Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes
These chocolate raspberry cupcakes are a fantastic Valentine’s Day dessert that is low on effort, but big on flavor!
The cupcake is moist and delicate, topped with a rich chocolate ganache, garnished with fresh raspberries and chocolate shavings. A beautiful cupcake that is equally delicious too!
For another fantastic Valentine’s Day dessert try my Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting or my Flourless Chocolate Cake with Creme Anglaise
Use Two Types of Chocolate
- To make these cupcakes extra chocolatey, I use a combination of semi-sweet chocolate chips and unsweetened cocoa powder.
- When using unsweetened cocoa powder I like to allow it to “bloom” with hot water, to bring out its best flavor.
- It only takes 5 minutes of resting to bloom the cocoa powder, while also melting the chocolate chips. Then you’ll whisk to combine.
Making Cupcakes Extra Moist
- There are 3 tips for making a cupcake extra moist.
- First, use oil over butter. Vegetable oil is pure fat (whereas butter has milk solids in it) and I have found it’s the secret to a moist cupcake. I do the same for my Banana Bread and Pumpkin Bread recipes and it always yields fantastic results! Cupcakes also have so many other flavors going on that you can get away with the oil, and not need the flavor of the butter. Unlike muffin recipes where I use a mix of both butter and oil.
- Secondly, skip the milk in favor of water. Milk will weigh down the cupcakes whereas the water will make them light, fluffy and extra moist!
- And lastly, easy does it on the flour! Too much flour will make your cupcakes dry and dense. I only use 3/4 cup of flour in this recipe which I think is the perfect amount.
Prepare the Cupcake Pan
- I like to use a jumbo cupcake pan for these cupcakes because they look really impressive and decadent! But you could also make 12 standard-sized cupcakes with this recipe too.
- Just be sure to line the cupcake tin with muffin papers. I like to use Dark Brown Muffin papers since they blend into the cupcake and make for a seamless presentation.
- The papers also help to protect the light and fluffy texture of the cupcake.
Create Jammy Filling
- The chunky raspberry filling adds a wonderfully refreshing quality to the cupcakes.
- I like to use a combination of store-bought raspberry preserves and fresh raspberries for the best texture and flavor.
- To make the filling it’s as easy as mashing the raspberries with a fork into the jam until a chunky filling forms.
- This is also much easier than pureing the raspberries! The chunks of fresh raspberry adds more flavor and texture to the cupcake too.
Adding the Chocolate Ganache
- Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before adding the chocolate ganache.
- These cupcakes are very moist and fragile when warm, and the filling also makes them a bit fragile too.
- Once cooled they will set up and be easier to handle.
- Dip the tops into the ganache, allowing the excess to drip back into the pot.
- This will create a nice even glaze on top (as opposed to spooning the ganache on top which can create drips)
Adding the Fresh Raspberries
- Once the ganache starts to set it creates a sticky surface that will hold the raspberries in place.
- I like to add a lot of raspberries, setting them close together, for an impressive presentation. I find adding fruit like this is a much easier way to create a “wow-factor” without dragging out the piping bag filled with frosting! It’s also tastier too!
- They also add a wonderful refreshing flavor against the richness of the chocolate.
The Chocolate Shavings
- Create decorative chocolate shavings with a bittersweet chocolate bar (I like to use Ghirardelli 60%, Bittersweet Chocolate) and a vegetable peeler.
- Not only does it look pretty, but it adds a nice texture on top too.
- A cold chocolate bar will create chocolate shavings, and a room-temperature bar will create mini chocolate curls.
- The chocolate shavings is a simple “finishing” trick that can make plain cupcakes look fancy!
Chocolate and Raspberry Filling
- The raspberry filling combined with the chocolate cupcake and ganache makes for a wonderful flavor combination, especially for Valentine’s Day.
- Keep the cupcakes refrigerated until ready to serve.
- Then remove the cupcakes from the fridge and allow them to come to room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. It will soften the ganache and the cupcake texture will be better too.
Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes
Yield:
6 jumbo cupcakes
These chocolate raspberry cupcakes are a fantastic Valentine's Day dessert that is low on effort, but big on flavor! Makes 6 jumbo cupcakes or 12 standard-sized cupcakes.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp (42g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup (45g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup (120ml) hot water
- 1 cup (200 g) white sugar
- ½ cup (120 ml) vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 ½ tsp (7.5ml) vanilla extract
- ¾ cup (118 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp (2.5ml) salt
- ¼ tsp (1.24ml) baking soda
Jammy Raspberry Filling:
- ½ cup (120 ml) raspberry jam
- 6 ounces (170g) fresh raspberries
Chocolate Ganache:
- 1 cup (170g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup (120ml) heavy cream
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) corn syrup
- ½ tsp (2.5ml) vanilla extract
Garnish:
- 2 ounces (55 g) bittersweet chocolate bar, for shavings
- 12 ounces (340 g) fresh raspberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Line a jumbo muffin tin with cupcake liners. Set aside.
- In a small bowl add the raspberry jam and the fresh raspberries. With a fork mash the raspberries into the jam, until a chunky mixture forms. Set aside.
- Add the 3 tbsp of chocolate chips, cocoa powder, and hot water in a large bowl. Let it sit for 5 minutes, to allow the cocoa powder to "bloom" and to melt the chocolate chips, then whisk it up until smooth.
- Add the sugar and whisk until combined, then slowly whisk in the oil until combined. Add one egg at a time whisking in between each addition. Then add the vanilla extract. Set aside.
- Whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda in a medium-sized bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients whisking until combined.
- Using an ice cream scooper, fill the muffin tins halfway full. Then add 2 tbsp (30 ml) of the jammy filling to the top, and swirl slightly with a metal skewer. Then add another scoop of chocolate cupcake batter on top until fully covered.
- Bake for 30-32 minutes or until the cupcakes have risen and a toothpick comes up clean. Set aside to cool completely.
- For the chocolate ganache, warm the heavy cream in a wide, shallow pot, and add the chocolate chips. Whisk to combine. Add the corn syrup and the vanilla, and whisk until smooth a shiny.
- Once the cupcakes are completely cooled and are less fragile to handle (they'll set up as they cool) dip the tops into the ganache and allow any excess to drip off. Then add 6-8 raspberries on top. Then garnish with shaved bittersweet chocolate, created with a potato peeler.
- Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. Then allow them to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. The texture and flavor will be better that way.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 404Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 68mgSodium: 58mgCarbohydrates: 62gFiber: 3gSugar: 38gProtein: 6g