Chocolate cake is a favorite for most people I know. And when it’s baked up in cupcake form, it’s the perfect portion size to eat at home, or to hand out at holiday gathers, parties, or other events.
❤The Frosting ❤
The frosting I’m using for these chocolate raspberry cupcakes is a version of one of my absolute favorites: CHEESECAKE FROSTING! (Some people might call this cream cheese frosting.) This frosting is made with just a few simple, all-natural ingredients. Rather than using butter or a vegetable fat, the fat in this frosting comes from real dairy cream and Philadelphia (or your favorite brand) cream cheese. Other than that, it’s just some all-natural raspberry extract and food coloring, of which you can find natural versions without artificial ingredients.
❤The Cupcakes ❤
These moist chocolate cupcakes are made completely from scratch. This means they cost a lot less than making them from a mix. They also taste better—and, like the frosting, they’re made from all-natural (no artificial) ingredients.
Each cupcake is “filled” with exactly one large raspberry—no more, no less. These raspberries can be fresh or frozen, but in my experience, more than one per cupcake gives you a cupcake that either doesn’t fully cook in the center, or is a wee bit on the soggy side right in the center where the berry sits.
Chocolate covered fruits are commonly found in high-end boxed chocolate mixes, with chocolate covered cherries being among the most popular and well-known. Chocolate covered fresh strawberries have also seen increasing popularity over the years, and their price seems to have risen to keep pace. I love the taste of just about any fruit and chocolate together, but I find that raspberries are a super-nice addition to these moist, rich chocolate cupcakes. Raspberries are a fairly delicate fruit, so you aren’t likely to find them whole or fresh in any boxed chocolates, and the taste of raspberry and chocolate together are incredibly wonderful. So these chocolate raspberry cupcakes are a fantastic opportunity to get these tantalizing tastes together—whether you’re treating yourself after a tough week of working at home, or whipping these babies up for a weekend get-together or party.
Enjoy!
If you love this recipe, try these next time!
- Delicious cream puffs with chocolate glaze and vanilla pudding
- Starbucks Frappuccino Copycat Recipe
- Homemade Chocolate Eclairs
Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes
Equipment
- 1 hand mixer for frosting
- 2 Bowls mixing frosting, cupcake mixture
Ingredients
Cupcake Ingredients
- 2 c. flour
- 1/4 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tbsp. baking powder
- 1 c. and 2 tbsp. cocoa powder
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/4 c. plus 1 tsp. butter softened
- 2-1/4 c. white sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp. raspberry extract
- 1.5 c. whole milk
- 24 large frozen raspberries
Frosting Ingredients
- 1 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 2 tsp. raspberry extract
- 2 c. heavy cream
- few drops red food coloring
- sprinkles of your choice
Instructions
Cupcake Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa, and salt.
- In a second bowl, cream together the butter and sugar.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each.
- Add vanilla.
- Alternately mix together flour mixture and milk; beat well.
- Fill cupcake liners about 3/4 full.
- Gently poke one raspberry into each filled liner until raspberry is just barely hidden under the batter surface.
- Bake for 17 minutes; cool before frosting.
Frosting Directions
- Combine the cream cheese, sugar, and raspberry extract in a large mixing bowl.
- With a handheld mixer, whip on medium speed until smooth, slowly adding cream.
- Whip until the cream holds a stiff peak.
- Slowly stir in food coloring until just combined; add sprinkles after cooled cupcakes are frosted.
🙂🙂🙂