CHOCOLATE AND RASPBERRY MINI CUPCAKES

I have only recently discovered the “world of cupcakes”.  I had never eaten one before moving to Australia and I had not made any up until a month ago when I made my Triple Salted Caramel Cupcakes for the first time.  Victoria adores cupcakes: she cannot resist them!  Whenever she sees them at a party, she goes straight for them and ignores all the rest.  So I knew I had to make cupcakes for her birthday party.  I wanted to make the Triple Salted Caramel Cupcakes (I love them), but I also wanted to try something new.  My daughter is in the “pink” phase right now and loves everything pink.  Besides, Lola (from Charlie and Lola, the character on my Lola cake) adores pink icing (“it tastes the tastiest” as she would say)… so these cupcakes were inspired both by Victoria and Lola! ;-).  As I love the recipe of the Cupcakes used to make the Triple Salted Caramel Cupcakes, I used the same recipe as a base and just added some cocoa powder to it.  The pink icing is simply made with raspberry essence!  I have to say that chocolate and raspberry are a great combination of flavours!  I loved them and so did the party girl!  Enjoy!

Cupcake recipe adapted from Sprinkle Bakes

Ingredients: (makes approximately 24 mini cupcakes)

For the cupcakes
1 1/2 cups (188 gms) flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
115 gms unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup (125 gms) + 2 tbsp packed brown sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 tbsp milk
3 to 4 tbsp cocoa powder

For the raspberry icing:
125 gms butter
225 gms icing sugar
Raspberry essence (to taste)
Food coloring (optional – I did not use any as the raspberry essence was already coloured)

NOTE: this recipe will give you a little bit more buttercream than you require for the cupcakes.  You can store the remaining buttercream in an air tight container and keep it in the fridge for up to 10 days or in the freezer for up to a few months.  Just let it thaw/bring it back to room temperature and re whip it on low before using it.

For the cupcakes:

Preheat the oven to 165°C and line muffin trays with papers.

Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt together in a bowl and set aside.

NOTE: As I made these together with the Triple Salted Caramel Cupcakes for Victoria’s birthday, I added the cocoa powder at the end, after removing the batter I needed for the caramel cupcakes (that is what the pictures are showing).  You can add the cocoa powder at the beginning or at the end, it doesn’t change the final result of the recipe.  If you add the cocoa powder at the end, remember to stir it through well until combined.

Then cream the butter, vanilla and brown sugar until pale and fluffy.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until well incorporated.  Remember to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Add the flour mixture in three batches, alternating it with two additions of buttermilk and milk.  Beat until well combined.

Put the batter into the lined muffin tray cups, filling each to about half.

Bake for about 15 minutes (25 if you make bigger cupcakes).  When cooked, let them cool down in the tray for 10 minutes, then put them on a wire rack to cool down completely.

For the raspberry icing:

Put the raspberry icing in a piping bag and decorate the chocolate cupcakes with it.  Decorate with sprinkles or little hearts and enjoy!

Here is the full menu from Victoria’s birthday and the links to the recipes I have posted so far!

Triple Salted Caramel Cupcakes
Chocolate and Raspberry Mini Cupcakes
Focaccia
Focaccia con le olive
Focaccia di Recco
Palline di Erice all’arancia
Panini al latte filled with ham & swiss cheese, salame & tasty cheese, brie & balck olive tapenade
Flowery Cake Pops
Lola Birthday Cake
Hello Kitty Cake Pops
Hello Kitty Yogurt Cake

I am going to post all the remaining recipes in the next few days, so stay tuned! 🙂

On a completely different note, I have submitted the Moussaka recipe for this month’s challenge over at FoodFrenzy.  This month’s ingredient is cinnamon… and mine is the only savoury dish in the contest!  If you liked the recipe, please take a minute and vote for it here.  The voting is on between July 15th and 24th.  Thank you very much! <3

Related Posts:

• GEORGIA’S 3RD BIRTHDAY
• CHOCOLATE AND VANILLA SHARK MINI CUPCAKES
• Peacock Cupcakes
• Mehndi Cupcakes
• GEORGIA’S 4TH BIRTHDAY