White Chocolate & Raspberry Cupcakes

These are really good...and I'm very serious about cake. The combination of sweet white chocolate and tart raspberries balances well to produce an extremely yummy cupcake. These little cakes were made for no particular reason aside from a need to bake and a need to eat cupcakes!

White Chocolate & Raspberry Cupcakes (or Cake)

adapted from Exclusively Food (makes about 22 cupcakes)

300g white chocolate

200g butter

250ml (1 cup) milk

165g (¾ cup) caster sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

100g (⅔ cup) self-raising flour

150g (1 cup) plain flour

1 cup raspberries (I used frozen)

1.   Preheat oven to 150°C. Line muffin tray with cupcake papers.

2.   Place chocolate, butter, milk and sugar in a large saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently. Remove from heat when chocolate and butter have melted, and stir until completely smooth. Allow mixture to cool at room temperature for 15 minutes.

3.   Add vanilla and eggs to chocolate mixture and stir until well combined.

4.   Stir flours together in a large bowl. Add one cup of chocolate mixture to the flour and stir until a smooth paste forms. Repeat with another cup of the chocolate mixture.

5.   Add remaining chocolate mixture and stir until smooth. This gradual method of combining the wet and dry ingredients helps prevent lumps. Gently fold in raspberries.

6.   Spoon mixture into cupcake papers and bake for about 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool before icing.

For an 8-9 inch cake:
Use the above quantities and bake at 160°C for 70-80 minutes until inserted knife comes out with no batter attached. Makes a short 2 inch high cake, so for celebration cakes ganache 2 layers together.

White Chocolate Ganache

340g white chocolate

150ml cream

Make ganache by placing chocolate and cream in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 30 second bursts stirring after each and stop once chocolate is 75% melted. Stir until completely melted and smooth, then allow to cool until thick enough to pipe swirls.

To pipe swirls, place a star tip such as the Wilton 1M into a piping bag (I just use to disposable ones I find at my local supermarket). Fill the piping bag with ganache and pipe swirls like this and this - have fun with it!

Decorate with some raspberry lollies or fresh raspberries if you have them. Enjoy.