Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes with Raspberry Truffles

It’s a Sunday.  I’m craving chocolate.  I was holding off on this post for a while, since I’ve been posting a lot of desserts lately.  But, here’s the thing.  A girl (or guy) just needs some indulgence once in a while.  And these cupcakes?  The ultimate in self-indulgence. The chocolate is rich, the surprise filling is an added bonus, and the frosting?  My goodness. (And sometimes when a good thing comes along, well, you just have to grab it and not let it pass you by.) I would like to thank my friend Annie for introducing me to these cupcakes.

I took these to a friend’s birthday party a few weeks ago.  She had requested a chocolate raspberry cupcake, and I knew that these would be a hit at the party.  They certainly were…..

Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes with Raspberry Truffles

Servings: approximately 24 cupcakes

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:
9 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup strong coffee (or water)
1/2 cup whole or low-fat milk***I used whole because I was on that self-indulgent roll….

For the filling:
Seedless raspberry jam (I also used blackberry jam as well and mixed the two)

For the raspberry truffles:
2 pints fresh raspberries
5 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped***I used chocolate chips, which worked just fine.
1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
1/3 cup heavy cream

For the frosting:
16 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
Pink icing color (optional)

Instructions

1. For  the cupcakes: preheat the oven to 350° F.

2. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners.

3. In a small bowl sift together the cocoa powder, cake flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.

4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.  Mix in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl between additions.

5. In a liquid measuring cup, combine the coffee and milk.

6. Add half of the dry ingredients to the mixer and mix on low speed just until incorporated.  Stir in the coffee-milk mixture and mix until combined.  Add in the remaining dry ingredients, again mixing just until incorporated.

7. Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners, filling the cups about 3/4 full.  Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

8. For the filling: once the cupcakes have cooled completely, heat some raspberry or blackberry jam just enough to allow for easy stirring and smooth texture in the microwave for about 20 seconds or so.  Transfer the jam to a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip, poke into each cupcake and pipe a small amount inside.****Pipe into the top of the cupcake (that way you can cover the hole with frosting.) 🙂

9. For the raspberry truffles: rinse fresh raspberries and transfer to a baking sheet lined with paper towels.  Gently shake the berries around to remove excess water.

10. Place the chocolate and jam in a small heatproof bowl.

11. Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.  Remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate and jam.  Let stand for about 3 minutes.  Whisk together gently until smooth.

12. Let the ganache cool a bit until it has thickened slightly (enough to be piped through a pastry bag).  Once it has reached the right consistency, transfer the ganache to a pastry bag and pipe into the center of the clean raspberries.  Refrigerate at least 15 minutes to set.

13. For the frosting: place the butter and jam in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Cream on medium-high speed until well incorporated, about 2 minutes.  Sift in the powdered sugar and mix until smooth.  Tint with icing color as desired.

To finish the cupcakes, frost with the raspberry jam buttercream and top with a few of the raspberry truffles.

Barely adapted from Annies Eats.  Thanks, Annie! 🙂

September 12, 2010 - 10:40 am

kateiscooking - Annie has the BEST cupcakes, doesn’t she? Chocolate and raspberry are just amazing together. You did a beautiful job with these!! Kate

September 12, 2010 - 10:47 am

Shanon Lacy - Hi Kate!

Oh my gosh, she totally does. She asks each of us residents (there’s 21 of us) plus some of our other co-workers each month what type of cupcake we would like for our birthdays. So, needless to say, everyone does a round of cheers when she brings in a batch, knowing that it’s “Cupcake Day!” (and we’re lucky to have so many of those days) I have to go back and forth between which ones have been my favorites, though. I’ve never had one that I didn’t like. Her frostings are amazing. I’m hoping to post a few more of hers, but I know that I probably won’t even come close. But I will keep plugging away at it, for sure…because they are so worth it! 🙂

September 12, 2010 - 4:25 pm

Susi - Stunning picture and even better looking cupcakes! I’m bookmarking this recipe as I seem to be on a raspberry/chocolate kick lately :o) Thanks for sharing!
BTW I adore your cake stand, care to share where you found it?

September 12, 2010 - 4:36 pm

Shanon Lacy - Hey Susi!

Congrats on all your accomplishments lately…your photos and recipes look amazing.

I found the cake stand at TJ Maxx. That’s actually where I find a lot of my fun plating stuff. The stand is a smidge off-center, but you really can’t tell when there’s something on it. I think I paid $9 for it, which you can’t beat. The ribbon can come out and you can weave in all different colors. It’s wonderful.

