chocolate buttermilk cupcakes with raspberry cheesecake buttercream

power, air conditioning, internet, + tv (+ thus, sanity) have been restored to our home, so i’m back to blogging. hooray! now onto the important stuff: the cupcakes. i wanted to try a new cupcake recipe over the weekend + was torn between a chocolatey option versus a fruity option. then i realized, duh, i could combine the two by making a chocolate cupcake with fruit frosting. i thought about fruits that pair well with chocolate – orange, lemon, cherry, + raspberry, to name a few – then started googling recipes.

i am *so* glad i went with this particular recipe. these cupcakes are deliciously moist + flavorful, although let’s be honest, the frosting is the star in this recipe. we’re talking RASPBERRY CHEESECAKE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING here, folks. the flavor of the frosting is absolute perfection — light, sweet, + creamy with a little tart bite from the raspberries. + the color? gorgeous! these were a big hit with the chocolate lovers + fruit lovers alike (as well as two toddlers). i’ll definitely be making these again!

also, i’ve just realized that they perfectly match the apron i’m wearing in my picture to the right. i should’ve gotten a picture with ’em. oh well, just another excuse to make them again!

chocolate buttermilk cupcakes with raspberry cheesecake buttercream

makes about 30 cupcakes, adapted from good life eats

ingredients

for the cupcakes:

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
2 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 vanilla bean, seeds only

for the raspberry cheesecake buttercream:

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
1/2 cup (4 ounces) cream cheese, softened
3 – 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar, or until desired consistency is reached
5 ounces frozen (or fresh) raspberries, thawed and divided
1 vanilla bean (seeds only)

directions

for the chocolate cupcakes:
preheat oven to 350F. line muffin tins with cupcake cups or grease using nonstick cooking spray.

melt the chocolate in the microwave, in 15 second intervals, making sure to stir in between. set aside to cool down for a bit. sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder + salt. set aside.

in a large bowl, beat the eggs + sugar for 5 minutes, until it is pale + thick. add in the butter. mix until combined. add in the melted chocolate. now, add in the vanilla. beat until well incorporated.

add the flour mixture + buttermilk in alternating increments + beat until smooth. divide batter into the cupcake tins.

bake for 18-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. remove from oven + let cool.

for the raspberry cheesecake buttercream:
cream butter + cream cheese in electric mixer for 1-2 minutes until fluffy. slowly add 1 cup sugar + beat until smooth. add half of the raspberries + mix until combined. add remaining powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, + beat until well incorporated.

add vanilla seeds + the remaining half of the raspberries + mix at medium-high speed until light + fluffy (2-3 minutes).

if needed, add more sugar as necessary to achieve proper consistency. chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before frosting cupcakes if you’d like it to hold its shape. pipe or spread onto cooled cupcakes.

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