Fluffy Chocolate Cupcakes with a Raspberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream
The fluffiest chocolate cupcakes with a subtly sweet raspberry frosting.
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1 box Chocolate cake mix (I used Duncan Hines Brand)
- ¾ cup Buttermilk
- ⅔ cup Sour cream
- 3 Eggs
- ⅓ cup Vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp Vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup Cocoa powder
- ¼ cup AP flour
Raspberry Compote
- 4 cups Frozen raspberries
- ¾ cup Granulated sugar
- ¼ cup Water
- +3 tbsp Water
- 3 tbsp Cornstarch
Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- 6 Large egg whites
- 2 cups Granulated sugar
- 1 ½ cups Butter, softened but still cool
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1 pinch Sea salt
Instructions
To make the cupcakes:
- Preheat Oven to 350℉. Line a cupcake baking sheet with cupcake liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix your wet ingredients (eggs, buttermilk, sour cream, vanilla extract and oil).
- Add in your dry ingredients (cake mix, cocoa powder, AP flour).
- Whisk together until just combined and there are no clumps.
- Fill your cupcake lines ¾ full. I used a cookie scoop for a less messy approach.
- Bake until your cake tester comes out the middle cupcake clean, about 18-22 minutes.
- Set aside to cool.
To make the Raspberry Compote:
- In a medium sauce pan over medium high heat, add in the raspberries, sugar, and ¼ cup of water.
- Stir frequently until it begins to boil.
- Lower heat to medium-low and allow to simmer for about 12 minutes.
- Remove from heat.
- Use a metal strainer suspended over a medium bowl, push through the raspberry mixture using a rubber spatula to remove the seeds. Make sure you use a sieve style strainer.
- In a separate small bowl, combine the cornstarch with the 3 tbsps of water. Stir until the cornstarch is completely mixed in.
- Pour the cornstarch mix into the strained raspberry filling and mix well.
- Rinse out the sauce pan (to get out any left over seeds), then pour the raspberry compote mixture back into the pan.
- Heat the pan over medium-high heat again. Stir constantly so that it doesn't burn.
- Cook until it begins to boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to stir for a few more minutes.
- Turn off the heat and pour back into the bowl to cool. I highly recommend letting it cool on the counter and then moving to the fridge to cool for an additional hour.
For the Swiss Meringue Buttercream:
- Start with 2 bowls, 1 larger one* and a small one. Separate your eggs. I used the small bowl to put the egg whites. Then I one by one add them to the larger bowl. This is in case one yolk breaks, you don't have to ruin your whole batch.
- Whisk the sugar into the egg whites.
- Set the heat friendly bowl (glass or stainless steel are my recommendations, but see my notes below) over a sauce pan filled with 2 inches of simmering water. Make sure the heat is set to medium. The bottom of your bowl should not be touching any of the water.
- Whisk the eggs white and sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Test by dipping your clean finger into the bowl (caution: it can be hot). Rub between your fingers - When you don't feel any sugar granules, that is when you know it is done.
- Transfer directly to the mixer - if you used a bowl that doesn't fit on your mixer, transfer the sugar and egg white mixture to clean mixer bowl.
- Using the whisk attachment, on medium-high speed beat the mixture until stiff peaks form - about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Your meringue should be cooled a bit while whipping, but if its warmer than 70°, put the bowl in the fridge for a bit.
- Switch to the paddle attachment on your mixer. Cut your butter into tablespoon sized pieces.
- On medium-high speed, add in your butter 1 piece at a time. Make sure your piece of butter is incorporated before adding in another.
- After all the butter is added and mixed in, turn the mixer down to medium speed and add the vanilla and salt.
- Now you can add in your raspberry compote. Make sure the compote is room temperature when you add it. I used about 1 ½ - 2 cups of raspberry compote into the buttercream. Add a little at a time until you get the flavor and color you want.
- Cool your frosting in the bowl in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
Assemble:
- You can go fancy or not so fancy. To achieve the rosette on the top, fill a piping back with the frosting.
- In a separate piping bag, cut the tip of the bag to fit the decorating tip you want. Cut the tip of the bag with the frosting and put the bag with frosting into the bag with the decorating tip.
- Take a cupcake and with a constant light pressure on the end opposite of the decorating tip, go around the cupcake in a circular motion until you get the look you are happy with.
- The buttercream is stable so you can keep the cupcakes in an airtight container on the counter for a couple of days. You can also refrigerate for longer freshness, but note that the frosting will become a bit more stiff.
Notes
*Ideally using a larger bowl that fits your mixer is preferred, but not a big deal if you don't have one. I ended up using two bowls since my mixer bowl would not sit right on the sauce pot I chose. Make sure all bowl are very clean - wipe down with lemon juice or vinegar and let dry completely. The slightly bit of let over grease can cause the frosting not to come together correctly.