Dark chocolate red wine filled cupcakes are perfectly moist with hints of coffee, ganache filling and a raspberry whipped cream frosting. These homemade chocolate cupcakes are gourmet & decadent, yet easy to make!
Dark chocolate & red wine filled cupcakes with ganache and whipped cream: heavenly, indulgent, and quite easy to make-completely from scratch.
Velvety and moist dark chocolate cake is laced with espresso coffee then filled with a silky smooth pinot noir infused ganache and topped with a luscious fresh raspberry whipped cream frosting for a truly romantic cupcake recipe.
These cupcakes sound extra fancy, but I promise you they’re fairly easy and don’t require any extravagant baking knowledge or expertise.
You just need an apron, some music, and a spoon ready for licking (trust me you’re gonna want to spoon-lick each component of these cupcakes!)
Chocolate Red Wine Filled Cupcake Components:
- Dark chocolate cupcakes: rich, moist and full of chocolate flavor. (The chocolate cupcake is made from my favorite, go-to, easy chocolate cake recipe from Hershey’s Chocolate. You can find the original recipe here.). I added a tablespoon of coffee to really enhance the flavor.
- Red wine ganache: velvety smooth and decadent. (feel free to use any type of red wine you have on hand.)
- Raspberry whipped cream: light, airy and fruity.
Ganache is one of those fancy dessert words that tend to impress people because it’s rich, creamy and decadent.
If you’re thinking it’s too hard to make you’re so wrong!
Ganache is made with just two simple ingredients:
Chocolate Chips + Heavy Cream.
The process of making it is even easier: place chocolate in heatproof bowl, bring cream to a simmer, pour over chocolate and stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.
See? Easy and simple but incredibly delicious!
I’m infusing the ganache with pinot noir, which gives it an elegant and slightly fruity flavor.
Plus, what better combination than chocolate and wine??? C’mon ladies and gentlemen ;).
You can use any red wine you’d like, but I prefer the Noir because it’s a light bodied wine with notes of fruit.
Raspberry whipped cream…sounds dreamy doesn’t it?
Whipped cream frosting is just as easy to make as the ganache…it’s also made with just 3 ingredients:
- Heavy Whipping Cream
- Sugar
- Vanilla
We’re adding a couple of tablespoons of fresh raspberry puree to the whipped cream which balances perfect with the dark chocolate and red wine. It also gives the cupcakes a fresh burst of mouthwatering flavor.
Red wine & chocolate cupcakes make the perfect Valentine's day treat!
They're beautiful, delicious and easy to make without fancy equipment or ingredients.
For more Valentine's Day recipes try:
- Chocolate Chai Creme Brulee
- Chocolate Cake with Mocha Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Creamy Balsamic Mushroom Pasta with Spinach
- Roasted Tomato & Garlic Bruschetta
- Butternut Squash & Parmesan Farro Risotto
Chocolate Red Wine Filled Cupcakes
Dark chocolate & red wine filled cupcakes are perfectly moist with hints of coffee, ganache filling and a raspberry whipped cream frosting. These homemade chocolate cupcakes are gourmet & decadent, yet easy to make!
Ingredients
Dark Chocolate Cupcakes (makes about 15 cupcakes)
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar
- ¾ cup + 2 tbsp All-Purpose Flour
- ¼ cup + 2tbsp Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- ½ + ¼ teaspoons Baking Powder
- ½ + ¼ teaspoons Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 large Egg
- ½ cup Buttermilk
- ¼ cup Oil, vegetable or canola oil
- 1 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- ¼ cup Boiling Water
- ¼ cup Strong Coffee (*see recipe notes)
Pinot Noir Chocolate Ganache (makes about 1.5 cups)
- 1 ½ cups Heavy Cream
- 2 cups Chocolate Chips, semisweet
- ¼ cup Pinot Noir Wine, or any other red wine
- Pinch of salt
Raspberry Whipped Cream Frosting
- 1 cup Frozen Raspberries
- 2 tbsp Granulated Sugar
- 1.5 cups Heavy Whipping Cream, cold
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- Fresh Raspberries, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Dark Chocolate Cupcakes
- Heat oven to 350°F. Line cupcake pan with liners
- In a stand with your paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer) mix together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt on low speed until fully combined.
