Chocolate Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream

Name: Chocolate Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 box Devils Food Cake 18.25; 1 box chocolate instant pudding 5.9oz; 1 cup sour cream; 1 cup oil; 4 eggs slightly beaten; 2 teaspoons vanilla; 1/2 cup water; 1 cup butter softened; 1 cup shortening; 8 cups powdered sugar; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon vanilla; 1 teaspoon raspberry extract; 3/4 cup raspberry puree; 1/2 cup water

June 14, 2013 by Tanya Schroeder · 52 Comments · Last updated: December 14, 2021

Cupcakes

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Devils food makes the best chocolate cupcakes!

To make them spectacular, top them with buttercream frosting that has been made with fresh raspberries!

Chocolate Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream

Chocolate cupcakes with raspberry frosting are a simple yet romantic dessert perfect for Valentine’s Day and special occasions. The simple boxed cake mix base helps to lower the prep work while not distracting from the overall deliciousness of the cupcakes. You’re going to love the chocolate cake with raspberry buttercream combination. Every bite is blissful and delicious, sweet, tart, moist, and perfect.

Raspberry Chocolate Cupcakes

We start by taking a box of chocolate cake mix and then upgrading it with added ingredients like sour cream and pudding mix. This makes the cake extra moist and flavorful. Our raspberry buttercream is a pink blend of a standard buttercream recipe and raspberry puree as well as raspberry extract so that you really get a strong taste of fresh berries in every bite.

Ingredients

Devils Food Cake
Chocolate instant pudding
Sour cream
Canola oil
Eggs
Vanilla
Water

For the frosting, you will need:

Softened butter
Shortening
Powdered sugar
Salt
Vanilla
Raspberry extract
Raspberry puree
Water

For the exact amounts needed, please see the recipe card below.

How to Make Chocolate Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream

To make the cupcakes:

Start by mixing together the dry cake mix and the dry pudding mix in a large mixing bowl until combined.
Blend in the sour cream, oil, eggs, vanilla, and water on medium speed until well mixed.
Scoop the batter out into 2 lined cupcake pans, filling each one about 3/4 of the way full.
Bake in the oven at 350 degrees F for 18 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted and come out clean.
Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

Prepare buttercream:

Cream together the butter and shortening in a large mixing bowl until blended.
Slowly add in the powdered sugar, one cup at a time.
Blend in the salt and extracts.
Add in the water, one tablespoon at a time as needed.
Stir in the raspberry puree and continue to mix until your buttercream is a smooth and pipable consistency.
Pipe a generous amount of frosting on top of each cupcake.

Recipe Tips

You do not have to pipe the frosting on top of the cupcakes if you don’t want to. while using a piping tip can help them to look even more pretty, simply spreading the frosting on with a butterknife is convenient and okay too.

If you want to pipe your frosting on to look like mine, I use a closed star Ateco 849 tip to frost my cupcakes. You can find this online at retailers like Amazon or in some special craft stores near the cake decorating sections.

You want your raspberry frosting for cupcakes to be a good consistency for spreading and piping. To do this add in the puree, and then add in the water one tablespoon at a time until it’s no longer really thick. If you accidentally make the frosting too thin, you can always just add in more powdered sugar until the right consistency is achieved.

FAQs

How long are buttercream frosted cupcakes good for?

These cupcakes will last about 3-4 days if kept covered and stored in the fridge. I recommend eating them within two days for the best results as the cold temperature in the fridge can cause the cake to dry out the longer that it is stored.

Leftover buttercream storage

You can keep your leftover buttercream stored in the fridge for 4-5 days in an airtight container. Alternatively, you can also keep the frosting in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Simply thaw before using. This is a great way to get to enjoy your frosting throughout the year without having to make it fresh every time! Note that thawing it overnight in the fridge and then mixing it up again the next day works best.

Do I have to use butter and shortening for buttercream?

Nope. You can use all shortening or all butter if desired. I personally like to do half and half because it gives a creamy richness in texture and taste without being too overpowering. If you feel differently or don’t have enough butter and shortening on hand to do half and half, you can make the frosting with all of one or the other and still have a great tasting result.

Check out my Chocolate Swirled Raspberry Ice Cream or my Raspberry Mocha Chocolate Truffles for more chocolate raspberry recipes.

Yield: 2 dozen