Raspberry Filled Gourmet Cupcakes

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This week we had Parent Teacher Conference and my boys performed above and beyond my expectations. It made me think about how well they have been doing at home. Did you know they each read 20 minutes a day every single day without fail? They have been doing so good keeping up with this task, it was time to celebrate that every day achievement and what little boy wouldn’t love a delicious raspberry filled gourmet cupcake? We have a bakery in town that makes gourmet cupcakes; but they aren’t filled in the center and each cupcake is a few dollars at least! I think I can do better making a gourmet cupcake at a much better price. Especially since for just a few dollars I can make a full batch of gourmet cupcakes to share!

Gathering ingredients for gourmet cupcakes

Before you can begin making a gourmet cupcake you need to gather the right ingredients. What that really means for me is a shopping trip. I usually don’t keep a lot of baking supplies on hand because then I would be tempted to bake a lot more often and really my waistline can’t handle me baking every single day.

I went off to the store to gather up the ingredients my pantry was lacking. Normally when it comes to making cupcakes I always use my Grandmother’s Devil Food Cake recipe. It’s the favorite of my entire family; extended family as well. But this week is full of appointments and my time is limited so I settled on a cake mix this time. I sure lucked onto a really delicious one too!

Raspberry filled gourmet cupcakes tutorial #coolwhipfrosting #cbias

I also needed to visit the frozen section. This contained the frozen raspberries for the cupcake filling and also the frosting!

Raspberry filled gourmet cupcakes tutorial #coolwhipfrosting #cbias

Usually one bag of raspberries are the perfect size for the raspberry filling. You can use fresh raspberries too; but at present they are out of season and they cost far too much to buy fresh raspberries in our area.

While in the freezer section we also discovered the new #CoolWhipFrosting. It’s right next to all the other Cool Whip Products.

You can visit see our entire shopping trip experience from our Google+ Album.

Raspberry Filled Gourmet Cupcakes Tutorial #CoolWhipFrosting #cbias

My Walmart only had the Chocolate and Vanilla flavor; but they also make a cream cheese flavor. I looked these over and was quite impressed with how they have a lot less sugar per every 2 Tablespoon serving size. I also wonder just how much like Cool Whip is the frosting? My favorite frosting is whipped frosting from the store bakeries, but I’ve never been able to duplicate it. Butter cream frosting is the most common for baking, but it always seems far too sweet for me. I want a good alternative that is light and fluffy and not as over powering on the sweet side. I was pleasantly surprised with the Cool Whip Frosting!

Creating Raspberry Filled Gourmet Cupcakes

To begin you need to start with cooked cupcakes. The boxed cake mix ended up turning out rather nicely. It had extra chocolate chunks to mix in with the regular cake mix.

Raspberry Filled Gourmet Cupcakes Tutorial #CoolWhipFrosting #cbias

While the cupcakes are cooking you can begin working on the filling. Or you can also wait until the cupcakes are finished as you will need to allow them to cool before you can fill the centers. And the filling doesn’t take long at all to make.

Creating the Raspberry filling for gourmet cupcakes

To begin the raspberry filling you first thaw the raspberries. Usually I bring them out of the freezer right before I begin making the cupcakes and they are thawed by the time the cupcakes are finished baking. If you need you can also place the bag of frozen berries in a sink of luke warm water.

Raspberry Filled Gourmet Cupcakes Tutorial #CoolWhipFrosting #cbias

Then you will place the raspberries into a sauce pan on medium heat onto the stove. Then add the powdered sugar. The amount of powdered sugar varies, as really it depends on how sweet you want it. I usually average between 2/3 Cup all the way up to 1.25 cups powdered sugar. It really depends on how sweet the raspberries are as well.

Raspberry Filled Gourmet Cupcakes Tutorial #CoolWhipFrosting #cbias

I suggest starting with the smaller amount of powdered sugar, mixing together and tasting. Then add in by the 1/4 or 1/3 cup until you reach your desired sweetness.

