Raspberry Coconut Cupcakes with White Chocolate Frosting

I got the inspiration for these cupcakes when I came across a bottle of raspberry syrup on my last grocery shopping trip. I thought pancakes? Nah. I can do better than that.

These cupcakes are moist, and packed with a raspberry, cream cheese flavor and the texture of flaked coconut.

Makes 24 cupcakes

For cupcakes:

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1-1/2 cups flour
1-3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1/4 cup raspberry syrup (I use president's choice)

For frosting:

1-1/4 cups icing sugar
1 8oz package cream cheese
6oz white chocolate, melted

Garnish (optional):

raspberries
flaked coconut
icing sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350F (180C) and line cupcake tin with cupcake liners.
2. In a large bowl, mix together sugar and butter. Beat in eggs one at a time with an electric mixer. Add vanilla and mix until smooth.
4. In a medium bowl, stir flour and baking powder.
5. Slowly add flour mixture to wet ingredients and mix until combined.

6. Stir in milk, flaked coconut, and raspberry syrup.

7. Pour or spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake for 20-25 mins.

8. For frosting, in a medium bowl beat icing sugar with cream cheese until smooth.
9. Add white chocolate and beat until smooth.

10. Frost cooled cupcakes and garnish with raspberries, flaked coconut, and icing sugar if desired.

Hope you enjoy! :)

Lindt Chocolate Lava Cake

This recipe came about after a trip to Swiss Chalet. The Christmas special is on and that means a little box of Lindor chocolate truffles after your meal.

I thought hmmm.. I bet I could do something interesting with these. I found a recipe for Lindt chocolate cupcakes which happened to be egg free. So I modified it until it turned into a rich, moist chocolate cake with Lindor chocolate filling oozing out of it.

1 cup white sugar
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
5-10 assorted Lindt chocolate truffles

1. Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Grease an 8 inch round porcelain baking dish.
2. Whisk together sugar, flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder in a medium sized bowl.
3. Add water, vegetable oil and vanilla and whisk until combined.

4. Pour into baking dish and drop chocolate truffles into batter (chocolates should be above the surface, do not press down).

5. Bake for 35 mins (cake should still be gooey in the center).

5. Loosen the cake by running a knife around the edges and flip out onto a plate.

6. Spoon cake into 8-10 bowls. Serve warm.

Note: for a more firm cake, cut it into cubes and mix with filling in the baking dish, allow it to cool.

Enjoy! :)