Dark Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes with Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
- 1 whisk
- 1 medium saucepan
- 1 large mixing bowl
- cupcake pans
- cupcake liners
Ingredients
Raspberry puree
- 8 ounces frozen raspberries
Chocolate cake
- 1 cup all purpose flour (140 grams)
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder (15 grams)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp table salt
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
- 2.5 ounces dark chocolate make sure you use a good quality chocolate
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 3/4 tbsp white vinegar
- 1 egg whisked
- 1/2 cup raspberry puree
Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 stick butter (8 tablespoons, 115 grams), softened
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 3 cups confectioners' sugar
- 1/2 cup dehydrated powdered raspberries ***see note
- 1/4 tsp table salt
- 1 tbsp milk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the raspberry puree
- Make the raspberry puree first because it takes a while for it to reduce and then cool. You can even make this the day before and keep refrigerated until you're ready to use it.
- Pour the frozen raspberries into a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. If needed, add a few tablespoons of water to loosen the raspberries so they can blend easily.
- Pour the pureed raspberries into a small saucepan.
- Simmer the raspberries stirring often so they don't burn. You want to reduce the volume to about 1/2 cup. The consistency will be thick, like tomato paste.
- Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Make the cupcakes:
- Preset the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Prepare cupcake pans (makes about 16 cupcakes) with cupcake liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Chop the chocolate into small pieces.
- Make a simple syrup: pour a cup of water in a saucepan and bring the water to boil. Pour in the sugar and boil for about a minute and stir until it dissolves. Turn off heat.
- Add the chocolate and butter, stirring occasionally until they melt.
- Add the raspberry puree paste and stir until well combined.
- Add vegetable oil, vanilla, vinegar and espresso powder.
- Temper the eggs: Take a ladle full of warm chocolate/raspberry mixture, while whisking the eggs vigorously and pour the warm chocolate/raspberry mixture into the eggs. Add a second ladle of chocolate to the eggs while whisking.
- Add the chocolate/egg mixture to the flour cocoa mixture. Whisk until well combined.
- Add the batter to the prepared cupcake pans filling each about 3/4 full.
- Pop them in the oven on the middle rack. Bake for 15-20 mins until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and leave in pan for 5 mins and turn them out onto cooling rack. Make sure they are completely cool/ room temperature before frosting. Approximately 45 mins to an hour.
Raspberry Frosting
- In a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment (or you can use a hand held mixer), beat the cream cheese and butter on high speed until smooth and creamy.
- Add confectioners' sugar and raspberry powder. Beat on low speed until the powder in incorporated, then increase the speed to medium high. Add 1 tablespoon of milk, vanilla and salt. Beat until smooth and creamy.
- Frost the cupcakes when they are cool. The easiest way is to pipe them with a piping bag and a large tip, like Wilton's 1 M tip.
Notes
***You can find either whole dehydrated raspberries or dehydrated raspberry powder. If you can only find whole dehydrated raspberries, use a whole cup of dehydrated raspberries and using a blender or food processor, process the freeze-dried raspberries into a powder. You should have around 1/2 cup crumbs when processed.
Nutrition
Calories: 333kcalCarbohydrates: 46gProtein: 3gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 46mgSodium: 318mgPotassium: 104mgFiber: 2gSugar: 37gVitamin A: 456IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 44mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!