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1
Heat the oven to 375 degrees F and arrange a rack in the middle.
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2
Line a 12-well muffin pan with paper liners and set it aside.
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3
Place 1/4 cup of the sugar and half of the orange zest in a small bowl and use your fingers to combine; set aside.
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4
Whisk the remaining zest, flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl to break up any lumps; set aside.
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5
Place the melted butter, cream, remaining 3/4 cup of sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl and whisk until evenly combined.
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6
Add the butter-sugar mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just evenly mixed, about 30 strokes.
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7
(A few lumps will remain, but dont overmixthe batter will be thick but the ingredients should be evenly incorporated.)
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8
Add the blackberries and stir until just evenly incorporated.
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9
Divide the batter among the muffin wells (the wells will be very full).
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10
Evenly sprinkle all of the orange-sugar mixture over the muffins.
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11
Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the sugar is golden brown in spots, about 22 to 25 minutes.
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12
Let the muffins cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
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13
Remove from the pan and serve warm or at room temperature.
