White Chocolate and Raspberry Cupcakes – We Should Cocoa 1
Having seen this post a long time ago over at Sweet & Simple Bakes, I’d been thinking for a long time I’d like to try a version using fresh raspberries rather than jam. It went on my must not forget list and stayed there. The We Should Cocoa challenge was the perfect opportunity to remember this and give them a try. More recently, Buttered Crumpet had my mouth watering with her White Chocolate and Raspberry Muffins. However, the recipe I ended up adapting was this one from Cook Sister which had the bright pink icing I was looking for. I’ve really enjoyed watching The Great British Bake Off but I was so insensed after the cake making round when Paul Hollywood gave the thumbs down to the pink raspberry icing, I was determined to thumb my nose at him and make some myself – sometimes I like gaudy or do I mean girly!
- Melted 125g unsalted butter with 75g white chocolate
- Stirred in 150g vanilla sugar (or use 1 tsp vanilla extract)
- Beat in 2 large eggs
- Sifted in 180g flour (80g wholemeal, 80g white, 20g coconut), 1 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp bicarb of soda.
- Stirred in 70g Greek yogurt and 50ml water
- Spooned roughly half of the batter into 12 cupcake cases, placed 2 raspberries in each case then spooned on the rest of the batter.
- Baked at 180C for 22 mins, then left on a rack to cool.
- Heated 100ml double cream to boiling point and poured over 25g chopped white chocolate. Stirred until smooth then left to cool.
- Blended 100g raspberries with 2 level tbsp icing sugar then sieved to remove the seeds – this wasn’t as easy as I was expecting and it took a while to push the pulp through with a spoon.
- Whisked the cream until stiff – this also took much longer than I expected.
- Folded in half of the raspberry puree. I left the other half to drizzle on top, then at the last moment doubted my artistic drizzling abilities and used a lone raspberry as decoration instead.
These cupcakes were my contribution to a shared Transition meal where we were meant to be bringing along something slow and local. Well I know chocolate isn’t very local, but the wholemeal flour, eggs and raspberries were. If I’d been a bit more organised the butter could have been as well. They produced a really light yet moist sponge and when bitten into produced the closed eyes ecstatic response. The sponge was sweet but with a lovely tart tang when the hidden raspberries were bitten into. The raspberry cream was also very light, tasted fruity and was not too sweet making a nice contrast to the sponge beneath. They certainly disappeared pretty quickly and were pronounced to be “well good”. Yum yum, I will certainly be making these again.
Kath
22nd September 2010 at 8:51 amThey look ‘well good’! I wish you had not doubted your drizzling skills though, I bet they are good. I like the raspberries in the middle, lovely.
celia
22nd September 2010 at 9:03 amLook at those! What a glorious pink! I love white chocolate cakes, and these look ever so sweet, Choc! 🙂
Рафаэлла
22nd September 2010 at 9:16 amThey look so delicious! And a very beautiful pink!
Gill the Painter
22nd September 2010 at 9:51 amDon’t they look as pretty as a picture!
Suelle
22nd September 2010 at 10:43 amThese look delicious! Does coconut flour taste of coconut?
You can drizzle reasonably neatly by putting the substance you want to drizzle into a freezer bag, then cutting off a corner – as small or large as you like.
Then you can either do a controlled drizzle in a (eg) zig zag or lacy pattern by piping, or a more random drizzle by just swinging the bag over the buns or cake (see the chocolate drizzle over my ‘We Should Cocoa’ enrty for random drizzling).
Choclette
22nd September 2010 at 10:58 amKath – thank you. I’m a bit of a chicken when it comes to decorated – artistic skills were never my strong point.
Celia – I loved the pink and I guess a few others did too as I keep being asked for the recipe. If you’re not into using food colourings, which I’m not, you don’t get the chance to have these bright colours very often.
Raffaella – thank you and glad their are other pink lovers out there.
Gill – from the expert that is a compliment indeed.
Thanks Suelle – the coconut flour does taste and smell of coconut, but in the quantities I use it in it’s not really detectable, but I believe just adds a subtle something. I tend to use it when baking with fruit or nuts. Thanks for your drizzling tips.
MaryMoh
22nd September 2010 at 6:11 pmThat looks very tempting…beautiful pink icing. Your cake looks very moist and delicious. I’m having my coffee here without anything. Wish I have a piece of our cupcake! 😀
Nithu
22nd September 2010 at 10:14 pmCUp cakes looks so lovely and yummy.
The KitchenMaid
22nd September 2010 at 10:19 pmWell gaudy! Love that Barbie pink and the secret raspberry centres, yum!
Sushma Mallya
23rd September 2010 at 2:26 amI had tried rasberry cupcakes too but yours look superb with that lovely colour…
Dr Sameena Prathap
23rd September 2010 at 4:35 amHi,Looks so yummy…love it…
Lucie
23rd September 2010 at 8:53 amWonderful bake! These look delicious, the colour is so striking.
Priscilla
23rd September 2010 at 3:29 pmPerfect cupcakes, and I must say I loved the pink icing!
Hae a great day!
Priscilla
cityhippyfarmgirl
23rd September 2010 at 9:08 pmGaudy/Girly doesn’t matter. That colour is gorgeous! As soon as I find me some raspberries that don’t cost a small house deposit I think The Monkeys would squeal with happiness eating these.
Sophie
23rd September 2010 at 9:12 pmHello my friend!
These stunning pink topped cupcakes look just about perfect!
Rico
23rd September 2010 at 10:46 pmlooks so delicious I would have one right now..I also love the little pink dot in the middle.
Liz
24th September 2010 at 11:04 amThese look so great – and if we can’t be gaudy with cup cakes when can we be? Up with frivolity I say..
Nicisme
24th September 2010 at 3:04 pmLovely, great colour and looks good inside too!
Chele
25th September 2010 at 10:49 amLove the colour of the icing – very pretty and girly ;0)
Ananda Rajashekar
25th September 2010 at 3:17 pmmy love for raspberry and white chocolate is growing boundless and bright pink oh muuuhan…Lovely rice 🙂
Choclette
25th September 2010 at 7:45 pmThanks everyone for your ringing endorsement of my gaudy and girlish lapse. This might just mean I will repeat the experience at some point 🙂
GreedyRosie
25th September 2010 at 8:57 pmIs it ok to say they look slightly seaside picture postcard reminiscent of boobies? Or do I need therapy?
They look lovely anyway. Your sponges always look very moist.
Choclette
26th September 2010 at 7:57 amRosie – I was trying hard not to think along those lines.
freerangegirl
26th September 2010 at 7:18 pmSo very pretty – Im bookmarking these for my little girls birthday next year – Pink heaven!
The Caked Crusader
27th September 2010 at 7:47 amSo pretty – I love the pink icing topped with a raspberry
Choclette
27th September 2010 at 6:21 pmFreeRangeGirl – I’ve had requests for this icing from a little girls – well one actually. Went down very well with her.
Thanks CC
tracy
9th February 2013 at 6:59 pmI love raspberries and I love white chocolate, these sound devine, wouldn’t last long at my house!
Choclette
9th February 2013 at 8:30 pmHaha, I seem to remember they didn’t last very long when I made them. Thanks for the reminder, I must make these again.
Maya Russell
23rd July 2013 at 6:34 amDelightfully pink. I love raspberries too.