As you cook the raspberries it will easily turn to a creamy texture on it’s own. There is no need to mash the berries unless you desire a smoother texture.

The next step is to thicken the filling. You will mix 2 Tablespoons corn starch with 1/2 cup cold water. Be sure to mix well and that there are no lumps. Once it is thoroughly blended slowly pour into the raspberry mixture, stirring constantly.

Turn up the heat slightly, and continue to stir constantly. Once it reaches the right temperature it will thicken quickly and you don’t want it to to burn. If after a few minutes it’s still not thick enough; try adding another mixture of corn starch with cold water until you reach the desired thickness. Although I’ve never had to add additional; as mine always became quite thick rather quickly on a higher heat.

Raspberry Filled Gourmet Cupcakes Tutorial #CoolWhipFrosting #cbias

Set the raspberry filling aside, as we prepare the cupcakes.

How to fill the gourmet cupcakes with raspberry filling.

Now with normal “surprise” cupcakes when you take a bite and find goodies in the middle; the trick is to put a spoon of the mixture in the center of the cupcake batter before it is baked. Then during the baking process the “surprise” sinks and the cupcake cooks over the top. Well you can’t do that with a fruit filling. So here is the easy way to get the filling into the already baked cupcakes. And really it’s easier than you may think!

Raspberry Filled Gourmet Cupcakes Tutorial #CoolWhipFrosting #cbias

Simply take a small sharp knife and cut a small circle out of the center of the cupcake. You don’t need to go very deep into the cupcake. Really only about 1/4 to 1/2 the depth of the cupcake. Once you have gone around in a circle, surprisingly the center comes right now and you are left with a perfect hole to fill with a delicious raspberry filling.

Raspberry Filled Gourmet Cupcakes Tutorial #CoolWhipFrosting #cbias

Now you simply spoon the raspberry filling into all the holes on the cupcakes. And that is it! See I told you it was really easy! Now you may be thinking “wow, that sure is time consuming. Why would anyone want to go through all that effort?”

You have a valid point, but honestly once you have tasted the raspberry filling with the cupcake, you will understand. It is definitely worth all the time of cutting out the little holes and filling it back in with the raspberry filling to create this gourmet cupcake!

Raspberry Filled Gourmet Cupcakes Tutorial #CoolWhipFrosting #cbias

Now I was raised with the old saying of “waste not, want not”. So remember those centers we cut out of the cupcakes…? We can’t let them go to waste! They are perfect to tiding over those over eager munchkins crowding the kitchen begging for when the cupcakes will be ready! Simply turn the kids lose with the cupcake centers and any remaining raspberry filling. They will be kept quite content while you finish frosting the cupcakes! (Not to mention they are great reward bites for the baker too!)

Raspberry Filled Gourmet Cupcakes Tutorial #CoolWhipFrosting #cbias

With the little ones occupied, you can now move on to frosting the cupcakes and making them look just as good as they taste!

Frosting the Gourmet Cupcakes with Cool Whip Frosting

Now I grew up frosting cupcakes the old fashioned and extra messy way! With a plain butter knife. It was so time consuming and as I mentioned; super messy! It wasn’t until my Sister-in-Law finished from Culinary Arts School and shared with me a few secrets that I realized there was a much easier, faster, less messy and more fashionable way to frost cupcakes! Not to mention they also look much better!

The more expensive way is to use a frosting bag and tips. But we like to be frugal and I learned you can do the same techniques with a simple Ziploc bag and frosting tip. The tips can actually be purchased on their own for just a few dollars. Snip off the tip of one of the corners of the bag. Make sure the cut is very small, not very far into the bag. Then insert the tip into the bag. The whole in the bag should be small enough that the tip fits snug and doesn’t slide through.

Raspberry Filled Gourmet Cupcakes Tutorial #CoolWhipFrosting #cbias

Then simply fill the bag with frosting and then squeeze out through the tip. Depending on the design you want to achieve, you can start in the center or start on the outside then go in a circle around the top of the cupcake.

