If there is any proof that chocolate and raspberry are the perfect pair, these melt-in-your-mouth chocolate raspberry cupcakes are it! With moist chocolate cake as a base, a sweet raspberry sauce filling, and a creamy raspberry frosting, these handheld treats will have you running for seconds!
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🌟 Why this is the best Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes recipe
- It is easy to make - This detailed yet simple raspberry chocolate cupcake recipe requires minimal effort and just 30 minutes!
- No fancy ingredients required - All ingredients to make these easy chocolate raspberry cupcakes are pantry essentials that you can easily find or may already have at home!
- It is the most delicious - You will not find chocolate raspberry cupcakes from cake mix here! Instead, I use the freshest, highest-quality ingredients to create the fluffiest, moist chocolate cupcakes and buttercream you have ever tried!
- It is versatile - You can customize this recipe in many ways! Use it to make a cake, or swap out the raspberry buttercream for other flavors. For example, you can make these delicious cupcakes with chocolate ganache or my strawberry cream cheese frosting instead!
📝 Ingredient notes
1. For the chocolate cupcakes
Sugar - Regular granulated sugar sweetens and makes the cupcakes nice and tender.
Butter - Use high-fat, unsalted butter for the best flavor. I use 82% fat European-style butter in this recipe. It must be at room temperature.
Eggs - Whole, room temperature eggs are necessary to bind the batter.
Vanilla Extract - Vanilla extract adds a nice vanilla touch to the flavor. Only use pure vanilla extract or vanilla paste.
Flour - I use regular, all-purpose flour in this recipe.
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder - Cocoa powder gives these dark chocolate raspberry cupcakes a rich chocolatey taste. Dutch-processed, natural cocoa powder gives the best results. Make sure it is unsweetened.
Baking Powder - Baking powder helps the cupcake batter rise.
Salt - A pinch of salt balances the sweetness and enhances the flavor. Do not skip it!
Milk - To give the cupcakes a nice, moist texture, you will need room temperature whole milk. I recommend whole milk with 3% fat.
Coffee - Freshly brewed coffee adds moisture and enhances the chocolate flavor. It should be brought to room temperature before use.
Baking Soda and White Vinegar - When combined, baking soda and vinegar make the cupcakes super moist and fluffy. This is my signature hack, so don't skip it!
🛒 You’ll find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post.
2. For the raspberry buttercream frosting
Butter - High-quality, high-fat butter is essential for a rich, creamy buttercream. Like the cupcakes, the butter must be unsalted and softened before use.
Powdered Sugar - The powdered sugar adds sweetness and provides structure to the buttercream. Sift it first to avoid lumps.
Lemon Juice - The acidity helps balance the sweetness in the recipe. Use fresh lemon juice for the best results.
Raspberry Reduction - Fresh, pureed raspberries give the buttercream its delicious flavor and color. You can also use seedless raspberry jam or raspberry preserves. You could also use freeze-dried raspberries. However, they won´t provide a vibrant color or taste and are rather expensive.
Vanilla Extract - Use pure vanilla extract to give the buttercream a light vanilla flavor.
Salt - Like the cupcakes, a pinch of salt is necessary to help balance the sweetness.
Heavy Cream - For the most delicious results and fluffy texture, use high-quality heavy cream with at least 36% fat. If you do not have heavy cream, you can use cream cheese or sour cream, as my list of heavy cream substitutes suggests.
🛒 You’ll find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post.
3. For the raspberry sauce
Raspberry - Fresh raspberries work best for raspberry chocolate cupcakes, although you can also use frozen raspberries.
Lemon juice - Use freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Sugar - Plain granulated sugar works just fine.
🛒 You’ll find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post.
👩🍳 How to make Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes
1. Make the chocolate cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 175℃ / 347℉ (no fan) and line a cupcake tin with cupcake liners.
- In a large bowl, cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy.
- Next, slowly whip in the room-temperature eggs, then the vanilla extract.
- While whipping the batter, slowly pour in the room-temperature milk and coffee.
- Sift the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt) over the batter. Gently fold the ingredients with the batter using a rubber spatula, taking care not to overmix.
- In a separate small bowl, mix the baking soda and vinegar. Once the mixture bubbles, immediately fold it into the batter, only until just combined.
- Use a piping bag to fill each cupcake tin cavity until ¾ full evenly. You can also use a spoon.
- Bake for approximately 20-22 minutes or until it passes the toothpick test (e.g., a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean).
- Transfer the baked cupcakes to a cooling rack.
💡 Top Tip: The cupcakes must come to room temperature before frosting, or they will melt the buttercream.
2. Make the raspberry sauce and raspberry buttercream frosting
- Whether using fresh or frozen raspberries, puree the berries, then use a sieve to remove the seeds.
- Combine the raspberries, lemon juice, and sugar and cook the mixture for about 10 minutes, until it slightly thickens. Allow the sauce to cool completely.
- Next, using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the softened butter at medium-high speed for approximately three minutes until it becomes fluffy and light in color.
