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A Chocolate Strawberry Cupcake cut in half, showing the strawberry jam filling.

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

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.

Ingredients

Scale

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

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.

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).

Find it online: https://itasty.net/decadent-chocolate-strawberry-cupcakes-with-strawberry-buttercream/