Decadent Chocolate Raspberry Filled Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream
Prepare to delight your senses with these utterly decadent Chocolate Raspberry Filled Cupcakes! This exceptional recipe is designed for ease of preparation, ensuring they’ll be an absolute sensation at any party, gathering, or even as a luxurious weekend treat. Each cupcake features a rich, moist dark chocolate cake base, carefully cored and generously stuffed with a vibrant, sweet, and tangy raspberry jam filling. The indulgence doesn’t stop there; they’re then crowned with a cloud of homemade raspberry buttercream frosting, creating a harmonious blend of flavors and textures. For that extra touch of elegance, garnish them with fresh raspberries just before serving. Get ready to bake a batch of these show-stopping treats!
The timeless combination of chocolate and raspberry is a perennial favorite in our home, and for good reason! The profound richness of dark chocolate paired with the bright, slightly tart notes of fresh raspberries creates a flavor profile that is truly unparalleled and simply cannot be beaten. While this recipe celebrates the classic dark chocolate and raspberry duo, we also adore exploring variations such as these delightful white chocolate raspberry cupcakes, and for lighter, summery occasions, our simple yet exquisite fresh raspberry cupcakes.
For these particular chocolate raspberry filled cupcakes, we begin with a meticulously crafted chocolate cupcake batter. The secret to their incredibly moist yet wonderfully fluffy texture lies in the strategic addition of plain yogurt or sour cream. As a trained pastry chef, I can attest that incorporating a creamy, fatty element like this into your cupcake batter is a game-changer. It not only locks in moisture but also contributes to a tender crumb, ensuring each bite is a perfect balance of soft and airy, never dry or dense.
Once your chocolate cupcakes are baked to perfection and fully cooled, the real magic begins. You’ll carefully fill them with a generous spoonful of sweet raspberry preserves. This vibrant filling introduces an extra burst of sweet and tart raspberry flavor right at the heart of the cupcake, creating a delightful surprise with every bite. To complete this extraordinary dessert, a thick, luxurious layer of homemade raspberry buttercream frosting is piped on top, offering a creamy, fruity finish that perfectly complements the rich chocolate and tangy filling, making these cupcakes truly special.
For those who love to experiment with an even richer, tangier flavor, consider frosting these delightful treats with our luscious raspberry cream cheese frosting. The subtle tang and creamy texture of cream cheese would elevate these cupcakes to an entirely new level of decadence, guaranteed to impress even the most discerning dessert connoisseurs.
If you’re a devoted chocolate lover, our repertoire extends beyond these fantastic cupcakes. You might also enjoy our indulgent ganache chocolate-filled cupcakes, or perhaps our easy-to-make chocolate cupcakes with vanilla frosting, which can be wonderfully adapted by topping them with the very same raspberry buttercream featured in this recipe for a different twist!
Why You’ll Adore This Chocolate Raspberry Cupcake Recipe
- Effortless, Flavorful Buttercream: The raspberry-flavored buttercream frosting comes together in a mere 5 minutes, yet it delivers an intensely fruity and creamy taste that makes these cupcakes truly extraordinary and elevates them above typical desserts. Its vibrant color is also a visual treat.
- Convenient and Make-Ahead Friendly: This recipe is incredibly easy to follow, making it perfect for bakers of all skill levels. Furthermore, the cupcakes can be prepared and even filled ahead of time, which is a huge advantage for party planning or busy schedules, allowing you to frost them just before serving.
- The Epitome of a Perfect Cupcake: Expect nothing less than moist, light, fluffy, and deeply chocolatey cupcakes. Every element works in harmony to create the ideal texture and rich flavor that every good chocolate cupcake should possess.
- Yields a Perfect Dozen: This recipe is perfectly portioned to yield exactly 12 standard-sized cupcakes, making it ideal for small gatherings or ensuring you have just enough to share (or not!).
- A Symphony of Textures and Flavors: The contrast between the rich, dark chocolate cake, the gooey, tart raspberry filling, and the smooth, sweet raspberry buttercream creates an explosion of flavors and delightful textures in every single bite.
Essential Ingredients for Your Baking Journey
For the Rich Chocolate Cupcakes
- Granulated Sugar – This essential ingredient not only provides the classic sweet foundation for our chocolate cupcake base but also contributes to the moist texture and golden-brown crust.
- All-Purpose Flour – The structural backbone of our cupcakes, all-purpose flour blends perfectly with the other ingredients, creating a tender yet stable crumb.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – The star of our chocolate cake, delivering a deep, intense chocolate flavor. Using unsweetened ensures you control the sweetness level.
