White Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes
Soft and fluffy white chocolate cupcakes kissed with fresh raspberry sauce and topped with a creamy white chocolate raspberry buttercream!
Ingredients
Raspberry Swirl:
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 Tablespoon water
- 14 ounces frozen raspberries
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
White Chocolate Cupcakes:
- 6 ounces white chocolate, chopped*
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup milk
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
White Chocolate Raspberry Buttercream:
- 5 ounces white chocolate, chopped*
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- Pinch salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 4 Tablespoons raspberry sauce (from recipe above)
To Garnish:
- 18 Fresh Raspberries
- White chocolate curls**
Instructions
Make the Raspberry Swirl:
- Combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl; set aside. Combine the raspberries and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly while breaking up the raspberries as the mixture begins to cook.
- Once simmering, add the cornstarch mixture. Continue stirring, and allow mixture to simmer for 3 minutes, or until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove pan from heat and press mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds. Chill in the refrigerator while you work on the cupcake batter.
Make the Cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- Place the chocolate into a microwave-safe bowl and heat in the microwave until smooth and melted. You don't want to burn the chocolate, so I recommend stirring the chocolate every 15 seconds. Allow chocolate to cool slightly.
- In a bowl, whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt together; set aside.
- In another bowl, combine the sour cream and milk; set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla and melted chocolate, beating until completely incorporated.
- Add half of the flour mixture, beating until just combined. Mix in half of the sour cream mixture. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture and sour cream mixture. Batter will be thick.
- Scoop batter into the paper liners, about 2/3 full. Pour 1/2 teaspoon of the raspberry swirl sauce into the center of each cupcake batter and use a knife or toothpick to swirl figure-eights into the batter.
- Bake cupcakes for 22-27 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the Buttercream:
- Place the chocolate into a microwave-safe bowl and heat in the microwave until smooth and melted. Set aside to cool slightly***.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, salt, and vanilla on high until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the powdered sugar, a half cup at a time, until fully incorporated. Mix on high for 3 minutes.
- Stop the mixer and use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl. Add the melted chocolate and beat frosting on high for 2-3 minutes. Add the raspberry sauce, a tablespoon at a time, beating until light and fluffy.
- Pipe or spread frosting onto cupcakes, then garnish with fresh raspberries and white chocolate curls. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
*I used Lindt white chocolate bars. I highly recommend using high-quality (real) white chocolate like Lindt or Ghirardelli. Stay away from anything that says "vanilla-flavored".
**To make white chocolate curls, take a vegetable peeler and run it along the side of a white chocolate bar. You'll achieve fuller curls if you warm the bar slightly by holding it in the palm of your hand for about 10-15 seconds.
***Make sure the white chocolate doesn't start to harden up again before you add it to the frosting. If it's already begun to set along the edges of the bowl, it'll harden once it hits the frosting, causing chunks of white chocolate throughout. If necessary, reheat chocolate in the microwave at 10-second increments just until it's completely liquid-smooth, but not too warm.