Chocolate Raspberry Decadence

Greeting from the Birthday Girl! So for my birthday of course I used my favorite combo, chocolate and raspberries =]. This sinfull cupcake is not lacking in richness or decadence. A chocolate cupcake with fresh raspberries mixed in the batter, raspberry whipped cream filling, and a thick chocolate ganache topping, this will be a favorite of anybodies. Enjoy =]

Chocolate Raspberry Cupcake-

Ingredients

1 ½ cups packed brown sugar

3/8 cup canola oil plus 1 tbs

2 eggs

1 1/3 cups flour

1 1/8 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/8 teaspoons baking soda

¾ teaspoons salt

½ tablespoon vanilla extracts

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup water

¾ cups cocoa powder

1/2 cup chopped raspberries

4 oz. semi sweet chocolate

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 cupcake tins

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the brown sugar and oil. Turn on the mixer to a low speed and mix in the eggs. Let the sugar, oil, and eggs mix while sifting together the flour, baking powder, soda, and salt in a separate bowl. Set this mixture aside.

In another small bowl, mix the vanilla into the milk and set this aside as well. Bring the water to a boil and pour over the cocoa and whisk it until it is smooth. Also, melt the chocolate in a double broiler until fully melted. To the egg mixture, alternately add the flour mixture and the milk mixture beginning and ending with flour. With the mixer off, scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition. With the mixture at a low speed add the cocoa and melted chocolate. With the mixer off, fold in the chopped raspberries. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and pour this mixture into the tins. Bake the cupcakes for approximately 15 minutes or until tester comes out clean.

Raspberry Whipped Cream Filling-

Ingredients

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tbs granulated sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam

Directions-

In a bowl, stir together whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla. Refrigerate with whisk for at least 15 minutes. Take mixture and whisk until stiff peaks are almost formed. Gradually add 1 tbs of jam at a time and whisk until stiff peaks are formed. Do not over mix. You can put the whipped cream in the fridge until needed.

Chocolate Ganache topping-

Ingredients

10 oz. semi sweet chocolate, chopped

1/2 heavy whipping cream

3 tbs butter

Directions

In a pot, bring whipping cream to a boil. Slowly pour over chopped chocolate and butter. Stirring from the middle, melt ingredient together until incorporated. Do not over stir or the mixture will lose shine.

Assembly-

Once the cupcakes have cooled, cut out the centers about the size of a quarter. Spoon about 1 tbs of the whipped cream into each cupcake, and top. With the filled cupcakes, dip each into the ganache and let cool. If you want, you can dip each cupcake twice into the ganache. When almost firm, top each cupcake with a raspberry. Refrigerate until the ganache as firmed.