- Baking Soda & Baking Powder – These crucial leavening agents work in tandem to ensure the cupcakes rise beautifully, creating that desirable moist and fluffy texture simultaneously. Baking soda reacts with acidic ingredients (like yogurt/sour cream), while baking powder provides consistent lift.
- Kosher Salt – A pinch of salt is vital. It activates the baking soda, balances the overall sweetness, and enhances the rich chocolate flavor, preventing the cupcakes from tasting one-dimensional.
- Large Eggs – Eggs act as a binder, holding the cupcake batter together, contributing to the structure, and adding richness and moisture as they set during baking. Ensure they are at room temperature for better emulsion.
- Plain Yogurt or Sour Cream – This is our secret weapon for ultra-moist cupcakes! The acidity in yogurt or sour cream tenderizes the gluten in the flour, while its fat content adds incredible richness and keeps the cupcakes from drying out.
- Black Coffee – Don’t worry, your cupcakes won’t taste like coffee! Hot black coffee wonderfully enhances and deepens the flavor of cocoa powder, making the chocolate taste even more chocolatey. If coffee isn’t available, hot water can be used, but coffee truly takes it up a notch.
- Vegetable Oil – Unlike butter, oil remains liquid at room temperature, contributing to a consistently moist and tender cupcake crumb that stays fresh longer. It adds essential richness to the batter.
- Vanilla Extract – A touch of vanilla extract rounds out the flavors, adding a subtle warmth and enhancing the overall aroma of the chocolate cupcakes.
- Raspberry Preserves – For the delightful filling, preserves are preferred over jelly due to their richer, more authentic fruit flavor and a pleasant textural element from the fruit pieces.
For the Irresistible Raspberry Buttercream:
- Unsalted Butter – This forms the luscious base of our buttercream, providing a rich, creamy texture and a classic buttery flavor. Ensure your butter is softened to room temperature for the best results; if you’re in a hurry, learn how to soften butter quickly.
- Freeze Dried Raspberries – These are key to achieving a vibrant pink color and an intense, natural raspberry flavor without adding excess moisture that could thin the frosting. A standard 1.2 oz bag typically yields about 1 cup when pulverized into a fine powder.
- Confectioners Sugar (Powdered Sugar) – This finely milled sugar dissolves smoothly into the butter, providing the necessary sweetness and thickness for a stable, pipeable frosting.
- Heavy Cream or Milk – A small amount of liquid helps to achieve the perfect consistency for the buttercream, thinning it out just enough to be smooth and creamy while maintaining its richness.
- Vanilla Extract – While optional, a dash of vanilla extract adds a lovely subtle warmth and complexity that complements the bright raspberry flavor beautifully.
- Salt – A tiny pinch of salt in the buttercream helps to cut through the sweetness, balancing the flavors and making the raspberry notes pop even more.
Step-by-Step: How To Make These Delightful Raspberry Chocolate Cupcakes
- Preparation is Key: Begin by preheating your oven to 350° F (175° C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners, ensuring they are neatly placed. Set this aside to be ready for the batter.
- Combine Dry Ingredients Thoroughly: In a large mixing bowl, measure and combine the granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and kosher salt. Use a whisk to combine these ingredients fully, ensuring there are no lumps and everything is evenly distributed. This step is crucial for consistent baking results.
- Integrate Wet Ingredients for a Smooth Batter: To the dry ingredients, add the room temperature eggs, plain yogurt (or sour cream), and black coffee. Whisk everything together until a smooth, uniform batter forms, taking care to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure no dry pockets remain. Finally, mix in the vegetable oil and vanilla extract until just combined. Be careful not to overmix, as this can lead to tough cupcakes.
- Fill, Bake, and Cool to Perfection: Carefully fill each cupcake liner approximately ⅔ of the way full with the prepared batter. This ensures they have enough room to rise without overflowing. Bake in the preheated oven for 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Once baked, allow the cupcakes to cool completely in the muffin tin for 10 minutes before gently transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling. Cooling completely is essential before filling and frosting.
How to Fill Your Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes
- Create the Cavity: Once the cupcakes are completely cool, it’s time to create a space for the delicious filling. Using a specialized cupcake corer, or simply a small, sharp paring knife, carefully cut a hole about ½ inch deep and roughly the size of a quarter (or 1 inch diameter) in the center of each cupcake. Gently lift out the small cake plug you’ve removed and set it aside; you’ll need it later.