- Reduce the stand mixer to low speed. Then, add the sifted powdered sugar one tablespoon at a time. Once all the sugar is incorporated, return the mixer to medium-high speed and whip for four minutes until it becomes light, fluffy, and voluminous.
- Return the mixer to low speed and slowly add the room temperature raspberry sauce, lemon juice, vanilla extract, salt, and heavy cream. Continue to whip the mixture for one minute until it becomes smooth and silky.
- Make a small hole in the center of the room-temperature cupcakes and fill them with approximately one tablespoon of raspberry sauce.
- Transfer the finished buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a piping nozzle. Then, frost each cupcake and decorate as desired with fresh raspberries and herbs of your choice!
💡 Top Tip: Before adding the raspberry sauce to the powdered sugar and butter mixture, let it come completely to room temperature. Otherwise, it may cause the cream to break or separate.
❄️ Storage and Freezing
Chocolate raspberry cupcakes will have the best flavor and texture when served fresh. However, if you have leftovers, move them to an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. When ready to enjoy them, bring them to room temperature first to soften the buttercream frosting.
To freeze the cupcakes, place them in an airtight container or freezer-safe plastic bag and store them for up to three months. Thaw them at room temperature, preferably overnight. For more tips on how to best preserve their freshness, see my guide on how to store cupcakes with frosting.
🎓 Expert tips
- The temperature of the butter is critical for the cupcakes and buttercream to combine correctly with the other ingredients. See my guide on softening butter quickly for tips on getting it to the ideal temperature without microwaving.
- The temperature of the eggs and milk is also critical for them to emulsify properly and keep the batter from breaking. Remove them from the fridge approximately one hour before baking to bring them to room temperature.
- Always use a rubber spatula to fold the dry ingredients into the batter to avoid overmixing.
- Add the raspberry sauce to the butter and sugar mixture, one tablespoon at a time. Otherwise, the buttercream can break.
- If the buttercream is too thin, either try to chill it or mix in some more powdered sugar (two tablespoons at a time) until it reaches the desired consistency. If it is too thick, add one tablespoon of heavy cream at a time and mix well.
- To avoid overbaking, pay more attention to the texture versus the time in the oven. The toothpick test is a good indicator of whether or not it is done baking.
- Wait until the cupcakes come fully to room temperature before decorating. Otherwise, the frosting will melt.
- Chocolate raspberry filled cupcakes are pretty delicious but can quickly get messy if certain steps are not followed properly. See my guide on how to fill cupcakes for instructions on how to do so easily.
🥣 Equipment Notes
Always use a digital scale to ensure the most precise measurements. Likewise, a digital thermometer ensures the correct oven temperature.
A stand mixer with a paddle attachment is always best for creaming butter and sugar. However, you can also use an electric hand mixer if you don't mind the extra effort. A rubber spatula is necessary for folding the dry ingredients into the batter.
You will need a 12 cup muffin pan for baking the cupcakes and a cooling rack to help them cool evenly and completely.
❓Recipe FAQs
Overmixing the batter can cause the cupcakes to become dense and lose their fluffy texture. Additionally, you mustn't skip the baking soda and vinegar mixture, as it is key to fluffy cupcakes.
Overbaking can result in dry cupcakes. Use the toothpick test to determine when the cupcakes are done. Remove them from the oven as soon as toothpick comes out clean. Not measuring your ingredients correctly and e.g. adding more flour to the butter can also cause dry cupcakes.
The coffee in the recipe contains caffeine. However, it is a very minimal amount and not enough to make a difference.
Unfortunately, you cannot simply swap the chocolate for white chocolate, as the process of making the two recipes is entirely different. However, you can always try my raspberry white chocolate cupcakes recipe!
🧁 More Cupcakes
Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 200 g (1 cups) Granulated sugar
- 226 g (1 cups) Unsalted butter 82% fat content European-style butter, use it softened
- 2 Eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
- 200 g (1½ cups) All purpose flour
- 50 g (½ cups) Cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 160 g (⅔ cups) Whole milk room temperature
- 80 g (⅓ cups) Freshly brewed coffee room temperature
- ½ teaspoon Baking soda
- ½ teaspoon White vinegar
Raspberry sauce
- 320 g (1½ cups) Raspberry
- 2 tablespoon Lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 50 g (¼ cups) Granulated sugar
Raspberry Buttercream Frosting
- 450 g (2 cups) Unsalted butter 82% fat content European-style butter, use it softened
- 720 g (6 cups) Powdered sugar Sifted
- 2 tablespoon Lemon juice Freshly squeezed
- 160 g (½ cups) Raspberry reduction See ingredient notes below
- 1 tablespoon Vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 6 tablespoons Heavy cream 36% fat content
US customary cup measurement is an indicative figure only. Measure the ingredients with a digital scale by weight (gram). Baking is art but also science which requires precision and accuracy.
Instructions
Chocolate cupcakes
- Prepare your cupcake tin by lining it with muffin liners and preheat your oven to 175℃ / 347℉ (no fan).
