Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream Frosting - Snowflakes & Coffeecakes Cooking School

DARK CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES with RASPBERRY BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

2/14/2015

Oh, I just love me some luscious and decadent dark chocolate cupcakes - and if you throw in some fresh raspberries, I am over the moon!

For Valentine's Day I wanted to make something really special for my family, and this is a homemade treat that they LOVE! So pretty to look at, but even better to eat, bite by glorious bite! This is a special Valentine treat that I've been making for years now - and it is eagerly anticipated every year!

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream Frosting

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream Frosting

This is one of my favorite dark chocolate cupcake recipes - moist, flavorful and so very rich. Fresh butter, an extra egg yolk, and sour cream all add an extra bit of richness.

The Raspberry Buttercream Frosting is a variation of my favorite Strawberry Buttercream Frosting - with a vibrant fresh raspberry flavor. Many recipes out there call for seedless raspberry jam, but in order to capture the vibrant flavor you can very easily end up with a frosting that is runnier than you would like.

I puree fresh raspberries and add in extra freeze-dried raspberries, to create a more concentrated fresh raspberry flavor and the most beautiful vibrant pink buttercream you have ever laid eyes on!

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream Frosting

Another trick to keeping these cupcakes extra moist is to put them in a sealed container as soon as they have cooled to room temperature, and let them sit for a couple of hours - or even overnight. This allows the cupcake to maximize moisture - you will be shocked to see how well this works!

The Dove Dark Chocolate Hearts add a nice touch, don't you think? I hardly know where to start...

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream Frosting

This recipe makes EXACTLY a dozen glorious cupcakes, and they come together very easily - step-by-step photos below show how we make these.

Hope that you enjoy these with your loved ones!

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream Frosting

DARK CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES with RASPBERRY BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Moist and flavorful dark chocolate cupcakes that are good enough to eat warm from the oven, but they are incredible topped with creamy and silky Fresh Raspberry Buttercream Frosting. Topped with a fresh raspberry and dark chocolate valentine candy, they just scream LOVE! I like to surprise everyone with a fresh raspberry tucked underneath the buttercream - just a little something extra but deliciously fun!

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream Frosting

INGREDIENTS:
2 oz. unsweetened dark chocolate, chopped (I use Ghiradelli)
3/4 cup + 2 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
1 large egg (room temperature)
1 large egg yolk (room temperature)
1-1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup boiling water

FROSTING:
Fresh Raspberry Buttercream (see recipe at SnowflakesandCoffeecakes.com)
Garnish: Fresh Raspberries & Dark Chocolate Hearts

HOW I MAKE THESE:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
Chop chocolate and melt chocolate in a small microwave-safe bowl on 50% power in 20 second intervals, stirring between intervals until melted and smooth, set aside to cool slightly.
In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt until well combined, set aside. (I always sift my flour and cocoa powder when making this recipe – sift prior to measuring for best results.)
In a large mixing bowl using an electric hand mixer mix together sugar and butter until combined (it won't come together entirely but mix until lumps of butter are creamed), add in egg, egg yolk and vanilla extract and mix well. Add in melted chocolate, then mix in sour cream. Add half of the flour mixture at a time and mix on low speed until. Add about 1/4 of the boiling water at a time, mixing until combined after each addition. Once water has all been mixed in, mix batter on medium-low speed for 1 minute.
Divide batter among prepared muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 full (it's a little more than 1/3 cup of batter per cupcake).
Bake in preheated oven until set and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 17 - 20 minutes. Remove from oven, transfer to a wire rack and cool 10 minutes, then transfer to an airtight container (one that doesn't touch tops. I like to do this to seal in moisture) and allow to cool completely before frosting.
Make Raspberry Buttercream Frosting.
When completely cool, place a fresh raspberry upside down in the middle of each cooled cupcake.
Fill piping bag and frost with Raspberry Buttercream Frosting- starting at an outside edge, swirl around and up over the fresh raspberry. Garnish with additional fresh raspberries, mint leaves, and dark chocolate hearts (as desired).
Store in a domed airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Best served within one day.

YIELD: 12 Cupcakes

Originally published February 2015; revised and reposted January 2020.

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