Dark Chocolate + Raspberry = Heaven
100% Dark Chocolate from a little chocolate shop in Southern Germany + Fresh picked German raspberries turned into raspberry curd = Heaven x1000000!
These cupcakes are probably one of the most decadent, sophisticated cupcakes I’ve ever made. The intense dark chocolate paired with the tart raspberry curd plus the sweet buttercream are a combination unlike anything I’ve ever had before.
I made the raspberry curd a few days before I made the cupcakes, so it made for really easy assembly.
And the vanilla buttercream is my most favorite recipe for vanilla buttercream EVER! I’ve made it before and it’s become my “go-to” recipe for vanilla.
The chunk of chocolate on top… yeah, that’s a German chocolate. Raspberry Chocolate. PERFECT for this cupcake.
Decadent, rich, dense chocolate cake filled with fresh, tart raspberry curd topped with sweet vanilla buttercrea.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup strong brewed coffee
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup 100% Edel-Kakao extra brut chocolate cocoa powder (or the darkest cocoa powder you can find)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- 2/3 cup sour cream
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4 Tbsp cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 lbs powdered sugar, sifted
- 1/4-1/2 cup heavy cream infused/steeped with vanilla beans
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp salt
- Recipe can be found HERE
- Cut dark chocolate into chunks to top each cupcake.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Line cupcake pans with liners.
- In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in the cocoa powder until smooth. Add the heavy cream, brewed coffee and vanilla extract. Heat until just barely simmering. Remove from heat and allow to cool as you prep the other ingredients.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In another medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream and eggs.
- Slowly pour the slightly cooled chocolate mixture into the egg/sour cream mixture and whisk until smooth. NOTE: DO THIS SLOW! You don’t want to cook the eggs, so start pouring a very small amount of the warm chocolate mixture into the egg mixture… DO NOT DUMP IT IN ALL AT ONCE.
- Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture. In three parts, add the chocolate mixture to the flour. Whisk until just combined and smooth after each addition. Scrape the sides of the bowl to ensure everything is incorporated. Finally, whisk batter about 20 strokes.
- Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full with batter. Bake 17-19 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool in pans for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Cream together the butter and cream cheese.
- While that is creaming, steep your heavy cream with 1 vanilla bean. To steep: Split the vanilla bean and scrape the seeds and add to the cream. Whisk. Bring the bean/cream to a simmer, remove from heat and cool slightly. Remove the pod.
- Add the sugar, one cup at a time, to the butter/cream cheese. Mix on high until smooth.
- Add the vanilla extract and beat until incorporated.
- Add 1/4-1/2 cup vanilla cream until you get the desired consistency you desire. Beat on high for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Mix in the pinch of salt.
- Core the center of each cupcake using an apple corer.
- Spoon in raspberry curd into each opening.
- Pipe frosting using a Wilton 1M tip onto each cupcake.
- Top each cupcake with a chunk of dark chocolate.
Betsy Eves
Hi I'm Betsy- the owner of JavaCupcake.com! I'm also an Army wife, mother, blogger, writer, baker and traveler. I'm currently living in Germany... spending my days taking care of family, baking for friends and blogging! I also write for the world famous blog, Cupcakes Take the Cake and contribute to the coffee blog, Coffee Cup News.
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Wow. Just wow. I “starred” this in my Google Reader before I even read the post. It looks like you striped the bag with some of the raspberry curd before you filled it with the buttercream, right? I can’t wait for an occasion special enough to make these!
Actually… it’s just coloring!
Awesome cupcakes! I love the raspberry curd, paired with dark chocolate. Outstanding!
Thanks! They were SO YUM!
These look amazing! Def one to try. Because the curd needs to be refridgerated…would you have to keep the cupcakes in the fridge? Love your blog!
Yes, if you don’t eat them in the first 24 hours, pop them in the fridge
I made these cupcakes yesterday and WOW they were a hit! I put my own spin on the frosting…infused the heavy cream with raspberries instead of the vanilla bean. Also added a handful of raspberries to the frosting!
Thanks for the great recipe!
I am going to make these this weekend. I’m excited. I was wondering, have you ever used Khalua (sp) instead of coffee? I’m wondering what flavor it would give instead? (I hate coffee).
Here’s the thing about the coffee… you DO NOT taste it in the cupcakes. It enhances the flavor of the chocolate and brings another dimension to the cake. Khulua might be okay, but it’d change the flavor of the cake.
I made these cupcakes for a baby shower and they were just THE BEST!!!
I LOVE your website so much!
Your recipes are TO DIE FOR!
That’s awesome!! This is one of my favorite cupcakes too!!!! xoxo
Wow these look amazing. Did you just brush on the red on the icing?
The color was streaked on the inside of the piping bag!
Instaed of cupcakes, can I use this recipe for 2 9″ rounds?
Absolutely!
These look amazing and I can’t wait to bake them! Quick question though: how did you incorporate the raspberry into the icing and how did you pipe it?
That’s red food coloring gel striped onto the inside of the piping bag.
Super easy way to create a lovely effect!
Just made these and I love,love, love the flavors! However, the cupcake middles fell. What did I do wrong? I followed the instructions carefully. Have you ever had this happen? I’m in Utah, is my altitude a factor? Thanks.
Couple of things -did you overmix your batter? Also – did you open the oven at all during baking for too long? Both of those things can cause the cupcakes to sink in the middle.
Sometimes when that happens, I just fill them with something delish so they aren’t a complete waste!
These are delicious!!! I made them for a family dinner and everyone loved them. Better still I made the full quantity so I have another dozen for the luncheon with the girls tomorrow!!….if I dont eat them all myself before then. Thanks Betsy!!!
YUM!!! I’m glad you liked them!!
Dis seems so yummmmmmmmmmmmm… Do you have d eggless recipe of dis????
G’day! Love the flavour combination, TRUE!
BEAUTIFUL piping…don’t think I could do!
Cheers Joanne
Hi, I made these and i felt there was too much coffee in the cupcake. Also I loved the curd it tasted AMAZING!!! But how did you get it so red, mine came out more of a dark purply pink? Also You have me converted to a new butter cream recipe!!!
You can always use water or milk in place of the coffee and omit the espresso powder!