Raspberry Filled Gourmet Cupcakes Tutorial #CoolWhipFrosting #cbias

The Cool Whip Frosting worked absolutely beautiful for this style of cupcake! The frosting is light and fluffy enough to give a great appearance and not too thick to weight down the cupcake or the look. In Fact when J. my 8 year old saw the cupcakes his first words were, “It looks like ice cream!” and low and behind; he was right! It really does look like soft serve ice cream you get out of those fun machines!

Raspberry Filled Gourmet Cupcakes Tutorial #CoolWhipFrosting #cbias

What I loved about the Cool Whip frosting is the flavor! It was very light, fluffy, smooth, and yet it wasn’t over powering. It had the perfect level of sweetness. Not too rich yet not bland. I had more than just my kids tasting these cupcakes. We ended up with a large supply which I shared with family and neighbor friends. Eight of the adults let me know that the frosting was quite delicious! My Sister-in-law (the culinary arts graduate I mentioned earlier) mentioned how she really appreciated that the chocolate flavor was smooth and didn’t taste like an imitation chocolate flavor like so many instant frosting does.

Raspberry Filled Gourmet Cupcakes Tutorial #CoolWhipFrosting #cbias

The vanilla flavor was very light. It did have a more Cool Whip flavor, but it didn’t taste like regular Cool Whip either. It was a very smooth flavor that complimented the cupcakes well. The Vanilla would also be a great choice if you wanted to create a colored frosting for cake decorating.

Raspberry Filled Gourmet Cupcakes Tutorial #CoolWhipFrosting #cbias

What I really loved about the Cool Whip frosting is how easy it was to work with. It is stored in the freezer, but you simply thaw it in the fridge for 4 hours or on the counter for 1 hour before use. Then it is completely ready to be used right away without any need to do anything else. It definitely was a time saver; and even better is that it’s the closest I’ve ever come to finding a substitute for whipped frosting! It isn’t 100% but it is definitely one I really enjoyed the texture and flavor and it is a new favorite of our  household.

Raspberry Filled Gourmet Cupcakes Tutorial #CoolWhipFrosting #cbias

And the Cool Whip frosting is the perfect finish to our gourmet cupcakes to make them irresistible! It makes creating treats for Birthday parties, social gatherings, Halloween party treats, favors for neighbors, or even family desserts to celebrate every day occasions very simple yet still very rewarding!

Raspberry Filled Gourmet Cupcakes Tutorial #CoolWhipFrosting #cbias

Raspberry Filled Gourmet Cupcakes Tutorial #CoolWhipFrosting #cbias

Raspberry Filled Gourmet Cupcakes Tutorial #CoolWhipFrosting #cbias

Gourmet Cupcakes enjoyed by the entire family.

You don’t have to be adults to really enjoy a gourmet cupcake! As I mentioned, I was really creating these cupcakes as a reward for my boys doing such a great job keeping up with their daily reading. Their teachers showed me how well my sons are doing in school and both teachers said they can tell that my kids practice reading at home; as it really shows in their school work. Being proficient in reading helps them excel in more than just English, but also Science, Math and all other subjects. So rewarding my children for being diligent in their reading was very important to me.

Raspberry Filled Gourmet Cupcakes Tutorial #CoolWhipFrosting #cbias

The raspberry filled gourmet cupcakes were very well received by the kids.

Raspberry Filled Gourmet Cupcakes Tutorial #CoolWhipFrosting #cbias

Raspberry Filled Gourmet Cupcakes Tutorial #CoolWhipFrosting #cbias

Due to the lighter flavor of the Cool Whip frosting, it also plays very well with goodies when kids want to dress up the cupcakes. We found some great Halloween fruit snacks at the store that my kids wanted to use to make their cupcakes even more festive.

Raspberry Filled Gourmet Cupcakes Tutorial #CoolWhipFrosting #cbias

Raspberry Filled Gourmet Cupcakes Tutorial #CoolWhipFrosting #cbias

Not only did my kids absolutely love having cupcakes; but they had a blast decorating them, so for them it was two rewards in one! And they were quite proud of their end results.

