There is something so beautiful about the contrast between the pink buttercream and the dark chocolate color of these Raspberry Chocolate Cupcakes! And, the best part about this recipe is that they taste great too!
This chocolate raspberry cupcake recipe makes delicious chocolate cupcakes filled with homemade fresh raspberry puree and swirled with fluffy raspberry cream cheese frosting. It's the perfect recipe to make when raspberries are in season, for Valentine’s Day, or for a special someone’s birthday!
If you love trying out different cupcake flavors, then you have to try this recipe for Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes, these Pistachio Raspberry Cupcakes, or this recipe for Banoffee Cupcakes.
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Ingredients
To make these delicious cupcakes, you will need the simple ingredients listed below. Remember to always use fresh room temperature ingredients when baking.
- Fresh raspberries
- Castor sugar
- Lemon juice
- Extra-large eggs
- Sunflower oil
- Granulated white sugar
- Self-raising flour
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Salt
- Whole milk
- Sour cream
- Strong brewed coffee
- Vanilla extract
- Unsalted butter
- Icing sugar
- Cream cheese
Fresh raspberries - Raspberries are used in the filling and frosting of this cupcake recipe. If you can't find fresh raspberries, frozen will also work.
Extra large eggs – if you don’t have extra large eggs, work out how many eggs you will need by cracking and weighing them. My eggs weigh 56 grams each out of their shell.
Sunflower oil – sunflower oil is a type of vegetable oil and is great to use in bakes as a substitute for butter. It ensures light and moist cupcakes. All vegetable oils have different properties and therefore taste, so choose a neutral-tasting oil like sunflower oil or canola for this recipe.
Self-raising flour – if you don’t have self-raising flour, you can make your own by sifting together cake flour and baking powder. Check the packaging of your baking powder to work out how much should be added.
Cocoa powder – choose an unsweetened quality cocoa powder for this recipe.
Strong brewed coffee – I make a cup of strong coffee using ground espresso beans and a French press, do the same to ensure you have a great quality coffee to add to your cupcake batter. You can also brew espresso, or use ground espresso powder mixed with hot water.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
To make these raspberry cupcakes follow the simple steps below. First, you will make the chocolate cupcakes, then the raspberry compote, and finally the raspberry frosting.
Instructions for cupcakes
STEP 1: Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line 2x 12-hole cupcake pans with cupcake liners.
STEP 2: Beat sugar, oil, and butter. Add the butter, oil, and sugar to a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat until light and fluffy.
STEP 3: Add the eggs. Add the eggs to the sugar and butter mixture one at a time. Beat well between each addition and scrape down the sides of the bowl often.
STEP 4: Sift dry ingredients. In a large bowl sift together the flour, salt, and cocoa powder.
STEP 5: Combine wet ingredients. In a jug mix together the cooled coffee, sour cream, milk, and vanilla.
STEP 6: Add the wet and dry ingredients. With the mixer’s motor running at medium-low speed, add the wet ingredients and the flour mixture to the egg and sugar mixture. Do this by alternating between the two. Starting with the flour and ending with the wet ingredients.
STEP 7: Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Using a rubber spatula scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix the cupcake batter again. Ensuring that it is well-mixed and lump-free.
STEP 8: Bake. Using a jug or ice-cream scoop pour the chocolate cupcake batter into the prepared cupcake liners and bake in a preheated oven for about 12 - 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
Step 9: Cool. Allow the cupcakes to cool in their tin for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
instructions for raspberry filling
STEP 1: Heat castor sugar, lemon juice, and raspberries. In a small saucepan set over medium heat add the fresh raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Allow the fruit to soften and the sugar to melt. Stir occasionally with a spatula and press the fruit against the sides of the saucepan to help them break down if needed.
STEP 2: Cool the puree. Once the sugar is melted and the purée has thickened, allow the mashed raspberry purée to cool to room temperature. Reserve ¼ cup of the purée for the frosting and add the remaining purée to a piping bag.
instructions for frosting
STEP 1: Beat icing sugar and butter. Add the icing sugar and butter to a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat at medium speed until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
STEP 2: Add cream cheese. Add the cubed cream cheese and beat at medium-high speed until the frosting is smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again for about 2 minutes.
STEP 3: Add raspberry puree. Add ½ cup of the cooled raspberry puree and beat again.
STEP 4: Beat until fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and beat at medium-high speed for a further 3 minutes or until the frosting is light and fluffy. The frosting is now ready to use on the cupcakes.
STEP 5: Decorate. Use a cupcake or apple corer to remove the center of each cupcake, fill the center with the raspberry puree, and then pipe a swirl of frosting onto each cupcake. Decorate with fresh raspberries and chocolate shavings.
Hint: For a lump-free smooth buttercream make sure both the butter and cream cheese are at room temperature. Otherwise, you may get lumps of cold cream cheese in your frosting.
Variations
I think this recipe is perfect the way it is, but if you’d like to try other variations have a look at this recipe for Vanilla Raspberry Cupcakes and this recipe for Raspberry Buttercream which is made without cream cheese.