- Then, whip in the room-temperature eggs in slowly, followed by the vanilla extract.
- Slowly pour the room-temperature milk & coffee mixture, as you keep whipping the batter.
- Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt over the batter. Then, switch to a rubber spatula and fold in the dry ingredients carefully, not overmixing the batter at this point.
- In a small bowl, mix vinegar with the baking soda. It will be super bubbly. Then, immediately fold the vinegar mixture into the batter just until it's combined.
- Pipe or spoon the batter evenly into the cavities of your cupcake tin, filling each one about ¾ full.
- Bake the chocolate cupcake for about 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Do not overbake them, as they can dry out.
- Cool the baked cupcakes on a cooling rack. They must be at room temperature before frosting.
Raspberry sauce
- Cook all the ingredients for about 10 minutes until slightly thickens. Let it cool before using it. Alternatively, you can use raspberry jam instead.
Raspberry Buttercream Frosting
- Using your stand mixer or electric hand mixer, cream the room-temperature softened butter at medium-high speed for 3 minutes until it becomes light in color and fluffy in texture.
- Add in the powdered sugar tablespoon by tablespoon on low speed, then turn the mixer back on medium-high speed and whip it for another 4 minutes or until the mixture becomes light, fluffy, and increases in volume.
- Lastly, while the mixer is on at low speed, add the raspberry reduction, lemon juice, vanilla extract, salt, and heavy cream and continue whipping for another minute until it is smooth and silky.
- Once the cupcakes are cooled to room temperature, make a small hole on each of them and fill them with the raspberry sauce (approximately one tablespoon per cupcake).
- Move the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a piping nozzle. Frost the cupcakes with the raspberry buttercream, and decorate according to your liking with fresh raspberries and herbs (e.g. mint).
- The cupcakes are best served fresh. Any leftovers can be stored refrigerated for 2-3 days in an airtight container. Bring them back to room temperature before serving for the frosting to soften.
Notes
- Measure your ingredients with a digital scale for accuracy.
- All cupcake ingredients must be at room temperature to properly emulsify: eggs, butter, and milk.
- The baking soda and vinegar mixture is my signature baking hack for making cupcakes super moist and fluffy; do not skip it.
- To make the raspberry reduction, start with 2-3x more fruit than what you need as a reduction. Puree the fresh or frozen raspberries (after defrosting) and remove the seeds with a sieve. Then, reduce this puree by cooking over medium heat for 10 minutes or until the mixture slightly thickens and some water evaporates. Measure it after the reduction process.
- Alternatively, instead of the raspberry reduction, use seedless raspberry jam.
- To make buttercream, use high-fat (36%) heavy cream and good-quality high-fat (82%) butter.
- For the best flavor, it is key to use high-quality vanilla. Feel free to try my homemade vanilla extract.
- Make sure you read my Expert tips section above to maximize your success. A short recipe alone is not able to cover all the necessary details, and science behind baking.
- A digital scale is required for a consistent, happy baking experience.
- Do not overwork the cupcake batter. After whipping the wet ingredients, switch to a rubber spatula to incorporate the dry ingredients.
- Always preheat your oven and consider using a digital oven thermometer for the best results.
- When whipping in the eggs and milk, make sure they are all at room temperature. Otherwise, the batter will break.
- Baking these cupcakes takes 22 minutes in my oven. However, you should focus on the texture, not the time. Apply the toothpick test (it should come out clean) to avoid overbaked cupcakes. Do not overbake them, as that will result in a dry texture.
- When making the buttercream, the temperature and texture of the butter is key. Wait until it is soft, however, avoid last-minute microwaving.
- When adding the powdered sugar, reduce the speed of the mixer to avoid creating a huge powder sugar cloud.
- When adding the liquid elements e.g. raspberry reduction, make sure that the mixer is on at low speed so the juice gets evenly mixed into the buttercream.
- This raspberry frosting should have the perfect pipeable fluffy texture, but if, for some reason, it is too thick, add some more cream (1 tablespoon at a time). If the frosting is too thin, add more powdered sugar (2 tablespoons at a time).
- Note that the raspberry buttercream texture is best straight after making it when the butter is at the right temperature (room temperature), and the mixture is freshly whipped. I like to use the frosting immediately or store it at room temperature in a piping bag for a few hours. If stored in the refrigerator, you will need to bring it back to room temperature before using it and might need to give it another minute or two to whip in the stand mixer to increase the volume again.
Jason
This recipe makes enough frosting for at least 100 cupcakes. Do not let a group of 12 year olds make this while you work.
Katalin Nagy
I thoroughly test the recipes before publishing and doubt that you can use the frosting for 100 cupcakes. The frosting quantity depends on how tall you want to pipe. The frosting recipe you are referring to is enough to frost 12 chocolate raspberry cupcakes generously as stated in the recipe. If your frosting and decoration style would require a much shorter cupcake, then probably half or third of the recipe is enough.