Shanon

September 12, 2010 - 4:58 pm

Susi - Shannon,
thanks so much for the congrats. I feel honored especially when it comes from a pro like you :o)
Also thank you for the info on the cake stand. I will take a peak at my local TJ Maxx or Ross, it is darling!
Susi

September 12, 2010 - 5:48 pm

fooddreamer - Wow…all I can say is wow! Chocolate cupcakes filled with raspberry jam, then frosted and topped with a truffle-filled raspberry??? I might be in heaven right now. Or I would be, if I could actually eat one of these!!!

September 12, 2010 - 8:38 pm

delicieux - These cupcakes look fantastic!! I love the combination of chocolate and raspberries and the idea of piping the truffle into the raspberry is fantastic. I love it and will definitely have to try it.

September 12, 2010 - 11:49 pm

Jennifer @ Maple n Cornbread - What a perfect chocolate indulgence and super cute!!!

September 13, 2010 - 12:13 am

notyet100 - thy look so yum

September 13, 2010 - 11:45 am

Jenny - And you wanna know the sad part? That birthday girl didn’t even get the try one of these cupcakes! They all flew off the platter before she made it to the table. 🙁

September 13, 2010 - 1:01 pm

Lindsey @ Hot Polka Dot - They look delicious! Chocolate and raspberry is a wonderful combination isn’t it? And I love those cupcake liners!

September 13, 2010 - 3:40 pm

RavieNomNoms - What beautiful cupcakes!!! Holy moly, these look fantastic! Raspberry buttercream??? whew!

September 15, 2010 - 8:28 pm

Patty - Very pretty cupcakes – and they sound soooooo delicious. 🙂 Love the whole concept of filling a fresh raspberry with chocolate!

September 15, 2010 - 8:34 pm

Lauren Zabaneh - Hey there! thank you for you kind comment on my last post! That apron is one I made when I was 5 months preggers and I just love it. It’s so sentimental to me.

Anyway! Girl, these cupcakes…ugh. I am droooooling. seriously. I think what does it for me is that frosting! I’ve been on a raspberry kick lately, so now I must make these. Great job.

Your pictures are fab, btw. just beautiful!

September 16, 2010 - 9:38 am

Lora - These Are divine! And the picture is gorgeous.

September 23, 2010 - 11:33 am

Bonnie - Hi! Love these and I want to bake them for my daughter’s 3rd birthday. I need to bake about 60 cupcakes. The party is on Sat, can I make these two days in advance? I know I can bake in advance, but how far in advance can I pour the filling in the cupcake? And how far in advance can I do the frosting and refridgerate? And when would be the best time to frost them? I want to do as much as I can in advance! Please advise! Thanks!!!!!

Bonnie

September 23, 2010 - 8:59 pm

Shanon Lacy - Hi Bonnie-

I think you can make them two days in advance and even fill them two days in advance, as well, as long as you keep them all refrigerated.
I would try to frost them as close to the party as possible, but probably the longest that I would go is about a day or so (I’m just basing this on my experiences). It’s really important that they all stay cold because of the butter in the frosting, though.

Good luck with the party-it sounds like so much fun, and Happy Birthday to your daughter! My nephew just turned 3 in July-it’s amazing how fast they grow up.

Thanks for visiting the blog 🙂

November 12, 2010 - 2:28 pm

Victoria - Hi Shannon,

I was wondering if it would be alright to substitute basic all-purpose flour for cake flour. I was going to make these for my Mom’s birthday tomorrow because they look too divine to forego.

Thanks!

November 12, 2010 - 3:10 pm

srlacy - Hi Victoria!

Here is a link that I have used before from Baking Bites. I find it extremely helpful. I’ve definitely been in a pinch before and have substituted all-purpose for cake flour. I’ve never tried it with this recipe, though. I hope they turn out for you-they are one of my favorite recipes in the whole world. Let me know how they turn out for you!

Shanon

November 12, 2010 - 3:11 pm

srlacy - The link would have been helpful to you:

http://bakingbites.com/2007/05/subbing-all-purpose-flour-for-cake-flour/

April 1, 2011 - 9:04 pm
February 9, 2012 - 9:52 am

Carolyn - Loved these! My Daughter wanted them for her teacher’s 40th birthday. It was a big class hit!!! Thanks.

March 14, 2012 - 7:24 am

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