Raspberry Chocolate Cupcakes

 Enjoy your sweet summer berries in these Raspberry Chocolate Cupcakes topped with two layers of rich ganache and creamy raspberry cream cheese frosting.

INGREDIENTS:

For the Cupcakes:

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate, chopped
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 eggs

For the Frosting:

• 3 1/2 to 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 3-4 tablespoons raspberry puree, I mash up about 1/2 cup whole raspberries
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla

For Ganache:

• 4 ounces about 2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• For Garnish:
• 15 raspberries

INSTRUCTIONS:

For the Cupcakes:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with 15 cupcake liners.
2. Mix flour, sugars, baking soda, and salt together and set aside.
3. Place butter, chocolate, and cocoa together in a bowl and pour boiling water on top. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit two minutes. Mix until smooth and then add in the buttermilk, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla.
4. Whisk the liquid ingredients into the dry until smooth.
5. Pour 1/4 cup batter into each paper liner. Bake for 17-20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
6. Leave cupcakes in tin for 5 minutes before removing onto a cooling rack.
7. Meanwhile, make the frosting and ganache.

For the Ganache:

1. Place chocolate in a bowl and pour hot whipping cream on top. Let it sit for two minutes and then stir until smooth. Let the ganache come to room temperature (about 5-10 minutes) before applying to cupcakes.

For the Frosting:

1. Puree the 1/2 cup raspberries in a food process, blender, or with a hand blender. If you don't want seeds in your frosting, press the puree through a strainer held over a bowl (this takes a few minutes). You should be left with 3 tablespoons seed free raspberry puree. I added some seeds back because I thought it looked pretty but you can just discard the seeds.
2. Beat butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Add powdered sugar a little at a time while beating and cream for 2-3 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons raspberry puree and the vanilla and beat until completely combined. Add remaining raspberry puree if frosting needs to be thinned, otherwise, discard remaining. Place frosting into a pastry bag fitted with a piping tip.

To Assemble:

1. Once the cupcakes have cooled, spoon 1-2 teaspoons ganache onto each cupcake, spreading it to almost the edge of the cupcake. Pipe frosting on top of each cupcake and then spoon 1 teaspoon ganache over the top and press a berry in. Serve. Cupcakes with berries on that are not eaten within a few hours should be refrigerated. Another option is to store the cupcakes at room temperature in an air tight container and add the raspberries just before serving.