Chocolate/Raspberry/Lemon Cupcakes

This weekend I tried making some chocolate cupcakes with raspberry filling and lemon buttercream frosting.

I used my favorite chocolate cupcake recipe, which I adapted from the cookbook Sweetness.

Chocolate Cupcakes

 2/3c dark chocolate cocoa powder

2/3c boiling water

1c cake flour

1 1/4c sugar

2tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

12 tbsp butter, softened

3 eggs

1 tbsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350. Mix cocoa powder and boiling water in small bowl, then set aside and let cool. In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, mix eggs and vanilla, then add 1/2 of the cocoa mixture. Add the other half of the cocoa mixture and the butter to the dry ingredients. Finally, add the egg mixture to the dry ingredient mixture in two stages. Bake 17-20 mins.

 

I cut out the centers of the cupcakes to fill them - I cut them in a cone shape and saved just the top portion of the cone to replace the top.

Raspberry Filling

1/2 package frozen raspberries, thawed

1/6c sugar

1.5 tbsp cornstarch

1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice

Drain liquid from package of raspberries into a measuring cup. Add water to fill the measuring cup to 5/8c. Combine all ingredients except raspberries in pot. Mix well as mixture heats to boiling and thickens. Let cool and then stir in raspberries.

I made a lemon buttercream frosting to top the cupcakes. I've tried several buttercream recipes and they always seem to come out too runny, even when I try adding more sugar/less liquid. It's still yummy, but I have to store these in the fridge.

Lemon Buttercream Frosting

(originally from The Cupcakery)

1 stick softened butter

2 3/4c confectioner's sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp milk

1tsp vanilla extract

1.5 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Cream butter and salt together. Add half of the sugar and milk to the butter and beat until combined. Add the remainder of the sugar, vanilla, and lemon. Beat on high until frosting is fluffy.

This whole recipe made about 18 cupcakes for me. They were definitely very sweet, and a glass of milk was needed, but the flavors worked really well together.