Decadent Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes (with Strawberry Buttercream!)

These Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes are a truly decadent treat! Imagine rich, moist chocolate cupcakes filled with a sweet strawberry jam surprise, all topped with a vibrant and flavorful strawberry buttercream frosting made with real freeze-dried strawberries. I absolutely adore the classic combination of chocolate and strawberry, and this recipe takes it to a whole new level. They’re perfect for birthdays, Valentine’s Day, special occasions, or anytime you want an impressive and delicious dessert.

Why You’ll Love These Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes

• Classic Flavor Combo: The rich chocolate and sweet strawberry pairing is a match made in dessert heaven.
• Surprise Filling: The hidden strawberry jam filling adds an extra burst of fruity flavor and moisture.
• Real Strawberry Frosting: Using freeze-dried strawberries creates an intensely flavorful and beautifully colored buttercream without artificial flavors.
• Moist Chocolate Cupcake: The recipe uses buttermilk and coffee (classic additions for moist chocolate cake!) to ensure a tender crumb.
• Impressive Presentation: These cupcakes look stunning and are perfect for celebrations.

Ingredients for Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes

Here’s what you’ll need to make these decadent cupcakes. The full list with measurements is in the recipe card below.

Cupcakes

• All-purpose flour, sifted (Dry Ingredient)
• Granulated sugar (Sweetener)
• Unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted (Flavoring/Coloring)
• Baking powder (Leavening Agent)
• Baking soda (Leavening Agent)
• Salt (Seasoning)
• Buttermilk, room temperature (Dairy)
• Vegetable oil (Fat)
• Large eggs, room temperature (Binder)
• Vanilla extract (Flavoring)
• Freshly brewed strong hot coffee (Liquid)

Filling

• Strawberry jam (Fruit Preserve)

Strawberry Buttercream

• Freeze dried strawberries (Fruit)
• Salted butter, room temperature (Fat)
• Powdered sugar (Sweetener)
• Vanilla extract (Flavoring)
• Heavy cream (Dairy)

Garnish (Optional)

• Fresh Strawberries
• Chocolate Shavings/Curls

(Note: the full ingredients list, including measurements, is provided in the recipe card below.)

Variations

I love these Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes as is, but here are a few ideas for variations:

• Different Filling: Use raspberry jam, chocolate ganache, or even a cream cheese filling instead of strawberry jam.
• Different Frosting: Try a classic chocolate buttercream, vanilla frosting, or cream cheese frosting.
• Add Chocolate Chips: Stir some mini chocolate chips into the cupcake batter.
• Make it Spicy: Add a tiny pinch of cayenne pepper to the cocoa powder for a subtle kick.
• Different Berries: Garnish with raspberries or blueberries instead of strawberries.

How to Make Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes

Let me show you how to make these delicious Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes:

Make the Cupcakes

1. I prepare muffin tins with 24 paper liners and preheat my oven to 350ºF (175°C).
2. In a medium bowl, I whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In the bowl of my stand mixer, I mix the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla together.
4. With the mixer on low speed, I slowly add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients.
5. I add the hot coffee and mix until everything is just combined. The batter will be very thin – this is normal!
6. I fill the cupcake cups about ½ to ⅔ full.
7. I bake for about 18-21 minutes, or until the center of the cupcake springs back when I touch it gently.
8. I allow the cupcakes to cool completely on a cooling rack. While the cake is cooling, I make the frosting.

Make the Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

1. I place the freeze-dried strawberries into a food processor and pulse until it makes a fine powder. This gives the frosting intense strawberry flavor and natural color!
2. In my stand mixer bowl (cleaned), with the mixer on medium speed, I whip the room temperature butter for 2 minutes until it is almost white in color. Make sure the butter is at room temperature, but not melted.
3. I add in the powdered sugar, the strawberry powder, vanilla extract, and heavy cream.
4. I beat on low speed for 3-5 minutes until smooth and fluffy, adding another tablespoon of cream if the buttercream needs to be thinner for piping.

Assemble the Cupcakes

1. Once the cupcakes are completely cool, I use a knife (or a cupcake corer) to cut a small circle into the top center of each cupcake to create a pocket. I don’t go all the way to the bottom – I keep the hole about ¾” deep.
2. I spoon about a teaspoon of strawberry jam into the center to fill the cupcake.
3. Then, I place the cut piece of cake back on top to seal the cupcake.
4. I pipe the strawberry buttercream frosting onto the cupcakes in swirls.
5. I garnish with strawberries

Tips and Tricks for the BEST Cupcakes

Here are my secrets for making these Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes truly exceptional:

• Use Room Temperature Ingredients: Ensure your eggs, buttermilk, butter, and cream cheese are at room temperature (unless otherwise specified, like the heavy cream for frosting) for better incorporation and texture.
• Don’t Overmix Batter: Mix the cupcake batter just until combined. Overmixing develops gluten and can lead to tough cupcakes.
• Hot Coffee: The hot coffee blooms the cocoa powder, intensifying the chocolate flavor and contributing to a moist crumb.
• Freeze-Dried Strawberries: This is the key to intense, natural strawberry flavor in the frosting without adding extra liquid. You can find freeze-dried fruit in most major grocery stores or online [Link to a relevant, authoritative external source about where to buy freeze-dried fruit or its uses, e.g., a baking supply site or food blog].
• Cool Cupcakes Completely: Make sure the cupcakes are 100% cool before coring and frosting, otherwise the filling and frosting can melt.

