Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes

INGREDIENTS:

Chocolate Cupcakes:

* 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

* 1 cup granulated sugar

* ½ cup natural cocoa powder unsweetened

* ½ tsp baking powder

* ¼ tsp baking soda

* ½ tsp kosher salt

* ½ cup whole or 2% milk

* 1 eggs

* ¼ cup vegetable oil

* 1 tsp vanilla extract

* ½ cup hot coffee

Raspberry Buttercream:

* 1 cup unsalted butter softened

* 3 cups powdered sugar

* ⅓ cup seedless raspberry preserves

* 1 tsp vanilla extract

* ¼ cup freeze-dried raspberries crushed into a fine powder

Chocolate Cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12 cup cupcake pan with cupcake liners.

Combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.

Combine milk, egg, oil and vanilla in another bowl.

Slowly add the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined.

Carefully add the hot coffee and stir to combine. The batter will be thin.

Bake for 14-16 minutes until a cake tester/toothpick inserted into the middle of a cupcake comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.

Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for about 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Once completely cool, frost the cupcakes with the raspberry buttercream or pipe the frosting using a piping tip and bag.

Raspberry Buttercream:

Beat the softened butter with the powdered sugar on low speed and increasing to medium speed until light and fluffy.

Add the raspberry preserves and vanilla and mix until incorporated.

Add the crushed freeze-dried raspberries and mix until incorporated.