If you are short on time and would like to skip making your own raspberry purée, you can use raspberry jam in the frosting and for the cupcake filling if you'd prefer.
Equipment
For these chocolate cupcakes, you will need x2 12-hole cupcake tins, 24x paper liners, a cooling rack, a cupcake corer, two disposable piping bags, a piping nozzle, and an electric mixer.
I always use a stand mixer or electric hand mixer to make the buttercream as they help ensure a fluffy frosting. I also always use an accurate kitchen scale when baking.
Storage
Cupcakes cool quickly and dry out just as quickly so try to frost them the same day they are baked. If you don’t have time to decorate the cupcakes the same day as baking them, store the unfrosted cupcakes in an airtight container or cover the cupcake trays in plastic wrap until the next day.
For any leftover filled and frosted cupcakes, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for about 3 days. Choose to store these cupcakes in the fridge because of the fresh fruit inside and on top of the cupcakes.
To freeze these delicious raspberry chocolate cupcakes, remove the fruit from the cupcakes and then place any leftover cupcakes in a freezer-safe air-tight container and freeze them for up to three months. Defrost properly before consuming them.
Top Tips
Follow my top baking tips below to ensure that your cupcakes come out perfectly.
- Use an oven thermometer to check the true temperature of your oven.
- Don’t overfill the cupcake cases as this can lead to mishappen cupcakes.
- Ensure the butter and cream cheese are at room temperature before baking.
- Ensure the cupcakes have cooled properly before frosting them.
FAQ
The eggs I use weigh 56 grams, if you aren’t sure if you have the same eggs – weigh the eggs you have and adjust accordingly.
Check your oven's temperature and ensure you haven’t overfilled the cupcake cases. Overfilling the cases can result in misshapen cupcakes.
Wait - having room-temperature butter is the most important step in a successful batter and frosting. Choose to wait until the butter has reached room temperature before making this recipe, or cube the butter and heat it gently in the microwave, being careful to not melt it.
I always recommend using a kitchen scale rather than cups when baking, this way you can ensure you’ve measured properly and that your baked goodies come out perfectly.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with [this recipe]:
These chocolate and raspberry cupcakes are delicious, the moist chocolatey cupcakes pair so well with the tart raspberry flavor of the hidden cupcake center and buttercream frosting!
If you make these fluffy chocolate raspberry cupcakes and love them, please leave a comment and star rating below – I love hearing from all of you!
Don’t forget to sign up for the weekly newsletter and follow along @with_love_kitty to ensure you never miss a recipe!
Happy Baking
With Love,
Kitty
📖 Recipe
Raspberry Chocolate Cupcakes
Equipment
- x2 12-hole cupcake pans
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 100 g unsalted butter
- 100 ml sunflower oil
- 340 g sugar white, granulated
- 4 eggs extra-large
- 340 g self-raising flour
- 50 g cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 160 ml strong brewed coffee
- 120 g sour cream
- 140 ml milk whole
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Raspberry Purée
- 300 g raspberries
- 40 g caster sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- 600 g powdered sugar
- 100 g unsalted butter
- 250 g cream cheese
- ¼ cup raspberry purée from above
- 100 g raspberries for decorating
- 30 g milk chocolate shavings for decorating
Instructions
Chocolate Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line 2x 12-hole cupcake pans with cupcake liners.
- Add the butter, oil, and sugar to a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs to the sugar and butter mixture one at a time. Beat well between each addition and scrape down the sides of the bowl often.
- In a large bowl sift together the flour, salt, and cocoa powder.
- In a jug mix together the cooled coffee, sour cream, milk, and vanilla.
- With the mixer’s motor running at medium-low speed, add the wet ingredients and the flour mixture to the egg and sugar mixture. Do this by alternating between the two. Starting with the flour and ending with the wet ingredients.
- Using a rubber spatula scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix the cupcake batter again. Ensuring that it is well-mixed and lump-free.
- Using a jug or ice-cream scoop pour the chocolate cupcake batter into the prepared cupcake liners and bake in a preheated oven for about 12 - 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool in their tin for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Raspberry Purée
- In a small saucepan set over medium heat add the fresh raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Allow the fruit to soften and the sugar to melt. Stir occasionally with a spatula and press the fruit against the sides of the saucepan to help them break down if needed.
- Once the sugar is melted and the purée has thickened, allow the mashed raspberry purée to cool to room temperature. Reserve ¼ cup of the purée for the frosting and add the remaining purée to a piping bag.
Raspberry Buttercream
- Add the icing sugar and butter to a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat at medium speed until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- Add the cubed cream cheese and beat at medium-high speed until the frosting is smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again for about 2 minutes.
- Add ¼ cup of the cooled raspberry puree and beat again.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and beat at medium-high speed for a further 3 minutes or until the frosting is light and fluffy. The frosting is now ready to use on the cupcakes.
- Use a cupcake or apple corer to remove the center of each cupcake, fill the center with the raspberry puree, and then pipe a swirl of frosting onto each cupcake. Decorate with fresh raspberries and chocolate shavings.
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