Raspberry Filled Gourmet Cupcakes Tutorial #CoolWhipFrosting #cbias

There are so many other amazing things you can create with a little bit of ingenuity. The kids love the frosting best. Even little Jade could be found licking the frosting off the cupcakes and leaving the cupcake behind! I say that’s a hit! My personal favorite is the mixture of the raspberry filling with the chocolate Cool Whip Frosting. Oh, it’s so delicious!

Raspberry Filled Gourmet Cupcakes Tutorial #CoolWhipFrosting #cbias

 

For more great ideas to spark for your cooking enjoyment check out  the Kraft recipes online or Cool Whip on Facebook.

Are you a Pinterest user? There is also a Pinterest board dedicated solely to mouth watering recipes that use the new Cool Whip Frosting, so be sure to check out the Kraft Cool Whip Frosting Pinterest Board and happy pinning!

Raspberry Filled Gourmet Cupcakes Tutorial #CoolWhipFrosting #cbias

 

What flavor of Cool Whip Frosting do you think would be your favorite? 

What is the best Gourmet cupcake you’ve ever had? 


I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This content has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Kraft Cool Whip. #CoolWhipFrosting #CBias #SocialFabric  However all opinions are my own and I only recommend products that I personally use and believe will be good for my readers.

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48 Comments

    1. Yeah, we had a lot when I was done. My waistline can’t handle me eating all those, so I was being the “treat” lady and delivering treat plates to my neighbors. I think they like it when I bake. lol.

  1. WOW! This is one of the best posts I have seen for this product so far! I am definitely going to try that icing and thanks for the wonderful, wonderful post!

  2. Chocolate and Raspberry – my top faves. Looks easy even if there are a few steps involved – like the idea of plastic bag to use for filling to decorate cake.

  3. Oh wow, these are SO GOOD! I hadn’t heard of the Cool Whip frosting before this, but I have to say it’s really fantastic. It has such a light texture and it’s a great contrast to the darkness and moistness of the raspberry and chocolate w/ chocolate chunks cake. These absolutely do not taste like they were made with a mix and store-bought frosting. Definitely a more grown-up cupcake! TFS!

  4. For the pieces you removed (the plug), you can actually cut the top from the plug and stick it back over the filling so that it doesn’t mix with the frosting, especially if you’re using a brightly colored filling 🙂

    1. It just makes it easier to thicken if they are thawed. When they thaw, I then drain off any extra juices before I put them into the pan. If you put frozen berries directly into the pan, then you have that extra liquid you have to get thickened. It would work, but just take a bit more Corn starch/water mixture.

    1. Oh Heather, You have no idea just how many times I just sneaked a taste of just the frosting on it’s own after I finished frosting these cupcakes. Oh my goodness…I really could just eat the frosting plain it is quite delicious.

  5. They look delicious and decadent. Will have to bookmark this page and maybe make some for Christmas baking. Also going to share this on facebook as I have nieces that may want to do this with their little ones.

  6. Holy cow-These cup cakes look divine and Raspberry is my favorite and with cool whip frosting ohhhhhhhh they must be out of this world. Thanks too your boys for working hard on their reading-not only is it great for them but they made it possible for you too share something good with us to. Thanks for the wonderful cupcake Tutorial and I think frozen fruit is the best way to go when making cupcakes or bread-it always comes out so moist.Yum!

  7. these cupcakes look so delicious, oh i so want one right now, yummy!! i liked how you had the little ones decorate them after, great idea 😉 thanks for sharing

  8. I stare at the Cool Whip Frosting all the time when I go by it but wonder what I’d used it on. I’m pinning this recipe for sure. I like the idea of filling the cupcakes and you can even swap that around. I think even a caramel would be yummy.

  9. Are you kidding me?? These cupcakes look delicious and with the instructions you provided, actually very doable! Thanks so much for sharing all the details!!

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