Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes

   Raspberry is on of my favorite flavors to pair with chocolate. I made these cupcakes for a work get together Sunday night, and they were delicious! Okay, so I used a cake mix. Duncan Hines I believe. I wanted them done quickly, and let's be honest...cake mixes always turn out good! If you're feeling particularly domestic, I have used Martha's chocolate cupcake recipe and it turned out well. Homemade frosting is the only option though. No frosting out of a jar allowed. I filled my cupcakes with raspberry jam, and topped them with chocolate ganache.

     Above are the ladies I work with at my counter, minus one. We were celebrating our counter making a million dollars this year. I am pretty lucky to work with such beautiful, kind and hilarious women.

   It started snowing early this morning, and hasn't stopped all day! There is about two inches outside, which is quite a bit for Bellingham. Although it's unlikely, I'm hoping for a snow day tomorrow. I would love to have a day to play in the snow, eat spicy yam and chicken soup, and get some studying done.

Martha's Chocolate Cupcakes

• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper liners.
2. Into a medium bowl, sift together cocoa, flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each, then beat in vanilla. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with sour cream and beginning and ending with flour.
3. Pour batter into cups, filling each 3/4 full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.
4. Cool in pan 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, then spread with Easy White Icing using a table knife or small offset spatula. Decorate with sprinkles, if desired.

Chocolate Ganache Frosting

• 12 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• ¾ cup heavy cream 
• 1½ tbsp. corn syrup
• 3 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature

1. In a saucepan, mix cream and corn syrup. Heat until just boiling.
2. Place cream mixture over the chocolate, and let sit for a minutes to allow the chocolate to melt.
3. Slowly whisk chocolate and cream until blended.
4. One tablespoon at a time, add butter and mix until fully incorporated.
5. Let ganache sit for a few minutes to thicken in order to be spread or piped.