Make the Cupcakes:
Preheat your oven to 350°F (176°C) and prepare a cupcake pan with liners.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and egg.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and beat until well combined.
Gradually add the hot water to the batter, mixing on low speed until smooth. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure everything is well mixed.
Fill the cupcake liners about halfway and bake for 15-17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Remove the cupcakes from the oven and let them cool in the pan for 2 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Make the Berry Frosting:
Grind the freeze-dried berries into a powder using a food processor. Set aside.
In a large mixer bowl, beat the butter until smooth.
Add half of the powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
Add up to 3 tablespoons of water or milk, along with the pinch of salt, and mix until smooth.
Add the remaining powdered sugar and the powdered berries, mixing until well combined and smooth. Add additional water or milk if needed to achieve the desired consistency. Set aside.
Make the Cream Filling:
In a large mixer bowl, whip the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and almond extract on high speed until soft peaks begin to form.
Add the cream cheese and continue whipping until stiff peaks form.
Assemble the Cupcakes:
Use a cupcake corer or a knife to remove the center of each cupcake. Fill the centers with the cream filling.
Pipe the berry frosting on top of the cupcakes using a closed star piping tip.
Finish the cupcakes with fresh berries on top. Refrigerate until ready to serve.