Valentine’s day is just around the corner and these Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes would be perfect for it! Pretty in pink raspberry frosting that is creamy and irresistible, with a double chocolate cupcake filled with raspberry jam. A simple, fabulous cupcake, perfect for any occasion!
Are you a Valentine’s Day celebrator? My husband and I made the decision several years ago that we would no longer celebrate it for various reasons. Buutttt, that doesn’t mean I don’t find excuses to bake pretty pink desserts around February! These irresistible chocolate raspberry cupcakes fit the ticket to a T.
Cupcakes are just a cuter way to eat cake. Who doesn’t love personalized, slightly bite-sized mini cakes? These cupcakes are the perfect treat for really anytime of the year. There is a seriously irresistible creamy raspberry frosting and double chocolate cupcake. Oh, and the cupcake has a surprise center with a spoonful of raspberry jam. They are really quite simple to make, and they seriously will become your new favorite cupcake.
Since I thoroughly dislike buttercream frosting, this is made up of cream cheese and butter with freeze-dried raspberries. That way, you don’t have to worry about a runny frosting due to excess liquid that you’ll find in fresh raspberries. The cupcakes themselves have both melted chocolate and cocoa powder in the batter. It makes for a little denser of a cupcake, but that much richer in chocolate. Whip up a batch of these for Valentine’s Day, whether you celebrate or not, they will bring a smile to your face!
What you’ll need to make the Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes
- all-purpose flour
- eggs
- granulated sugar
- cocoa powder, dutch processed or unsweetened
- semi-sweet chocolate
- whole milk
- unsalted butter
- baking powder
- vanilla extract
- salt
- full-fat cream cheese
- freeze dried raspberries
- raspberry jam
- confectioners’ sugar
How to make the cupcakes
Start with preheating your oven and lining muffin tins with liners. Pull the cream cheese and butter for the frosting out of the refrigerator so it’s room temperature by the time you need it.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs with the sugar until thick and a pale lemon color, about 2 minutes. Meanwhile, melt the butter and chocolate together in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Once smooth, set aside to cool.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder and coco powder. With the mixer on low speed, mix in the flour mixture, just until combined. Then, stir in the melted chocolate, milk and vanilla extract. Mix for 30 seconds to 1 minute, just until everything is combined and no dry streaks remain.
Next, fill the lined muffin tins about 2/3 full with batter. Place in the oven and bake for about 22-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few dry clinging crumbs. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pans for about 10 minutes before removing and cooling on a wire rack. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
Don’t forget about the raspberry frosting!
In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and mix in the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract and crushed freeze-dried raspberries. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat the mixture until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Fit a large piping bag with an open star tip and fill the bag with the frosting.
How to assemble the cupcakes
Assembly is quite simple. Simply scoop with a spoon, knife or small pastry tip, a circle out of the center of each cupcake. Eat or discard the cut out cake pieces. Place a spoonful, about 1 tablespoonful, of raspberry jam into the hole of each cupcake. Pipe a generous amount of frosting over the top of each chocolate cupcake. Serve!
Notes & tidbits
These cupcakes will last up to 4-5 days in the refrigerator, even with the jam centers. Be sure to cover them well so they don’t dry out.
Crush the freeze dried raspberries in a mortar and pestle, blender or food processor.
Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes
Valentine's day is just around the corner and these Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes would be perfect for it! Pretty in pink raspberry frosting that is creamy and irresistible, with a double chocolate cupcake filled with raspberry jam. A simple, fabulous cupcake, perfect for any occasion!
Ingredients
For the cupcakes
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 cup dutch processed or unsweetened coco powder
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- raspberry jam
For the frosting
- 12 ounces full fat cream cheese, at room temperature
- 9 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
- rounded 1/4 cup freeze dried raspberries, crushed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line 14 muffin tins with liners and set aside.
- Place the butter and chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat. Melt, stirring constantly, until the chocolate and butter have completely melted and are smooth. Set aside to cool.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs and granulated sugar until thick and pale lemon colored, about 2-3 minutes on medium-high speed.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder and coco powder. With the mixer on low speed, mix the dry ingredients into the egg mixture, just until combined. Then, mix in the milk, vanilla extract and melted chocolate. Increase the mixer to medium-high and beat until completely combined and no dry streaks remain, about 1 minute.
- Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tins, filling about 2/3 full. Place in the preheated oven and bake, rotating halfway through, for about 22-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few dry, clinging crumbs. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes in the pan before removing to a cooling rack. Let cool completely before frosting.
- To make the frosting, beat the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes on medium-high speed. Reduce the speed to low and mix in the vanilla extract followed by the confectioners' sugar and crushed freeze dried raspberries. Increase the speed and beat the mixture until thick and creamy, about 2 minutes.
- To assemble the cupcakes, scoop, cut or use a small pastry tip to scoop out a small amount of cake from the center of each cupcake. Eat or discard the scraps. Spoon about 1 tablespoonful of raspberry jam into the hole of each cupcake. Place the frosting in a pastry bag fitted with an open star tip and generously frost each cupcake. Serve!
Notes
This recipe makes a generous amount of frosting, so don't hesitate to frost the cupcakes with a heavy hand!
These will last assembled, up to 5 days, well wrapped in the refrigerator.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 14 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 503
Nutritional information is only an estimate.
