2013 seems to be the year of births. This year has already been filled with much excitement of anticipated little ones and just as spring is arriving they are making their grand entrances into this world. A few months back, some fellow friends of mine and my husband's, decided to arrange a last minute get together. One of the couples is expecting a little baby, gender yet to be revealed, and the girls and I knew at the time that we would not be able to make the mom's upcoming baby shower. As a result, we decided to make this last minute get together a surprise shower for her and her family and that's how these cupcakes came into existence. No grand entrance worthy of telling your future grandchildren, no sparkles, no bows, no cute little baby blue suits.... just a plain chocolate chip cupcake. A cupcake that was indulgent and worthy of consuming while pregnant, worthy of putting on those few extra pounds. These cupcakes were light and airy with a tad bit of chocolate sweetness and just the right amount of raspberry jam to give them a little feeling of weight. Just the right amount of little girl or little boy sweetness to let you know it will be ok to have two... or more :)
CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH RASPBERRY JAM FILLING
AND CHOCOLATE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
CAKES
3 tbs cocoa
1 stick butter
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line cupcake pan with cupcake liners (12-14)
Heat up a sauce pan and slowly melt together the butter and cocoa on low heat.
When the butter and cocoa are smooth and well incorporated add the water then set aside off the burner to cool down (warm is ok, you are trying to avoid scrambling the eggs when mixing with remaining ingredients)
In a small bowl (to be set aside) dissolve the baking soda into the buttermilk.
In another bowl mix together the sugar, flour, and salt, set this aside as well.
Using your electric mixer, crack an egg into a large bowl and mix at low speed with the butter/cocoa/water mixture that has been cooling off the burner, continue to mix until well blended.
Slowly add in the sugar, flour, and salt while continue to mix at medium speed.
Next add the buttermilk/baking soda mixture and the vanilla.
Continue to mix until all ingredients are one smooth batter.
Poor into cupcake liners and bake for 20 minutes
RASPBERRY JAM
6oz carton of raspberries
1/2 stick butter
1/4 cup sugar
Place a sauce pan on medium heat and slowly melt the half stick of butter.
Add in raspberries and sugar.
Bring to a low boil and continually stir until raspberries have melted into a jam like consistency.
Take mixture off heat and allow to cool.
Place mixture into a squeeze bottle so that the mixture can be injected into the cupcakes.
When the cupcakes have baked and allowed to cool for a few minutes, inject jam into cupcakes. This can be done by piercing the cupcake with the squeeze bottle and squeezing the jam right into the cupcake. Or by taking a straw, piercing and removing a small portion of the cupcake so that you are left with a small hole to fill with jam (you may need to make a few puncture sites with the straw in order to give the cupcake lots of filling)
CHOCOLATE FILLED RASPBERRIES
1/2 cup chocolate candy melts
12- 14 raspberries
Using a double boiler (or bring to boil water filled 1/2 way into a sauce pan and placing a glass bowl over top) melt the chocolate candy melts.
Once the candy has melted pour into a squeeze bottle (similar to red/yellow ketchup and mustard bottle).
Fill each raspberry with chocolate and place chocolate side facing up in a bowl (you don't want the chocolate to come running out that you just filled the raspberry with) and allow to rest in refrigerator until chocolate has cooled in each raspberry.
Top cupcakes after they have been iced.
FROSTING
1 stick unsalted butter
1 package 8 oz cream cheese
1 lb. confectioner's sugar
1 tbs of cocoa
Using an electric mixer whip butter and cream cheese until one smooth mixture.
Once smooth, slowly incorporate confectioner's sugar, there should be no lumps.
Add in the cocoa, sometimes the cocoa can thicken the icing too much, so if you desire a more creamy result add a small splash of milk to thin out the icing.
Ice the cupcakes and top with chocolate filled raspberries!
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