- Generously Fill with Raspberry Preserves: With the cavity ready, use a teaspoon to carefully fill the hole in each cupcake with the raspberry preserves. Ensure the filling is level with the top of the cupcake. Once filled, place the reserved cake plug back on top of the preserves. Press lightly to secure it and flatten the top, creating a smooth surface for frosting. This technique ensures a burst of raspberry flavor in every bite!
Crafting the Perfect Raspberry Buttercream
- Pulverize the Raspberries: For the best flavor and smooth texture, the freeze-dried raspberries need to be finely powdered. Use a spice grinder, a clean coffee grinder, or place them in a zip-top bag and crush them thoroughly with a rolling pin. Continue until the raspberries resemble a fine, vibrant pink powder. This ensures no large chunks interfere with the frosting’s smoothness.
- Cream Together Butter, Sugar, and Raspberries: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the softened unsalted butter, the finely crushed freeze-dried raspberries, and the confectioners’ sugar. Start mixing on low speed to prevent the sugar from flying out of the bowl. Gradually increase the speed to high once the butter has incorporated most of the sugar. Cream on high for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is light, fluffy, and noticeably paler in color. This process aerates the butter, creating a light texture.
- Achieve the Ideal Texture: Next, add the vanilla extract (if using) and the cream or milk to the mixture. Continue to mix on medium-high speed for another minute. Keep an eye on the consistency; the buttercream should become wonderfully smooth, creamy, and hold stiff peaks, indicating it’s ready for frosting. If it’s too thick, add a tiny bit more cream; if too thin, a tablespoon of extra confectioners’ sugar can help.
Effortless Decorating for Stunning Results
For these charming chocolate raspberry cupcakes, sometimes simplicity is key. I often opt to skip the piping bags and specialized tips, instead using a small offset spatula to generously slather on a rustic yet appealing layer of raspberry buttercream. For consistent frosting amounts, you can use a cookie scoop to portion the frosting onto each cupcake before smoothing it out with the spatula. This creates a beautifully homemade look that is both inviting and elegant.
To add a final flourish and a burst of fresh flavor, garnish each frosted cupcake with a few fresh raspberries. The vibrant red berries provide a stunning contrast against the pink buttercream and rich chocolate cake, making these cupcakes as visually appealing as they are delicious!
Expert Tips for Recipe Success
- Even Cupcakes with a Cookie Scoop: To ensure all your cupcakes are uniformly sized and bake evenly, use a 3 tbsp cookie scoop to portion the batter into each muffin tin liner. This small step makes a big difference in presentation and baking consistency.
- Thorough Mixing, But Don’t Overdo It: When combining your wet and dry ingredients, it’s essential to whisk thoroughly to ensure all dry pockets are eliminated – flour can often get trapped at the bottom of the bowl. However, be vigilant not to overmix the batter once the wet ingredients are added. Overmixing develops gluten, leading to tough, chewy cupcakes rather than light and fluffy ones.
- Room Temperature Ingredients are Non-Negotiable: For optimal results, make sure all your refrigerated ingredients (eggs, yogurt/sour cream, butter for frosting) are at room temperature. This allows them to emulsify more easily, creating a smooth, cohesive batter and a perfectly creamy frosting. Cold ingredients can cause the batter to seize or the frosting to curdle.
- Mind the Fill Line: Always fill your cupcake liners only ⅔ of the way full. Overfilling can lead to cupcakes that spill over the top of the liners, create an undesirable “muffin top,” or result in a dense and heavy texture instead of the desired light and airy crumb.
- Choose the Right Bakeware: For the most even baking results, especially with chocolate cupcakes which can sometimes dry out at the edges, use a light-colored muffin pan. Darker pans can absorb more heat, potentially causing the edges to bake faster and become crispier than the center.
- Cool Completely: Resist the urge to fill or frost warm cupcakes! The filling will melt, and the frosting will slide right off. Ensure your cupcakes are completely cool to the touch before proceeding with filling and frosting.
Storage & Freezing Guidelines
Storage: To maintain the freshness and delightful texture of these frosted chocolate raspberry cupcakes, place them in an airtight container. They can be safely stored at room temperature for up to three days. For extended freshness, especially in warmer climates, you may refrigerate them; just ensure they come back to room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving for the best flavor and texture.
Freezing: If you’re looking to prepare ahead, unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen for up to two months. Wrap them individually in plastic wrap, then place them in an airtight freezer bag or container. When you’re ready to enjoy them, thaw the frozen cupcakes overnight in the refrigerator. Once thawed, bring them to room temperature before filling, frosting, and serving to achieve the perfect taste and consistency.
