; a sweet pineapple filling with a touch of rum extract tucked into the center; and a bright, fruity blackberry buttercream on top.
I even experimented with a lighter sweetener for the conference version—Lite&Sweet, a blend of xylitol and erythritol—which mimics sugar closely. To preserve the brown sugar flavor when substituting, I added molasses. The cupcakes held up well and the judges, many of whom were past Cupcake Wars competitors and winners, appreciated the balanced flavors.
The judges included recognized bakers and cupcake shop owners who evaluated the entries based on flavor and technique. If you’d like to see the judging, there’s a video of the event where the judging segment begins around 19:47.
- Glaucia Jones from Xlear
- Alisha Nuttall from Cravings Alisha’s Cupcakes
- Megan Faulkner Brown from The Sweet Tooth Fairy
- Erik & Cori Larsen from Heaven Cupcake
Below is the full recipe I used, including the pineapple filling and blackberry frosting. The cupcakes are moist and coconut-forward, the pineapple filling adds a sweet tang and depth from the rum extract, and the blackberry buttercream brings a fresh, fruity finish. Filling the cupcakes was a first for me and I loved the result—this technique keeps each bite interesting.
Piña Colada Cupcakes with Blackberry Frosting
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
- ½ cup (113 g) butter (1 stick), softened
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (150 g) light brown sugar, gently packed
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) pineapple juice (from pineapple filling)
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) coconut milk (from the can)
- 1 ½ tsp coconut extract
- 1 ½ cups (180 g) all-purpose flour (stir, spoon & level)
- 1 ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
Pineapple Filling:
- 20 oz (567 g) can crushed pineapple, drained (save juice for cupcake batter)
- 2 Tbsp light brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1 Tbsp pineapple juice or water
- ½ tsp rum extract
Blackberry Frosting:
- 1 cup (226 g) butter (2 sticks), room temperature
- 4 to 4 ½ cups (480–540 g) powdered sugar
- 1 cup (150 g) blackberries
- 2–3 Tbsp seedless blackberry spread or jelly
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Garnish:
- Blackberries
- Sweetened coconut flakes
Instructions
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Pulse sweetened coconut flakes in a food processor until small for garnish. Set aside and rinse the container for later steps.
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Drain the pineapple can into a measuring cup and reserve the juice for the batter. Place half of the crushed pineapple in the food processor and blend until smooth. Transfer the puree to a small saucepan. Add brown sugar, cornstarch, 1 Tbsp pineapple juice (or water), and rum extract. Heat until it reaches a boil and thickens slightly. Remove from heat and cool completely in the refrigerator.
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Blend blackberries in the food processor and press the puree through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl to remove seeds. Reserve for the frosting.
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Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a muffin tin with 18 cupcake liners.
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In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter with the granulated and brown sugars. Add eggs, reserved pineapple juice, coconut milk, and coconut extract. Mix until combined, scraping the bowl as needed.
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Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture all at once and mix until just incorporated.
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Using a #30 scoop or similar, fill each liner a little over halfway with batter. Bake at 375°F for 14–15 minutes, rotating the pan during the last few minutes for even baking. Remove from the oven and cool completely on a rack in the refrigerator.
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To make the frosting, whip the butter in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment until smooth. Add half the powdered sugar and mix. In a small bowl combine the blackberry puree, blackberry spread, and lemon juice, then add to the frosting. Mix, scraping the bowl as needed, and add the remaining powdered sugar until you reach the desired consistency. Fit a piping bag with a Wilton 2D tip and fill with frosting.
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When cupcakes are completely cool, use a paring knife to remove a small cone-shaped portion from the center of each cupcake, reserving the tops.
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Place the cooled pineapple filling into a sandwich bag, snip a corner, and pipe an equal amount into each cupcake. Replace the removed cake center on top of the filling.
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Pipe the blackberry frosting starting from the outer edge and working inward. Sprinkle each cupcake with coconut flakes and top with a fresh blackberry. Serve and enjoy.
Notes
If substituting Lite&Sweet for sugar, use 1 cup Lite&Sweet in the cupcakes plus 2 Tbsp molasses to replicate brown sugar flavor. For the pineapple filling use 3 Tbsp Lite&Sweet and ½ tsp molasses. Proceed with the recipe the same way.
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