How to Serve

These Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes are perfect for:

• Valentine’s Day: The chocolate and strawberry combination is classic romance!
• Birthdays: A delicious and festive birthday treat.
• Parties: An impressive dessert for any gathering.
• Just Because: Sometimes you just need a decadent cupcake!

Serve at room temperature.

Make Ahead and Storage

• Cupcakes: Baked and cooled unfrosted cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
• Frosting: The buttercream can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week or frozen for up to 2 months. Let it come to room temperature and re-whip briefly before using.
• Assembled Cupcakes: Store frosted cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Let them come to room temperature before serving for the best texture. ¹   1. chasingmylife.com chasingmylife.com

FAQs about Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes

• Can I use fresh strawberries in the frosting?
  • Fresh strawberries add too much liquid and can make the buttercream separate. Freeze-dried strawberries are essential for this frosting recipe.
• Can I use regular cocoa powder instead of black cocoa?
  • Yes, but black cocoa powder gives the cupcakes a deeper, darker color and a distinct flavor often compared to Oreos. Regular cocoa powder will result in a lighter-colored cupcake with a more traditional chocolate flavor.
• Can I make these cupcakes without the filling?
  • Absolutely! They will still be delicious chocolate cupcakes with strawberry frosting.

Enjoy these decadent, flavorful, and impressive Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes! They’re a perfect treat for any chocolate and strawberry lover.

Decadent Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes

• Author: Caoimhe Byrne
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 21 minutes
• Total Time: 51 minutes
• Yield: 24 cupcakes 1x
• Category: Dessert, Cupcakes
• Cuisine: American

Print Recipe

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Description

These decadent Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes feature moist, rich chocolate cupcakes filled with a sweet strawberry jam surprise and topped with a vibrant, flavorful strawberry buttercream frosting made with freeze-dried strawberries.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the Chocolate Cupcakes:

• 1 3/4 cups (219g) all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1 3/4 cups (350g) granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup (75g) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup hot, freshly brewed strong coffee (or hot water)

For the Strawberry Jam Filling:

• 3/4 cup strawberry jam (store-bought or homemade)

For the Strawberry Buttercream Frosting:

• 1 1/2 cups freeze-dried strawberries
• 1 cup (2 sticks, 226g) salted butter, room temperature (see notes)
• 4 cups (480g) powdered sugar (confectioners’ sugar)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup heavy cream, plus more as needed

Optional Garnish:

• Fresh strawberry slices
• Chocolate shavings or curls

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Instructions

1. Make the Chocolate Cupcakes:

• Preheat and Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two standard 12-cup muffin tins with 24 paper liners.
• Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the sifted flour, sugar, sifted cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined.
• Combine Wet Ingredients: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl using a hand mixer), combine the room-temperature buttermilk, oil, room-temperature eggs, and vanilla extract. Mix on low speed until just combined.
• Combine Wet and Dry: With the mixer running on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.  
• Add Hot Coffee: Carefully pour the hot coffee (or hot water) into the batter and mix on low speed until smooth. The batter will be very thin.
• Fill Liners: Fill each cupcake liner about 1/2 to 2/3 full with the batter.
• Bake: Bake for 18-21 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the tops spring back lightly when touched.
• Cool: Let the cupcakes cool in the muffin tins for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

2. Make the Strawberry Buttercream Frosting:

• Make Strawberry Powder: Place the freeze-dried strawberries into a food processor or blender. Pulse until they form a fine powder. Set aside.
• Whip Butter: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or in a large bowl using a hand mixer), beat the room-temperature salted butter on medium speed for 2 minutes until it’s very pale and creamy.
• Combine Frosting Ingredients: Add the powdered sugar, strawberry powder, vanilla extract, and 1/4 cup of heavy cream to the whipped butter.
• Beat Frosting: Beat on low speed until the ingredients start to combine, then increase the speed to medium-high and beat for 3-5 minutes, or until the frosting is light and fluffy.
• Adjust Consistency: If the buttercream is too thick for piping or spreading, add more heavy cream, 1 teaspoon at a time, until it reaches your desired consistency.

3. Assemble the Cupcakes:

• Core Cupcakes: Once the cupcakes are completely cool, use a small knife or a cupcake corer to cut a small cone-shaped section out of the top center of each cupcake, creating a small pocket. Do not go all the way to the bottom. You can discard the removed cake piece or save it for snacking.
• Fill Cupcakes: Spoon about 1 teaspoon of strawberry jam into the center pocket of each cupcake.
• Frost Cupcakes: Pipe or spread the strawberry buttercream frosting onto the cupcakes. Swirls look nice!
• Garnish (Optional): Garnish with fresh strawberry slices and/or chocolate shavings or curls, if desired.

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Notes

• Room Temperature Ingredients: Using room-temperature eggs, buttermilk, and butter helps the ingredients incorporate properly for the best texture.
• Coffee: Strong hot coffee enhances the chocolate flavor. You can substitute hot water if preferred.
• Cooling Cupcakes: Ensure cupcakes are completely cool before coring and frosting to prevent the frosting from melting.
• Freeze-Dried Strawberries: Freeze-dried strawberries provide intense strawberry flavor without adding extra liquid to the frosting. They can usually be found in the snack or dried fruit aisle of grocery stores, or online.
• Butter: The original recipe uses salted butter for the frosting. If using unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt to the frosting. Ensure the butter is at room temperature but not melted.
• Buttercream Consistency: Adjust the amount of heavy cream to achieve your desired frosting consistency for piping or spreading.
• Storage: Store frosted cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days (bring to room temperature before serving for best flavor and texture).