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.

Six chocolate cupcakes with pink frosting on a white platter with fresh raspberries scattered around.

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.

Collage of 4 photos showing melted butter and sugar being mixed together in a metal stand mixer bowl, then flour mixture is added.

Beat together the melted butter and sugar.

Collage of 4 photos showing process of making chocolate cupcakes.

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. 

Closeup of a chocolate cupcake with raspberry frosting and topped with a fresh raspberry, more cupcakes scattered around.

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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A chocolate cupcake with raspberry frosting with a bite taken out of it.

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.

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Closeup of a chocolate cupcake with raspberry frosting and topped with a fresh raspberry

Raspberry Chocolate Cupcakes

Yield: 12 cupcakes
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
4.34 from 12 votes
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.
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Ingredients

FOR THE CUPCAKES

  • 130 g plain (all purp) flour (1 cup / 4.6oz)
  • ½ cup dutch processed cocoa (40g / 1.4oz)
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, melted (113g / 1 stick)
  • ½ cup caster (superfine) sugar (100g / 3.5oz)
  • ½ cup (packed) dark brown sugar (100g / 3.5oz)
  • 2 large eggs, room temp
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup buttermilk (180ml)

FOR THE RASPBERRY FROSTING

  • 1 cup whole milk (250ml)
  • ¼ cup plain (all-purp) flour
  • 1 cup caster (superfine) sugar (200g / 7oz)
  • 1 ½ cups frozen raspberries
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice (notes 1)
  • 226 g unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks / 1 cup)
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract (notes 1)
  • Pinch of salt
  • Raspberries for topping

Equipment

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 ⅓ 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 ⅔ 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 ½ cup of the 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 ¼ of a cup. Cool to room temperature before using (notes 3).
  • Beat together the butter and remaining ½ cup 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

  1. I use a standard Australian 20ml tablespoon (= 4 teaspoons worldwide)
  2. 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).
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
MORE CAKES AND CUPCAKES!
Calories: 151kcal
Author: Marie Roffey
Course: Afternoon Tea, Dessert, Sweets
Cuisine: American, Australian, World
Have you tried this recipe?Rate or comment below and let us know how it was!