Ingredients
Scale
For the cupcakes
- 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter
- 2 oz. (60g) dark chocolate (71%)
- 1/2 cup (60g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup (95g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 3/4 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (50g) light brown sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (120ml) buttermilk*
For the raspberry sauce
- 125g fresh raspberries
- 3 tbsp. confectioner’s sugar
For the (raspberry) vanilla buttercream
- 5 egg whites
- 1 cup (220g) butter, softened
- 1 cup (200g) sugar
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp. raspberry sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
- Melt the butter and chocolate in a small bowl (either over a pot with boiling water or in the microwave) Stir until smooth and set aside to slightly cool.
- In a medium sized bowl mix the cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together until thoroughly combined. Set aside. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla together until smooth. Add the cooled butter-chocolate mix and whisk until smooth. Add half of the flour mixture, then half of the buttermilk. Repeat until everything is added. Stir until just combined, do not overmix. The batter will be very thick.
- Divide the batter between 12 liners in your cupcake pan. Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
- For the raspberry sauce smash the raspberries with an fork or mixer. Press through a fine sieve to get rid of the seeds. Add the confectioner’s sugar and mix well. The sauce should not be too liquid. Add some more confectioner’s sugar to thicken if necessary.
- For the buttercream add egg whites and sugar into a large, clean and heat proof bowl. Place on a pot with simmering water to heat up the mixture. Whisk the egg whites and sugar constantly and bring it to a temperature of 160°F (71°C). If you don’t have a thermometer, rub some of the mixture between your finger to test – if the sugar is dissolved completely, you’re done. Remove from heat and whip the mixture in a food processor until it’s white, fluffy and cool (this can take up to 10 minutes). Add the butter slowly in small pieces and continue beating. Don’t worry if the buttercream looks curdled or soupy, it’s easy to fix! If the buttercream is too cold, just put the bowl in a double boiler again for a few seconds and whip again. If it’s too hot, just put it in the fridge for a few minutes and whip. Take 1/3 of the buttercream and mix with some drops yellow food color to get a nice golden color. Add 2 tablespoons from the raspberry sauce and some drops red food color to the remaining buttercream to color it red.
- Pipe some of the red buttercream with a big round tip on the cupcakes as a base, drizzle with raspberry sauce and finish with a dot of yellow buttercream (with a big star tip).
Notes
- *Buttermilk is required for this recipe. If you do not have buttermilk, make your own by mixing 2 tsp. white vinegar or lemon juice with 1/2 cup milk. Stir and let sit for 5 minutes.