Chocolate Raspberry Heart Cupcakes

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One of my favorite parts about elementary school is the class parties.  I love helping the parents prepare a beautiful celebration – in the classroom.  Although I love hosting parties at our home, sometimes it’s nice to have an event somewhere else.  And one where I am only responsible for the cupcakes.

So when thinking about a quick and easy Valentine’s Day dessert, these chocolate heart cupcakes came to mind.

Now I have played with hearts and cupcakes before during Valentine’s Day when I made these heart filled cupcakes.  And all of the kids (and teachers) were quite surprised when they bit in only to discover a little red heart hiding inside.

But I wanted to try something new.  And chocolatey.

So, I created these chocolate heart cupcakes.  My favorite part is the raspberries.  I am used to overly decorated cupcakes frosted with buttercream.  Nothing against that.

But these chocolate heart cupcakes are wonderfully light and fluffy.  And the fresh raspberries add a delicious sweet pop to the rich chocolate cake.

When making treats for class parties it’s important to remember that you are probably in a busy season.  Class parties are not always held at the most convenient times.  They usually occur around holidays – in this case Valentine’s Day.  So, naturally there are lots of other things going on too.

To save time, I used a boxed cupcake mix to make the chocolate cupcakes.  And they tasted great.

If you prefer making your chocolate cupcakes from scratch, no worries.  You can find my favorite classic chocolate cupcake recipe here.  Just make the chocolate cupcake and leave off the vanilla frosting part.

But you don’t always have to make everything from scratch for events.  You know my motto – if time is an issue, find a shortcut.

Here’s another trick.  If you don’t have the time to even use boxed cupcake mix, head to your favorite local bakery.  Request chocolate cupcakes without the frosting.  Then, you don’t have to bake at all.

Although I saved time on the cupcake making, I did create the whipped cream from scratch.  It’s really simple to make your own homemade whipped cream.  I was lucky to have a grandmother that only believed in freshly made whipped cream.  Using Cool Whip or Reddi-wip was considered a sin.  It must have been a German thing.

You can also keep your homemade whipped cream fresh in a whipped cream dispenser (affiliate).  This makes it easy to store the extra and make ahead of time.  It even makes the homemade whipped cream for you, so no need to pull out the mixer.

A whipped cream dispenser can make swirls and dollops to make your desserts look extra fancy.  And can be quite useful when filling the tops of these chocolate heart cupcakes.

You Will Need

Chocolate Cupcakes

Raspberries

Whipped Cream

Powdered Sugar

Mini Heart Cookie Cutter (affiliate)

1. Bake or purchase your favorite chocolate cupcakes.  Let cool completely.  (I made my cupcakes in the evening and decorated them the next morning.)

2.  Make the homemade whipped cream.  Chill in the refrigerator until ready for use.  Or use a whipped cream dispenser (affiliate) to make and store it.

3.  Using a mini heart cookie cutter (affiliate), cut out the center of each chocolate cupcake.

You can reserve these for snacking, crumble for the top of ice cream or just move them on if having a chocolate cupcake is enough sweets for one day.  In case there are any questions, we ate ours.

4.  Fill the center of each heart with some whipped cream.  You can dollop it in with a spoon and spread it out evenly.

Or use a whipped cream dispenser (affiliate) for easy filling.

5.  Add three fresh raspberries to the center of the heart.

6.  Right before serving, sprinkle with powdered sugar.

If you are making your chocolate heart cupcakes in advance, be sure to chill after preparing.  It keeps the whipped cream from getting too runny.

These chocolate heart cupcakes were a delicious afternoon treat with coffee.  Serve at a Valentine’s Day party, Galentine’s celebration or just because it’s getting close to Valentine’s Day.  They are sure to steal the show on the dessert table.

Looking for more Valentine’s Day fun?  Check out these easy to make watercolor hearts.  A fun craft to enjoy painting with your littles and they make a beautiful Valentine’s Day decoration.  Or add some strawberry fun to your Valentine’s Day décor with this easy to make No Sew Strawberry Bunting.

And another favorite Valentine’s Day treat idea is these Surprise Heart Filled Cupcakes.  You can actually hide a heart inside.  Your Valentine is sure to be extra surprised when he takes a bite!

Or if you need some Valentine card ideas, these Heart Crayon Valentines are a creative way to say “Happy Valentine’s Day”.  Another idea for something on the funnier side are these Free Printable Animal Valentines.  They are full of puns that are sure to keep your Valentines laughing!

Still planning your Valentine’s Day party and want to save this recipe for later?  Pin it here.

And if you are looking for Valentine’s Day party printables and cards, be sure to head on over to the shop to check out all of the fun DIY party designs.

Happy Celebrating,

Natalie