Mini Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes

These mini chocolate raspberry cupcakes from Java Cupcake look and sound delicious! I love to bake and cook, but for some reason I have never tried making cupcakes from scratch, I'm usually more of a Funfetti kind of girl. Anyhow, I am excited to give it a go and see how they turn out. Here is the recipe in case anyone else wants to try them. 

Mini Moist Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes

Ingredients:

Makes 36 minis and 12 regular cupcakes

½ cup vegetable oil

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup lightly packed brown sugar

1 cup heavy cream

2 tsp vanilla

2 eggs at room temperature

1  ¾ cup all purpose flour

¾ cup cocoa powder

1 ½ tsp baking soda

1 ½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

1 cup boiling water

Fresh raspberries (enough for each cupcake) 

Directions: Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Line pans with foil or paper liners.

1. Mix oil, sugars, cream and vanilla until smooth and creamy.

2. Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each.

3. Beat on medium for about 2 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl.

4. Sift dry ingredients together.

5. Sift them again.  Make sure all the flour and cocoa are thoroughly combined and all clumps are gone and   the mixture is very fine.

6. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture in three parts, scraping the sides of the bowl and thoroughly mixing after each.

7. Beat for about 2 minutes on medium-high speed.

8. Add the boiling water and mix until just blended.  DO NOT BE ALARMED, mixture will be thin.

9. Fill cupcake liners no more than 1/2 full.

10. Add a raspberry to the center of each cup, push in until almost covered.

11. Bake 8 minutes, rotate pan 180 degrees, and bake an additional 2-3 minutes.

12. Do not over bake! Cupcakes will be done when there are air bubbles in the center and it springs back to the touch.

13. Leave in the pan 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Vanilla Buttercream

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

2 lb bag of confectioners’ sugar, sifted

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 tbsp corn syrup

1. In an electric mixer on medium-high, cream butter until smooth.

2. Mix the vanilla and cream together in a measuring cup and set aside.

3. Add sifted sugar 1 cup at a time, beating until smooth after each cup.  Between each cup of sugar, add the cream/vanilla, beginning and ending with sugar.

4. Slowly pour in corn syrup and mix well.

5. Add more cream, if necessary, to obtain desired consistency.

5. Beat on high for 5 minutes.

You can also view Java Cupcakes blog Cupcakes Take the Cake for more recipe and cupcake ideas 

Enjoy!