Light Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes

I didn't forget about my light baking project and today's second installment in my series is another recipe I adapted from America's Test Kitchen 2011 Light & Healthy Cookbook.  The calories and fat have been reduced but the 'moist crumb and rich chocolate flavor' are all there in each bite of these lovely chocolate cupcakes.  The original recipe calls for a simple low fat chocolate frosting which I omitted to save a few more calories.  Instead of frosting I plunged three fresh raspberries into the batter before baking the cupcakes.  Besides being pretty to look at, the fresh raspberries play nicely with the rich chocolate flavor and add that little something extra so you'll never miss the frosting.  Last month I made Meyer Lemon Bar Cookies with Rosemary, a reduced calorie recipe that delivered on flavor, satisfied my sweet tooth and started me on my quest to bake light and share the results.  I used both high quality cocoa powder and bittersweet chocolate in my cupcakes which makes all the difference in flavor.  I also used fresh espresso to bring out the chocolate flavor without adding any extra calories.  My next project is to find a reduced fat chocolate chip cookie recipe that I love.  I'm going to try a few recipes and share with my special taste testers before unveiling the final recipe here sometime next month.

Ingredients & Directions for Light Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes
Makes 12 cupcakes

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine (I used Ghirardelli 60% Cacao)
1/3 cup Dutch- process cocoa (I used KAF Bensdorp)
3 shots espresso (3/4 cup)
3/4 cup bread flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
5 tablespoons canola oil
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
36 raspberries, a small basket

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
Spray a 12 cup muffin tin with baking spray


In a large bowl combine the chocolate and cocoa, pour the hot espresso over the chocolate mixture.  Wait a few minutes and whisk the chocolate mixture until smooth, don't worry if you have a few small lumps, due to the miracle of science they disappear when the batter is finished.  In another bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, salt and baking soda, set aside.  Whisk the oil, eggs, vinegar and vanilla extract into the cooled chocolate mixture until smooth.  Gradually stir in the flour mixture.  Lightly coat an ice cream scoop with baking spray and portion out the batter, dividing between 12 muffin cups.  Plunge 3 fresh raspberries into each cupcake, a little bit of their top can be showing, the batter bakes over the raspberries to cover them.
Bake for 17-19 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few crumbs.  Cool them in the pan for about 10 minutes and remove to continue cooling on a metal rack.