Raspberry & White Chocolate Cupcakes

Summer is finally upon us (sort of) which means the return of fresh summer fruits! Although sold all year round in the majority of supermarkets these days, Strawberries and Raspberries are far superior in the summer months which is why I mainly choose to bake with fruits that are in season! Therefore this week sees the return of a much loved flavour combination, Raspberry and White Chocolate! Whether in the form of a Cookie, Muffin or Cheesecake, there is just something so natural and delicious about this pairing, and these Cupcakes are certainly no exception!

Light and fluffy Vanilla sponge with pockets of melted White Chocolate chips **drools**, swirled with fresh Raspberry infused Buttercream and topped with White Chocolate curls. These Cupcakes strike the perfect level of sweetness from the White Chocolate, yet the tartness of the Raspberry in the Buttercream counteracts it perfectly, thus creating a fluffy and light Cupcake perfect for the summer!

Though some may prefer to use melted Chocolate instead of Chocolate chips, having tried and tasted both methods my vote definitely goes to the Chocolate chips, as they create those little pockets of melted Chocolate that are just so delicious.

The base of the topping follows my basic Vanilla Buttercream recipe, however is spruced up a little with the addition of fresh Raspberry Coulis! My Raspberry Coulis is so simple to make and takes just minutes to do so, however shop bought Coulis works just fine. Make sure you sieve the Coulis if it is shop bought, as the seeds will prevent the Buttercream from being piped smoothly. Have no fear if the Buttercream appears to be slightly more loose than usual; 30 minutes in the fridge will firm it up nicely so that it can be piped with ease!

I had some leftover White Chocolate 'Cigarellos', that I made for a Cake a couple of weeks ago, so decided they would look great as a simple garnish to these Cupcakes, however any variety of sprinkles or grated Chocolate will do the job perfectly!

Recipe

For the Cupcakes:

- 175g Caster Sugar

- 175g Unsalted Butter

- 200g White Chocolate chips

- 3 Eggs

- 175g Self Raising Flour

- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

For the Raspberry Coulis:

- 250g Raspberries

- 2 tbsp Icing Sugar

- 2 tsp Lemon Juice

For the Buttercream:

- 250g Unsalted Butter

- 450g Icing Sugar

- 5 tbsp Raspberry Coulis

- 1 tsp Vanilla extract

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas mark 4 and line a Cupcake tray with paper cases.

2. Start by beating together the Butter and Sugar with a stand mixer/electric whisk until pale and fluffy. Next add the eggs and mix until combined, followed by the Flour.

3. Fold in the Chocolate chips until thoroughly combined with the Cupcake batter, being careful not to over mix.

4. Fill the Cupcake cases just over halfway and place into the oven to bake for 15-20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Transfer the Cupcakes to a cooling rack when baked and leave to cool.

5. Place the Raspberries, Icing Sugar and Lemon juice into a saucepan on a medium heat, and simmer until the Raspberries begin to breakdown. Pour the mixture into a food processor/blender and blitz until smooth. Strain the Coulis through a sieve to remove any seeds and set aside to cool.

6. For the Buttercream, beat together the Butter and Vanilla until smooth, slowly add the Icing sugar 1 tbsp at a time until fully incorporated. Add the Raspberry Coulis to the Buttercream and mix until it is pale pink in colour.

7. Pipe the Raspberry Buttercream onto the Cupcakes and top with any sprinkles/Chocolate decorations you choose.

Happy Baking!