♥ Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes

For all you chocolate and raspberry lovers out there...here is the perfect cupcake. Rich chocolate cupcakes so moist...and then that little raspberry surprise inside. Topped with a wonderfully light butter cream frosting! You'll love these cupcakes!

Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes

3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
3/4 cup hot water
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoon. coarse salt
1 1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 1/4 cup sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 Tablespoon plus 1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream, room temperature

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together cocoa and hot water until smooth. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Melt butter with sugar in a saucepan over med-low heat, stirring to combine. Remove from heat, and pour into a mixing bowl. With an electric mixer on med-low speed, beat until mixture is cooled, 4 to 5 min. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add vanilla, then cocoa mixture, and beat until combined. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the sour cream, and beating until just combined after each.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filing each 3/4 full. Bake until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 min. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool 15 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely.

Once cooled, then core the cupcake and fill with raspberry filling. I use an apple corer to make the hole for the raspberry filling. I use a piping bag or small spoon to fill the cupcakes with the filling. Then frost with buttercream frosting.

Raspberry Filling                                                                                 

1 (10 oz.) bag of frozen raspberries, thawed
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Puree the raspberries in a blender. Press the puree through a fine-mesh strainer to remove the seeds. Heat the strained raspberries in a small pot with the sugar and cornstarch until mixture boils, stirring constantly until thickened.

Buttercream Frosting

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
5-6 tablespoons milk

In a large bowl, beat butter until creamy. Beat in the confectioners' sugar, vanilla and enough milk to achieve desired consistency.

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