Cupcakes always delight! They’re easier and faster to make and frost than a typical layer cake. They’re individual so no eating utensils are necessary, portioning out dessert for a large group is usually more predictable and you can flavor and decorate them differently. The smaller size also provides a more evenly balanced frosting-to-cake ratio. But best of all, cupcakes are fun to make as much as they are to eat! This recipe is an adaptation from something we found in Julie Hasson’s 125 Best Cupcake Recipes cookbook but we hid a few whole raspberries inside each cupcake and then topped them with a nice glossy ganache – perhaps a little Valentine’s Day surprise!
INGREDIENTS
CUPCAKE INGREDIENTS
- 1½ cups all purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- pinch of salt
- 1¼ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup Olive This! Butter Olive Oil
- ½ cup milk
- about ¾ cup fresh raspberries (or frozen), about 2-3 raspberries per cupcake
- 2 tablespoons Olive This! Raspberry Balsamic Vinegar
- Whipped cream and mint leaves for garnish (optional, not pictured above)
GANACHE INGREDIENTS (FROSTING)
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line enough muffin pans with cupcake liners to hold about 12 cupcakes. Set pans aside.
Sift the 1½ cups of flour, ½ cup of cocoa, ½ teaspoon of baking soda and pinch of salt into a medium bowl.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the 1¼ cup of sugar and ½ cup of butter olive oil. Mix well with a whisk attachment on medium speed (about 1 minute). Add the ½ cup of milk and mix until combined.
With the mixer on low, add the sifted dry ingredients slowly until the batter is well blended.
Add the 2 tablespoons of raspberry balsamic vinegar to the batter and mix well.
Spoon about 2-3 tablespoons of batter into each cupcake liner.
Embed two raspberries into the batter of each cup.
Cover the raspberries with remaining batter distributing evenly among the cupcakes.
Bake in preheated oven for about 25 minutes or until cupcake tops spring back when touched lightly. When done, let the cupcakes cool, in the pans, for about 10-12 minutes. Next, remove cupcakes from pans and place on rack to completely cool before frosting.
While the cupcakes cool, prepare the ganache (frosting). Measure out 8 ounces of chocolate chips into a small bowl and set aside. Boil the 1 cup of heavy cream until just bubbling. Pour heated heavy cream over the chocolate chips and let stand for about 5 minutes.
Slowly stir the mixture until the chocolate chips start to melt. Whisk until the ganache is smooth and glossy. Let it cool slightly until it thickens to a spreadable frosting.
Generously frost your chocolate raspberry cupcakes. Garnish with whipped cream, additional fresh raspberries and mint leaves (optional).
MAKES ABOUT 12 CUPCAKES (DEPENDING ON SIZE)
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