Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes
Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes: These rich chocolate cupcakes are filled with an easy chocolate mousse and topped with a fresh raspberry buttercream!
What are your thoughts on humidity? Because I hate it.
We rarely have humidity here, so when it does come, I’m a total wimp about it. A few years ago, back when I was in high school, my mom, sister, and I took a 2-week trip to the East Coast during the summer. Let me tell you, East Coasters, I salute you for living life large in that kind of humid weather.
In DC, it was particularly hot and humid (if I remember correctly, it was something like 105 degrees plus humidity). While we struggled to walk to the Lincoln Memorial without, you know, dying, there was this one jogger who lapped us a few times–and still looked less tired than we did.
Naturally, instead of motivating me, it just made me want some air conditioning and an ice cream sandwich.
In this present moment of humidity, I just want to drown my woes with these chocolate cupcakes. Okay, and maybe an ice cream sandwich or two on the side.
These chocolate cupcakes were made for my sister’s baby shower. She and my brother-in-law are having a baby girl, and she shares my love of all things cupcake, so something girly and cupcakey were definitely a must.
Originally, I was just going to do a lemon cake with lemon curd and raspberry frosting. And I did (recipe is on its way). But, as per usual, I panicked the night before that there weren’t enough cupcakes and that we needed more stat, because obviously, every person attending was going to want two plus maybe one for the road.
…
We had leftover cupcakes for days.
So, you know, in case you were wondering if they last, I can proudly and confidently tell you that they do.
Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/3 cup hot coffee (chocolate, espresso, or plain is best)
- 2 Tbsp vegetable or canola oil
- 1/2 cup butter (softened)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp espresso powder (optional--it brings out the chocolate flavor without tasting like coffee)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
Easy Chocolate Mousse
- 1 3.4 oz box instant chocolate pudding (plus ingredients on the box to make the pudding)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
Raspberry Buttercream
- 1/2 cup butter (softened)
- 1/2-3/4 cups fresh raspberries
- 2-3 cups powdered sugar
- 1-2 Tbsp heavy cream
- salt to taste
- Extra raspberries for the topping (optional)
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-tin cupcake pan with cupcake liners (if you plan on doing minis, line a mini pan with mini cupcake liners).
- Combine cocoa and hot coffee together, stirring until smooth; add in oil and stir; set aside.
- Beat butter with a standing mixer or hand mixer until creamy and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Gradually add in white and brown sugar, beating 4-5 minutes until it is light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until the yellow disappears.
- Add in chocolate/coffee mixture, and beat until just combined.
- In a bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and espresso powder.
- Stir together buttermilk, vanilla extract, and sour cream (or Greek yogurt).
- Alternately mix the buttermilk mixture and flour mixture with the butter batter, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Do not overmix.
- Divide batter evenly between muffin cups (the batter makes 14-16).
- Bake for 17-18 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Be careful not to overbake, as chocolate cupcakes can get very dry if overbaked (for the minis, bake for 10-12 minutes).
- Allow to cool.
Mousse
- Follow the directions on the back of your instant pudding box.
- Beat heavy cream until it forms stiff peaks, then gently fold the whipped cream into the chocolate pudding mix. Add in mini chocolate chips and stir gently.
- Once the cupcakes have cooled, with a sharp knife, cut a circle/hole into the center of each cupcake to create a small pocket for the filling, about 1/2 inch deep. Spoon in some of the mousse, just until each hole is filled, and top with the pieces of cupcake you removed (you will probably have some leftover filling, which tastes awesome with a spoon).
Frosting
- For the frosting, beat butter until light and fluffy. Add in 2 cups of powdered sugar and mix until combined.
- Add in 1/2 cup raspberries, and beat (the raspberries will break up, turning your frosting nice and pink!)
- Add in 1 Tbsp heavy cream and a pinch of salt.
- If the frosting seems too thin, add in the other cup of powdered sugar. If it seems too thick, add in another Tbsp of heavy cream and/or 1/4 cup of raspberries until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Frost cupcakes, top with a raspberry, and enjoy!
The nutrition facts provided are calculated using a third-party tool and are estimates only. Actual nutritional content may vary based on the ingredients and brands you use, as well as portion sizes. For accurate results, please consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist.
If you liked these, you might like these too:
Vanilla Cake with Strawberry Buttercream
Chocolate Peanut Butter Oreo Cake
Milk Chocolate Cupcakes with Blueberry Frosting
Meet Michelle
I’m a self-taught baker who truly believes it’s impossible to be upset when eating dessert. It’s my life’s goal to bake everyone happy!
If I’m not baking, I’m probably reading a good book with a cup a coffee in hand.
Welcome! I’m glad you’re here!
As a midwesterner, humidity is the only thing we know! ugh… it’s nasty and sticky and nasty… 😀
BUUUT, these cupcakes are absolutely beautiful!! Congrats to your sister!
I hate humidity too, and we always have it where I live! I feel like my hair turns into Monica’s from “Friends” even though my hair is naturally straight! 🙂 These cupcakes look perfect, Michelle! I love the raspberry frosting. Such a perfect touch!
Oh.. you had me at chocolate but the coffee that you added sounds delicious! Cannot wait to make these!
Ugh. HATE humidity! Gives me awful hair, haha! But I love these cupcakes. So pretty!
That frosting is dreamy! I absolutely love the color!
I hate humidity! Where we are it’s fine, but we were in Florida last summer and let’s just say I have no idea why people live there — I couldn’t do it! These cupcakes, on the other hand, I could totally do!
What pretty cupcakes! Can’t go wrong with chocolate + raspberries 🙂
Oh humidity is the worse! I live in the midwest where we get heat and humidity so pretty much, you better kiss good hair days good bye during the summer!
Where I live it’s always humid, especially during the spring and summer. It’s horrible! You never get used to it at all, or at least I haven’t. But I could probably forget about it temporarily with one of these cupcakes! These look so amazing!
I cannot get over how beautiful these cupcakes are, and chocolate raspberry is one of my favorite flavor combinations! Pinned 🙂
I swear, DC humidity is the worst! And then with that comes all these ridiculous storms! All I want is to go outside and we’ve got thunderstorms for the next ten years! Ugh, give me one of these cupcakes please. I need to eat my feelings. 😉
I live in DC and yes the humidity is something awful! Loving the fluffy frosting on these cupcakes 🙂 So yum!
I live in dry-ville, it is SO dry here, even in the summer. But my grandparents live on the east coast and holy humidity, wow!! I 1000% cannot cope with that humidity, my hair especially 😉 Love these cupcakes, is there any more wonderful combination than chocolate and raspberry?
Ahhh! These cupcakes are absolutely stunning, Michelle! I’m dying over that pretty-pink raspberry frosting and how rich and chocolate-y they look!