Get ready to indulge in the most heavenly chocolate raspberry cupcakes ever! These moist dark chocolate cupcakes are filled with a luxurious raspberry chocolate ganache and crowned with a delightful raspberry frosting.
Why you’ll adore these chocolate raspberry cupcakes:
- They boast a perfect balance of rich chocolate and tangy raspberry flavors, making them ideal for special occasions like Valentine’s Day or any time you crave a sweet treat.
- The cupcakes themselves are incredibly moist and fluffy, promising a melt-in-your-mouth experience with every bite.
- With a luscious chocolate raspberry filling and a sweet-tart raspberry buttercream topping, each cupcake is a burst of flavor that will leave you craving more.
Have some questions? Let’s address them:
- Wondering how to store these cupcakes? Simply pop any leftovers into an airtight container and they’ll stay fresh for up to three days.
- Can you substitute regular cocoa powder for Dutch process? Absolutely! It’ll work just fine.
- Is espresso powder necessary for the cupcakes? Nope, it’s optional! But it does enhance the chocolate flavor.
Check out these baking tips for guaranteed success:
- Always measure your flour properly to ensure the perfect texture. Avoid scooping directly from the bag; instead, spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a knife.
- Ensure all your wet ingredients are at room temperature for the best cupcake texture. Cold ingredients can affect the final result.
- Use a cookie scoop to fill the cupcake liners with batter for less mess and uniform cupcakes.
- When making the raspberry buttercream, whip the butter until pale and fluffy before adding the remaining ingredients for the fluffiest frosting.
Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Cupcakes:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour spooned and leveled (125 g)
- ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon Dutch process cocoa powder 25 g
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder optional
- ¼ cup softened unsalted butter 56 g
- ¾ cup granulated white sugar 150 g
- 1 egg at room temperature
- 1 egg yolk at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup whole milk at room temperature (120 ml)
- ¼ cup sour cream at room temperature (61 g)
For the Raspberry Chocolate Ganache:
- 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate chopped (113 g)
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons heavy cream 90 ml
- ¼ cup raspberry preserves 85 g
For the Raspberry Buttercream:
- ¾ cup unsalted butter softened (168 g)
- Pinch of salt
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar 195 g
- ½ cup freeze-dried raspberries measured then ground (16 g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup raspberry preserves 85 g
Instructions
For the Chocolate Cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a cupcake pan with 12 liners.
- Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder in a small bowl. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream together butter and granulated sugar until fluffy.
- Add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract, mixing until light and fluffy.
- Mix in milk and sour cream on low speed.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and combine on low speed.
- Fill cupcake liners ¾ full with batter. Bake for 17-20 minutes.
- Let cupcakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
For the Raspberry Chocolate Ganache:
- Heat heavy cream until steaming, then pour over chopped chocolate. Stir to combine.
- Add raspberry preserves and mix. Let ganache cool for 15 minutes, then transfer to a piping bag.
For the Raspberry Buttercream:
- Beat butter and salt until smooth and fluffy.
- Add powdered sugar and mix on low speed.
- Add ground freeze-dried raspberries, raspberry preserves, and vanilla extract. Mix until fluffy.
Assembling the Cupcakes:
- Remove centers of cooled cupcakes and fill with raspberry chocolate ganache.
- Pipe raspberry buttercream on top of each cupcake.
- Decorate with fresh raspberries, then serve and enjoy!