These Raspberry Chocolate Cupcakes are a classic flavour combination. Using my absolute favourite chocolate cupcake recipe (it’s so easy) and a gorgeous, silky smooth raspberry frosting, you’ll have a hard time stopping at one.
I love these Raspberry Chocolate Cupcakes, not least because it’s the best chocolate cupcake recipe EVER, but also because that beautiful swirl of frosting you see on top uses puree made from real raspberries.
OTHER RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE
– Easy Raspberry Mousse
– Chocolate Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies
– Chocolate Fudge with Raspberry Cream
– Chocolate Chocolate Cupcakes
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My favourite Chocolate Cupcake recipe
These chocolate cupcakes truly are my favourites and I everyone who’s tasted them has agreed. These are way easier to throw together than your average chocolate cupcake but these are in no way average cupcakes.
They are soft, fluffy, moist and so full of flavour you’ll never want another chocolate cupcake recipe. Luxurious, dark and so so good, I’ve used this recipe before in my Chocolate Cookies and Cream Cupcakes and my Black Forest Chocolate Cupcakes and also here, here and here.
How to make the chocolate cupcakes.
Beat together the melted butter and sugar.
Now add eggs, the some of the dry ingredients. It’s best to fold through the dry ingredients by hand – see more below.
Alternate the buttermilk and dry ingredients until all folded through. A silicone spatula is my best friend when making batters as it scrapes everything from the sides with ease.
Now divide the batter between the cupcake cases – I use these silicone muffin trays because I like the tall shape they give my cupcakes. Once the cupcakes have cooled, you can set about frosting them.
Silky smooth Raspberry Frosting
Don’t you just love the gorgeous pink of the raspberry frosting? All natural baby and this frosting is other-worldly. Big call, I know but try it. It’s soft and airy, super smooth and incredibly creamy. All the right things. Oh, and bursting with raspberry flavour.
I love berries all year round, so I often opt for using frozen berries in my recipes just like I do here. Since they contain more water than fresh raspberries, we simmer them on the stove and turn them into a thick puree to remove the excess moisture.
This is ermine frosting. If you haven’t had the pleasure then I beg you to try this stuff. It should be illegal it’s so good.
What is ermine frosting?
Also known as cooked milk frosting or boiled-milk frosting, ermine frosting is made by mixing a cooked milk and flour paste with butter and sugar until it’s ethereally light and very similar in texture to whipped cream.
It takes an extra step over regular buttercream but the payoffs are many, including being not so sickeningly sweet as traditional buttercream. The extra step is making a paste by cooking milk and flour together. Once it’s cool, it gets beaten into the butter and sugar for a good 5 minutes until it looks whipped and fluffy.
The last step is to add any flavourings – here, raspberry puree.
Please, please try this frosting. YOU WON’T REGRET IT. Caps were totally necessary there.
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Wouldn’t these Raspberry Chocolate Cupcakes be perfect for a party on a sunny day? Please excuse me now while I devour another of these beauties.
Raspberry Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
FOR THE CUPCAKES
- 130 g 1 cup / 4.6oz plain (all purp) flour
- 1/2 cup (40g / 1.4oz dutch processed cocoa
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (113g / 1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup (100g / 3.5oz) caster (superfine) sugar
- 1/2 cup (packed) (100g / 3.5oz) dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temp
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup (180ml) buttermilk
FOR THE RASPBERRY FROSTING
- 1 cup (250ml) whole milk
- 1/4 cup plain (all-purp) flour
- 1 cup (200g / 7oz (caster (superfine) sugar
- 1 ½ cups frozen raspberries
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (notes)
- 226 g unsalted butter, softened
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract (notes)
- Pinch of salt
- Raspberries for topping
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F / 180C / 160C fan and line your muffin tins with paper cases
- In a bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix well to combine.
- In a separate bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the melted butter and both sugars until smooth.
- Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl each time and beating well after each. Add the vanilla and beat to combine.
- Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Stir through gently until just combined.
- Now add half of the buttermilk, mix gently again. Continue like this until all the flour and buttermilk is combined… just. It is important not to overmix or be too heavy handed otherwise your cupcakes will turn out dense and tough.
- Fill the cupcake cases to about only to about 2/3 full. Bake in the oven for around 18-20 minutes, turning the pan around in the oven half way through to make sure they bake evenly. When a toothpick inserted comes out with just a crumb or two, they are done.
- Cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack. Make sure they are completely cool before frosting.
- FOR THE RASPBERRY FROSTING
- Whisk the flour and a little milk together in a small saucepan to make a smooth paste, then add the remaining milk and 1/2 cup of sugar. Heat over a low heat, continuing to whisk until it gets very thick (like a pudding or thick custard).
