Valentine Chocolate Raspberry Mascarpone Cupcakes

Playing around with some ideas for delish Valentine’s Day treats sparked a little creativity with chocolate cake.

A friend of mine was talking about her incredible raspberry bars, but because raspberries are out of season in Maryland, she used strawberries. (You can check it out here.)

So it gave me an idea to create these chocolate cupcakes and add a raspberry filling, but I couldn’t just stop there. It had to be raspberry mascarpone because simply raspberry filling would have just been to basic right?

 

While at the store, what do I find? Raspberries of course. But since I’d already determined in my mind that I’d be using an alternative, I decided to stick with the plan. However, if you can find fresh raspberries where you are, they’d make an amazing addition to the top of these cupcakes as a garnish.

 

The cupcakes turned out so amazingly that I decided to share the recipe with you friends to try at home. I promise you won’t be disappointed in the moist chocolaty cake with the fruit filling and rich, frosting.

Chocolate Raspberry Mascarpone Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1-¾ cup unbleached flour

2 cups sugar

1-½ tsp baking powder

1-½ tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 egs

½ cup oil (I used corn oil)

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup boiling water

2 tsp vanilla extract

For the filling:

8 oz mascarpone

2 Tbs raspberry puree

1 Tbs powdered sugar

For the Frosting:

3 cups powered sugar (10x, confectioners)

8 oz mascarpone

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 Tbs heavy whipping cream

Instructions for cake prep:

1. Prepare your oven by preheating it to 350°
2. Prepare cupcake liners.
3. Add together dry ingredients and mix well.
4. Add in eggs, one at a time until well mixed. Then add milk and oil and continue to mix well.
5. Add in vanilla.
6. Beat until well mixed and smooth (about 2-3 minutes).
7. Slowly mix in boiling water to make a thin cake batter.
8. Ladle into cupcake liners carefully.
9. Bake approximately 20 minutes.
10. Cool for 1 hour before filling.

While the cupcakes are baking, start preparing the filling and frosting.

For the filling:

1. Mix together mascarpone, raspberry puree and powdered sugar until it’s well blended and smooth.

To prepare the frosting.

Mix together all ingredients until creamy and thick enough to pipe or spoon onto the cupcakes. If you need to add a little more cream, do so very carefully since a thin frosting will not quite work.

Once your cupcakes are cooled, use your spoon to remove a small section of the cupcake right in the center. Don’t go too deep because you don’t want to rip your liner (if you’re using paper).

Insert about a tablespoon (or less, depending on the size of your hole) of your raspberry mascarpone filling.

Once all are filled, add your frosting to the tops of the cupcakes. I’ve chosen to pipe mine.

Here’s a video of how I did it.

 

What are you baking for Valentine’s Day?