If you want to do something a little unexpected (and baked from scratch!) for your Valentine this year, I think I may just have something for you.
These (light and guilt-free!) chocolate cupcakes are a unique, fun, and delicious-tasting little twist on chocolate-covered berries.
What’s the twist?…
…I dipped some fresh raspberries into melted milk chocolate…
…Then I stuffed the chocolate covered berries into homemade chocolate cupcakes.
The result is something very special, festive, and heavenly.
The taste is sort of sweetly familiar.
And sort of like nothing you’ve ever tasted before.
The chocolate cupcakes are yummy on their own.
But the chocolate-covered raspberries stuffed inside are the over-the-top, memorable “Sweet Surprise” for your valentine.
Here are all the ingredients you’ll need to get started.
Begin by lining a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Grab some milk chocolate chips and place them in a microwave-safe bowl.
Microwave the chocolate for about 45 seconds and stir.
If the chocolate isn’t completely melted after stirring, microwave for another 20 seconds and stir again.
Repeat this process until the chocolate is just melted (cook the chocolate too much and it will begin to solidify).
Begin dipping the fresh raspberries immediately and work as quickly as you can (the chocolate will begin to solidify as time passes).
Drop your first berry into the melted chocolate and use two forks to turn it all around until the chocolate until the berry is fully coated.
Place the berry on the parchment-lined baking sheet to cool. Repeat until you’ve coated at least a dozen berries in chocolate.
Or more.
Depending upon how many you can’t resist “taste-testing” along the way.
Place the berries in the fridge until the chocolate has cooled and solidified, about half an hour.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Grab a large mixing bowl and sift together all following: whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder, and salt.
In another mixing bowl, whisk together some canola oil, an egg, some plain low-fat yogurt, some granulated sugar, and some vanilla extract.
Slowly add the flour mixture to the oil mixture.
Stir just until the batter is well combined.
How I made these “skinny” cupcakes healthier: heart-healthy canola oil and probiotic-filled, low-fat yogurt replace the butter, and whole wheat flour adds fiber (when you use a 50-50 ratio of whole wheat to all-purpose flour, you’ll never taste the difference!)
I used less sugar too – with the fresh raspberries and milk chocolate stuffed inside, you’ll notice the cupcakes don’t need a ton of sweetener!
Spoon the mixture into cupcake liners.
Fill the liners just half-way with batter (these cupcakes are light and airy and rise a lot while baking).
Bake the cupcakes for about 20 minutes, then set them on the counter to cool.
Important Note: be sure to allow the cupcakes to cool completely before you begin cutting into the cupcakes – they break apart far more easily while still warm).
Use a small serrated knife or pairing knife to cut into the center of each cupcake.
Try to leave about a three-quarters-inch boarder around the whole cupcake (the cake will more easily crack and break apart if you cut too close to the edges).
Also be careful not to cut too far down into the cupcake – you want to leave a good half-inch of cupcake on the bottom.
Then grab the small round of cupcake you just cut from the center and slice off just the top to use as a “topper”.
Stuff one of the chocolate-covered raspberries into the hole you’ve just cut (or half of a raspberry, depending on what fits).
Press the “topper” over the raspberry, covering it up.
Grab a fresh raspberry and slice it in half lengthwise.
Arrange the halves over the center of the cupcake to conceal the seams of the hole.
Then melt just a little more milk chocolate using the same process you used for the berries.
Grab a chopstick, a kabob skewer, or even a butter knife.
Dip it into the melted chocolate and then drizzle it all over the cupcake.
Um. Yum.
These cupcakes look be-u-tiful.
And they’re not just pretty to look at.
They taste wonderfully sweet and rich and chocolately and special.
And the contrast of fresh, tart raspberry with the milk chocolatey cake is just about as good as it gets.
Try these and show your Valentine you’ve got plenty of sweet surprises still left up your sleeve.
Here is the complete (printable!) recipe:
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Yield: 12 servings (12 cupcakes)
- 12 ounces fresh raspberries
- 8 ounces milk chocolate chips
- ½ cup whole wheat flour
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup canola oil
- ⅔ cup plain, low-fat Greek yogurt
- ¾ cup granulated white sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place two-thirds of the milk chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave chocolate for 45 seconds. Stir. If chocolate does not melt completely after stirring, microwave for 20 seconds longer and stir again. Repeat this process until chocolate is just melted.
