Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes
Rich chocolate cupcakes topped with homemade strawberry buttercream frosting and finished with chocolate ganache. These Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes are perfect for Valentine's Day or any special occasion.
Ingredients
Cupcake Batter
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 3 ounces cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup water
- 7 ounces all-purpose flour (¾ cup + 2 tablespoons)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup buttermilk room temperature
- 1 large egg room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup freeze dried strawberries
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
Chocolate Ganache
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- 3 ounces chocolate chips dark or semi-sweet chocolate
I always use Kosher salt in my kitchen! If using table salt, start with half the amount and adjust to taste, as it is much "saltier" by volume.
Instructions
Cupcake Batter
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a cupcake pan with liners.
- In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine the butter, cocoa powder, salt, and water. Heat just until the butter is melted, stirring to combine. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and baking powder until combined.
- Pour the warm chocolate mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until fully combined.
- Add the buttermilk, egg, and vanilla extract. Mix until the batter is smooth and fully combined.
- Scoop the batter into the prepared cupcake pan, filling each liner ¾ of the way full. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
- Using a food processor, process the freeze-dried strawberries into a powder. A few small crumbs of the strawberries are fine, but you mostly want a powder.
- In a mixing bowl, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add in the powdered sugar, strawberry powder, vanilla extract and heavy cream. Beat for 2 minutes.
Chocolate Ganache
- Place the chocolate chips in a medium heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan over medium low heat, heat the heavy cream until it just starts to simmer. Remove from the heat and immediately pour over the chocolate chips. Let this sit for about 3 minutes before whisking until smooth.
- Assemble the cupcakes: Pipe the strawberry frosting on each of the cupcakes then drizzle over the chocolate ganache. Sprinkle on a few crumbled freeze-dried strawberries if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Use room temperature buttermilk and eggs so everything mixes smoothly.
- When melting the butter, avoid overheating. If it's too hot, it can cook the eggs when added.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting to prevent the buttercream from melting.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!