Happy Wednesday! This past weekend, I made these cupcakes for my mama-in-law for Mother’s Day and they were a HUGE hit. I’d make these again & again and overall they’re pretty easy! The chocolate is rich and delicious, and the real raspberries in the frosting are the perfect balance. A perfect dessert to make for ANYONE!

*Recipe was adapted from Sugar Spun Run. I followed it almost exactly, just changed a few things!

 

Cupcake Ingredients:

-1 cup milk + 3 tbsp for later

-4 oz dark chocolate bar (I used Ghiradelli 60% cacao)

-1/2 cup cocoa powder

-1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used Chosen Foods Baking Blend)

-1/2 cup sugar

-1/2 cup brown sugar

-1 egg, room temperature

-1 tsp vanilla extract

-1 cup all-purpose flour (my favorite is Bob’s Red Mill)

-3/4 tsp baking powder

-1/2 tsp baking soda

-1/2 tsp sea salt

 

Frosting Ingredients:

-1 cup raspberries (frozen)

-1 tbsp sugar

-1 stick butter, softened

-4 oz cream cheese, softened

-2 cups powdered sugar

-1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

For the cupcakes:

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and line a cupcake pan with liners and spray.

-To make the cupcakes, in a small saucepan whisk together 1 cup milk + chocolate bar over medium heat until combined and completely melted. Increase heat to medium high and bring it to a light boil. Add in the 1/2 cup cocoa powder, remove from heat, and whisk well until combined.

-In a KitchenAid (or with an electric mixer), beat oil & sugars until ingredients are combined. It will be grainy.

-Add in egg and vanilla extract, and beat well until combined.

-In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt.

-Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and scrap down the sides every so often until all combined.

-Pour in the chocolate mixture and beat until combined.

-Scrape down sides of the bowl, add in the 3 tbsp milk and combine until everything well incorporated.

-Pour mixture into liners about 2/3 way full. Mine made 16 regular sized cupcakes so I did 2 batches.

-Bake at 350 degrees for 17-18 minutes until the center comes out clean with a toothpick.
-Let cupcakes cool COMPLETELY before frosting them.

For the frosting:

-You can make the icing ahead and store it in the fridge, or make it fresh. I did fresh!

-In a small saucepan, add the frozen raspberries and 1 tbsp sugar. Heat on medium heat and stir constantly. Once berries start to warm and release liquid, increase heat to medium high and and continue to stir for about 6 minutes until a reduction is created. Set raspberries mixture aside and let cool completely before adding to the rest of the frosting.

-To make the frosting: Cream together the butter and cream cheese until well combined. Gradually add 1 cup of the powdered sugar until incorporated.

-Add the raspberry mixture, and mix well. Then, gradually add the rest of the powdered sugar.

-Spread or pipe on top of the cupcakes once they’re cooled. Garnish with a fresh raspberry and enjoy!

*Keep cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for storage.