Where to Find Freeze Dried Raspberries
Freeze-dried raspberries are a fantastic ingredient for their intense flavor and vibrant color without adding unwanted moisture. You can typically find them in the snack aisle or sometimes the baking aisle of specialty grocery stores like Trader Joe’s. Major retailers such as Target and Walmart often carry them as well, usually near other dried fruits or healthy snacks. If you can’t find them locally, they are readily available online from various food suppliers.
Helpful Ingredient Substitutions
- Raspberry Preserves for Freeze-Dried Raspberries: If you’re unable to find freeze-dried raspberries or simply prefer not to use them, you can easily substitute ⅓ cup of good quality raspberry preserves directly into the buttercream. Keep in mind that this will alter the color slightly and may make the frosting a bit softer, so adjust the cream/milk quantity as needed for desired consistency.
- Yogurt Alternatives: For the moist cupcake batter, plain Greek yogurt or sour cream are excellent and readily available substitutions for regular plain yogurt. Both offer the necessary acidity and fat content to ensure your cupcakes remain incredibly tender and moist.
- Coffee Substitute: While black coffee enhances the chocolate flavor, if you prefer not to use it, hot water can be used in its place without significantly impacting the cupcake’s texture.
More Delicious Frosting Ideas
While our raspberry buttercream is a star, feel free to experiment with different flavor combinations to customize your cupcakes. These tried-and-true buttercream frosting recipes can elevate any baked good:
- Classic American Buttercream Frosting
- Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
- Mascarpone Frosting
- Caramel Buttercream Frosting
- Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
Moist Chocolate Raspberry Filled Cupcakes
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Ingredients
For the cupcakes
- 1 cup sugar, (200g)
- 1 cup all purpose flour, (240g)
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, (42g)
- ½ tsp baking soda, (3g)
- ½ tsp Baking powder, (2g)
- ½ tsp kosher salt, (3.5g)
- 2 eggs, (100g)
- ½ cup plain yogurt, or sour cream (114g)
- ⅓ cup black coffee, or water (71g)
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil, (24g)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract, (5g)
For the cupcake filling
- 1/3 cup raspberry preserves
For the raspberry buttercream:
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened, (226 g)
- 1 ½ cups freeze dried raspberries, a 1.2 oz bag makes 1 cup pulverized
- 3 cups confectioners sugar, (340g)
- 2 tbsp cream, or milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract, optional
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
Make the cupcakes
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Preheat the oven to 350° F (175° C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. Set aside, ready for the batter.
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In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 cup sugar, 1 cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, ½ tsp baking soda, ½ tsp baking powder, and ½ tsp kosher salt. Whisk thoroughly until all ingredients are well combined and lump-free.
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Add the 2 eggs, ½ cup plain yogurt (or sour cream), and ⅓ cup black coffee (or water) to the dry ingredients. Whisk until a smooth batter forms, ensuring you scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to catch any dry bits. Then, gently mix in 2 tbsp vegetable oil and 1 tsp vanilla extract until just incorporated. Avoid overmixing.
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Fill each cupcake liner precisely ⅔ of the way full with batter to ensure even baking and prevent overflow.
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Bake for 18 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely in the muffin tin before transferring to a wire rack.
Fill the cupcakes
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Once cupcakes are completely cool, use a cupcake corer or a small, sharp knife to cut a ½ inch deep hole (about the size of a quarter) in the center of each cupcake. Carefully lift out the cake plug and set it aside.
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Using a teaspoon, fill the created cavity with raspberry preserves. Place the reserved cake plug back on top of the preserves and press lightly to secure and flatten the surface.
Make the raspberry buttercream
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Pulverize the freeze-dried raspberries in a spice grinder or crush them in a zip-top bag with a rolling pin until they form a fine powder.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the softened unsalted butter, crushed freeze-dried raspberries, and confectioners’ sugar. Cream on low speed initially, gradually increasing to high once the sugar is mostly incorporated to avoid a sugary cloud.
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Continue mixing on high speed for 2-3 minutes until the buttercream is light, fluffy, and smooth.
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Next, add the vanilla extract (if using) and the cream or milk. Mix for another minute until the buttercream reaches a stiff, pipeable consistency.
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Frost the filled cupcakes. You can use a piping bag with a star tip for an elegant swirl, or simply use an offset spatula for a rustic look. Garnish with fresh raspberries.
Notes
For perfectly even cupcakes, use a cookie scoop to measure your cupcake batter.
Forgot to soften your butter? Learn how to soften butter quickly with our helpful guide!