- Place a raspberry in the melted chocolate and use two forks to turn the berry over, coating it on all sides with chocolate. Use a fork to remove the berry from the chocolate, allowing any excess to drizzle back into the bowl. Place the berry on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat this process until 12 berries have been covered in chocolate. Place the berries in the fridge until the chocolate has cooled and solidified, about ½ hour.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, sift together and combine the following: whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the following: canola oil, yogurt, granulated sugar, egg, and vanilla extract. Slowly add the flour mixture to the oil mixture and stir just until the batter is well combined. Place 12 cupcake liners in a muffin or cupcake pan and fill each liner about half-way with batter. Bake cupcakes about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Set the cupcakes on the counter to cool completely.
- When cupcakes have cooled completely, use a pairing knife or small serrated knife to cut a small hole in the center of each cupcake. Be sure to leave an edge of at least three-quarters of an inch all the way around each cupcake. Also be sure not to cut too far down into the cupcake - an inch of cake should remain at the bottom of each. Slice just the top quarter inch from each round that has been removed from the center of each cupcake to use as a "topper."
- Stuff one chocolate covered raspberry in each cupcake. Press the "topper" over the berry, covering up the hole. Cut a fresh raspberry in half lengthwise. Arrange on top of the cupcake, concealing the seams where the "topper" has covered the hole. Melt the remaining milk chocolate chips. Dip a chopstick or kabob skewer or knife edge into the melted chocolate and drizzle all over the top of each cupcake. Serve.
Two of my favourite flavours together! These sound fabulous. I also love the fact that the recipe is printable! What a great addition to your already wonderful blog.
They look delicious, what a great idea
These cupcakes are so pretty, I love the raspberry surprise!
Scrumptious – and I’m loving the new blog 🙂
Yum! These are beautiful and look wonderful!
Jen, my god … this is so pretty, romantic and .. Scrumptious. This is so beautiful … and I want one NOW!
I love the cupcakes because they don’t have any icing. This is the best in cupcakes I have met so fare, but the work involved is not for my body and soul or ??????? I have to wait until raspberries are getting cheaper – because now they cost fare too much. I just adore this. Never seen anything like, so I will bookmark this.
Oh my. These look so good!
Um Yum is right! Oh my gosh these look so great! I’ve never had a chocolate covered treat INSIDE of a chocolate cupcake and you’ve just blown me away. Very nice and great Valentine’s Day dessert!
I saw your post on fb and now I’m here because I felt in love with your amazing cucakes!!!
Oh my, how sweet! These look so lovely! My only concern is that I would probably get so distracted by the chocolate dipped raspberries that none of them would make it into the cupcakes. 😉 Happy love day!
PS. I’m loving your new design!
How pretty and festive for VDAY and I love the surprise center! =)
These look incredible! I’m jealous of your photography skills:) Awesome recipe, too!
These look marvelous!
What gorgeous, delicious looking cupcakes! You certainly did put a lot of love into these. You must have made them for someone special. 🙂 Happy Valentine’s Day!
Wow! These chocolate and raspberry cupcakes look divine! I love the combination of chocolate and raspberries!
These are gorgeous! Love the chocolate covered raspberry stuffed inside!
wow, this looks scrumptious. nice job on just using 2/3 cup of oil. my favorite combo with chocolate is raspberry and/or banana. gorgeous photos… loving the new look Jen. 🙂
Oh my – these look wonderful! I’d love to receive these for Valentine’s Day, or pretty much any other day! I bet they are really delicious.
What a great idea! These sound amazing! I’m seeing this post-Valentines day, but I think any excuse to make these would be a good one.
Oh yummy! These sound and look fabulous!
These are just beautiful & look so yummy. I love the surprise in the center!
OMG how yummy!!! I will try and I will let you know 😛
I have a blog too, if you want to have a look at it, it would be nice! I’m following you, that’s a great blog!
xx
http://mystylerecipe.com
These are so cute! And I love the idea of having a chocolate covered raspberry inside the cupcake!
These look great, love the cupcake liners!
Thanks for sharing 🙂 Definitely looks good for spring. Incredibly decadent but still looks healthy. Berry delicious!