- Transfer the mixture to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap pressed to the surface. Cool this mix to room temperature (notes)
- At the same time in a separate saucepan, add the frozen raspberries and lemon juice and bring to a simmer over low heat. Continue to simmer while stirring and crushing the raspberries every so often for about 7 minutes until it becomes a very thick puree.
- Strain the puree and measure out 1/4 of a cup. Cool to room temperature before using (notes).
- Beat together the butter and sugar until really creamy. About 5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl a few times through the process.
- Add the cooled milk mixture a spoonful at a time, beating on medium until each spoonful is incorporated before adding the next..
- Once the paste has all been added, mix on medium-high for another 5-7 minutes. If it looks like it separates, don't worry, just keep on beating. It will all come together into a beautiful, almost whipped cream looking frosting.
- Once the frosting looks whipped and light (and not split), add the vanilla and raspberry puree. Beat on low just to incorporate then stop.
- Top your cupcakes and devour!
Notes
- I use a standard Australian 20ml tablespoon (= 4 teaspoons worldwide)
- For best results, you should always weigh ingredients like flour and sugar. Kitchen scales are relatively cheap but if you can’t weigh the ingredients, use the spoon and level method (don’t scoop).
- It's important to cool the flour and milk paste (and the raspberry puree) to room temperature before adding to your butter. While you can cool it more quickly in the fridge or freezer, it must be room temperature before using it.
- Once the raspberry puree is added to the buttercream, only beat just until it's incorporated or the acid in the fruit may split the mixture you so lovingly whipped.
TOOLS USED IN THIS RECIPE
- A handheld beater or stand mixer with paddle attachment
- A silicone spatula makes sure nothing is left behind
- A medium ice cream scoop
- I love these silicone muffin trays
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…and I’m the recipe developer, cook, photographer, and author behind Sugar Salt Magic. I’m also mum to 3 amazing fur babies and wife to the most amazing man in the world. Life is good. I love food and creating easy (mainly sweet) recipes that I can share with you. I’d love you to join along in my journey so sit back, relax and have a look around for some yum that you can feed your friends and family with. 
Mmm these look delicious! Great for a summers get together!
These are so cute! I have some fresh raspberry sitting on the counter right now 🙂
Thanks so much Trang. Next time I’ll make sure to time it so I can put fresh raspberries on top 🙂
So yumm!!!
Raspberry and chocolate is the best combo!! These cupcakes look amazing Marie! XO
Sure is. Thanks so much Katherine 🙂
Hi,
These cupcakes look so delicious! I live in the US. What kind of muffin tins do you use? It looks a bit skinnier and taller than our regular muffin tins. Also, which tip do you use for frosting?
Hi there Akiko, thanks so much. I use silicone muffin trays – there’s a link to them on Amazon at the bottom of my recipe card. For the piping, I use an open star tip – similar to a Wilton 1M. Happy baking 🙂
Hi Marie,
Thanks for your comment. I think the link jumps to the round silicon mold, instead of the muffin tin. Or I may be missing something… Could you send me a link, please? Thanks so much again.
Hi Akiko, yes that’s the right link. They are a red round silicone muffin tray. That’s what I use for my cupcakes to give them the straighter sides
Hi Marie,
So sorry to bother again …. but what I see is 8″Round pan ($7.95). It’s not a muffin tin…. Aww..bummer I can’t see the right pan.
It’s no bother Akiko. The link is working for me. Try this one
Hi! U used granulated sugar beating together with the butter? Does the flour custard will dissolve the sugar ?
Hi Kelly, Yes, that’s right. Caster / superfine sugar is best. Beating it initially will start to dissolve it but the real magic happens ones you add the custard and give it a good whip. It turns out completely smooth by the time it’s done.
I see… Thank you so much!
Powered sugar also works well right?
No, don’t use powdered sugar. It must be granulated for this buttercream
OK. Thank you very much 💓
Golly, these were so good! I made as a valentines treat for the office.
I actually swapped the flour to cornflour in the frosting. I’ve never made a frosting like that before! I added some crushed meringue and a choc shard to the top along with a fresh raspberry. So yum, thank you!
Thanks so much Rebecca, I’m intrigued by the cornflour in place of the flour and will give that a try.
I the notes you say to “ALWAYS weigh ingredients like flour and sugar”.
In the frosting ingredients you only have 1/4 cup plain flour.. please supply how many grams
Thanks
Hi Tricia, to clarify, this is in baking. A small change can make a big change to baked goods which is why I suggest weighing ingredients. It doesn’t make such a difference in frosting as it can be easily adjusted at any time. I’ll clarify these notes a little better. 1/4 cup of flour is roughly 35g.