Perfect Berry Muffins
These are what berry muffin dreams are made of. A super soft, delicate crumb, a hefty burst of fresh berry flavor and a crunchy, leave-you-wanting-more subtle lemon scented topping.
Ingredients
- 3 cups (384g) cake flour*
- 1 1/4 cups (250g) granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp + 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup buttermilk *
- 2 lg eggs, room temperature
- 1/3 cup grapeseed or other neutral oil
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup (80g) unsalted butter, melted & slightly cooled
- 1/4 cup raspberry jam (optional)
For the crumb topping:
- 3/4 cup (96g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- zest of half a lemon
- 5 tbsps (70g) unsalted butter, melted & slightly cooled
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 400f/200C and spray a 12-cup muffin tin with baking spray or line with muffin papers.
For the crumb topping:
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Start with the topping first. Add all the topping ingredients to a medium-sized bowl and combine with a fork or your fingers until crumbly. Set in the refrigerator.
For the muffins:
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Take a tablespoon from the measured flour and sprinkle it over the berries in a small bowl. Toss to coat. Then in a large bowl, add the remaining flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir to combine.
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In a liquid measuring cup or medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla. Then slowly whisk in the melted butter.
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Add the buttermilk mixture to the bowl with the dry ingredients then use a spatula to gently combine until almost incorporated . Do not over mix. Then fold in the berries until combined and no flour streaks remain.
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Divide the batter among the muffin cups using a large cookie scoop or spoon. (I fill them all the way to the top for the muffins pictured.) Place 1 teaspoon of the raspberry jam on the top of each muffin and slightly swirl with a toothpick. Spinkle the crumb topping evenly on the muffins. Bake for 10 minutes then turn the heat down to 350F/177C and continue to bake until the muffins are light golden brown at the edges and a toothpick or thin knife inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes more. (if you make the muffins smaller, they will bake in less time.) Immediately remove the muffin tin to a wire rack and cool. Serve immediately or at room temperature.
Recipe Notes
- You can use frozen berries in this recipe. My favorite are those frozen little wild blueberries.
- To store at room temp- keep covered for about 3 days.
- To store in the refrigerator, keep them covered in the fridge for up to a week.
- To store in the freezer- keep them in an airtight freezer-safe bag and store for up to a couple months. Thaw, while still wrapped, at room temperature.
- *You can use all-purpose flour but I really do recommend trying them with the cake flour. I think it makes a lovely difference here.
- *Don't worry if you don't have buttermilk (I almost never do,) you can add two tablespoons of apple cider or white vinegar to a measuring cup then fill to the 1 cup mark with milk. Wait for a few minutes, and you've got buttermilk.