- Add egg, buttermilk, oil and vanilla; beat on low speed until combined, then turn up to medium speed and mix for additional minute.
- Heat ¼ cup of water in a small saucepan until boiling; mix into batter along with coffee.
- Fill cupcake liners ⅔ full and bake 22 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Transfer to cooling rack and cool completely before frosting.
Pinot Noir Chocolate Ganache:
- Add heavy cream to a small saucepan and heat on low heat until the cream is steaming and just about to boil.
- Add chocolate chips to a large glass or heatproof bowl. Pour the warmed cream over the chocolate chips. Add in the red wine and a pinch of salt. Allow to stand for about 2 minutes to soften the chocolate chips completely, then whisk until completely smooth.
- Let cool to room temperature before filling cupcakes.
Raspberry Whipped Cream Frosting
- For the raspberry puree: place raspberries and sugar in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Bring to a low boil and cook, stirring frequently until raspberries are broken down and juices are released, about 4-5 minutes. Remove and transfer to a fine mesh strainer placed over a bowl. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, strain the liquid into the bowl and discard the seeds. Let cool completely to room temp (you can speed this process up by placing the bowl in the freezer).
- Place cold whipping cream in stand mixer with whisk attachment (or in a bowl with your hand mixer). Whip on medium speed until soft peaks form.
- Add in vanilla and cooled raspberry puree (it should be about 3 tbsp), and continue to whip until stiff peaks form. (it should hold its shape)
To assemble Cupcakes:
- Using an apple corer or paring knife, make a small hole in the middle of your cupcakes.
- Fill each hole with about 1 tbsp of cooled ganache.
- Place whipped cream in piping bag and swirl on top of cupcakes. You can also just spread with a small spatula.
- Top each cupcake with 1 fresh raspberry and shaved chocolate (optional)
Notes
*Cupcakes can be baked and keep in an airtight container or zip lock bag in the freezer for up to 1 month
*You can use instant espresso in place of the coffee by combining 3 teaspoons of instant espresso with ¼ cup of hot water and mixing until dissolved.
*Make sure you are carefully watching the cream on the stove, because once it becomes hot enough to boil, it will bubble over and you will have a big mess!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 15 Serving Size: 1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Unsaturated Fat: 0g
Erin
I’m a little confused on the coffee/ espresso part. Do you mix the boiling water with the coffee and add, or add the powder and water separately? In the comments it also gave the option of 2 T coffee to 1?T water. Could you please clarify?
Wine a Little Cook A Lot
Hi Erin, I've updated the recipe instructions to clarify. You'll want to use the 1/4 cup of boiling water in addition to 1/4 cup of strong coffee. If you don't have coffee, you can substitute with the instant espresso as mentioned in the recipe notes. Hope that helps!
Cindy Walker
First of all, these look amazing. Love the idea of chocolate, wine, and raspberries together! Question - Would you recommend frosting the day of? Because this it's a whipped cream frosting, does it tend to soften/'melt' if you were to refrigerate overnight?
Wine a Little Cook A Lot
Hi Cindy! Thank you so much :). For best results I recommend to make the whipped cream frosting day of but If you need to make it the day before you can do so and frost the cupcakes. They will stay good frosted and covered in the refrigerator one day before. Hope this helps!
Alexandra @ It's Not Complicated Recipes
Aside from being a thing of beauty, these are absolutely delicious! Chocolate and red wine are a match made in heaven!
Wine a Little Cook A Lot
Thank you Alexandra! Chocolate and wine are my two favorite things 🙂