Chocolate Cupcakes - 2 in 1

My two best combinations - chocolate and raspberries together in one dessert! Oh yeah!!! Using some of the fresh raspberries for decoration is a splendid idea. Oh, and let's make a raspberry icing for it too, no food coloring here folks!

taken from Whitney in Chicago adapted recipe
makes 24 cupcakes plus 1 8-inch cake

Ingredients:

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1-1/4 cups dutch-process cocoa powder
2-1/2 cups sugar

2-1/2 tsp baking soda
1-1/4 tsp baking powder

1-1/4 tsp salt

2 large eggs, plus 1 large egg yolk

1/2 cup sour cream

3/4 cup milk (I used 1%)
1/2 cup vegetable oil, plus 2 tbsp
1-1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

1-1/4 cups warm water 

Preheat oven to 350F. Line two standard 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners. Sift together the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer. With the paddle attachment, mix in the eggs, yolk, milk, sour cream, oil, vanilla and warm water. Beat on low speed until smooth and combined, about 3 minutes. Divide batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling each about 2/3s full. I used a little less than 1/4 cup scoop. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, for 20-27 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Mine took 23 minutes. The cake took about 40 minutes but check it after 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Raspberry Buttercream Frosting
Recipe adapted from Bella Eats inspired by Love and Olive Oil
Make two batches of this frosting for the cupcakes and the cake.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

3 cups confectioner’s sugar

5 tbsp fresh raspberry puree, strained (I used a bag of frozen raspberries, thawed and then blended with my hand blender with a tablespoon of sugar. I strained it with cheese cloth and I still left a few seeds, so don’t worry if you can’t get all the seeds out)
.
3/4 tsp vanilla extract

Cream the butter in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment until light and fluffy. Slowly add 1 cup of the sugar and beat until smooth. Slowly add the raspberry puree and mix until combined. Add remaining confectioner’s sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, and beat until well incorporated.
Add the vanilla extract and continue to beat at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. The frosting can be made the night before, but do not refrigerate it. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Chocolate Cupcakes Topped with Sugar Hearts

When I want to bake a quick chocolate cupcake, I still opt for Betty Crocker or Pillsbury chocolate cake mix. It's easy to follow the directions and just pour into cute cupcake holders and in 25 to 30 minutes later, I have moist chocolate cupcakes! YAY! You can do either a vanilla icing or my favorite: cream cheese icing and then have fun with the decorating, sugar hearts or confetti, whatever you like. So fun!