These Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cupcakes start with moist dark chocolate cake, filled with strawberry chocolate ganache and topped with strawberry frosting and a beautifully dipped strawberry.
Welcome to Valentine’s Day Sweets & Cocktails. A day to celebrate all the deliciously wonderful treats (and cocktails) to be had.
Whether you are celebrating Valentine’s Day or simply hosting a Galentine’s event, you will find something for everyone!
Why We Love These Cupcakes
- Lovely chocolate flavor with a moist crumb, filled with a really easy ganache filling and topped with strawberry frosting. And if you’re feeling particularly elegant, top with a chocolate dipped strawberry!
- While there are a few steps, this is still a very easy, fool proof recipe to make something that will wow anyone!
- They will make anyone smile.
- You probably already have most of the ingredients, if you do any sort of baking.
The History of the Cupcake
Did you know that the first mention of a cupcake recipe goes as far back as 1796.
A woman named Amelia Simmons wrote a recipe in her cookbook, “American Cookery” which referenced, “a cake to be baked in small cups”.
“American Cookery” was believed to be the first cookbook authored by an American published in the United States. Fun fact!
However, in 1828 in a cookbook titled “Seventy-five Recipes for Pastry, Cakes and Sweetmeats”, authored by Eliza Leslie, is the first mention of the word ‘cupcake’.
Just a little cupcake education for you today!
Tips for Baking the Best Cupcakes
- Always use the best ingredients possible. Now isn’t the time to use imitation vanilla, over real vanilla extract – go for the best ingredients you can get.
- Always bring your ingredients to room temperature. The reason for this is to help the ingredients combine better. Cold ingredients have a harder time combining with the other elements and often result in clumps or areas where things aren’t combined properly.
- Never over mix your batter. There is a whole science behind why this is a bad idea which involves the crushing of air bubbles that you need for your cupcakes to get light, fluffy and stay moist. You can read about it here if you’d like.
- Fill all cupcake liners evenly. Using a cupcake batter scoop or ice cream scoop to fill cupcake liners evenly is important. This allows for all cupcakes to bake evenly so you don’t wind up with some that are overcooked and some that still have raw spots. These are my favorite batter scoops to ensure even filling every time.
- Do not allow cupcakes to cool in your pan. Allow them to rest a minute or two and then immediately remove them to a cooling rack (this one is my favorite). Leaving them in the pan can cause them to overcook which will cause them to dry out. You don’t want a dry cupcake.
More Delicious Sweets and Treats
Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cupcakes
Yield:
2 dozen
Prep Time:
30 minutes
Cook Time:
18 minutes
Total Time:
48 minutes
These Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cupcakes start with moist dark chocolate cake, filled with strawberry chocolate ganache and topped with strawberry frosting and a beautifully dipped strawberry.
Ingredients
CUPCAKES
- ¾ cup butter, room temperature
- 2 cups sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ¾ cup dark cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cup milk
FILLING
- 8 whole strawberries
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
FROSTING
- ¾ cup chopped strawberries
- ½ cup butter, room temperature
- 3 ½ - 4 cups powdered sugar
- water/milk
- Pink gel icing color, optional
Instructions
FOR CUPCAKES
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Add paper liners to a muffin tin. Set aside.
- In a bowl, mix the butter and sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, just until eggs are combined. Mix in vanilla and beat until blended.
- Add the flour, dark cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.
- Add the milk to the flour mixture a little at a time, beating just until everything is combined.
- Spoon batter into cupcake tins lined with paper liners or lightly greased, to ⅔ full.
- Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 16-18 minutes, until done. Use a toothpick to test for doneness, inserting in center, if it comes out clean with no batter or crumbs, the cupcakes are ready.
- Let cupcakes rest in pan for 2-3 minutes before removing to racks to cool completely. Once cool, frost as desired.
TO FILL (Strawberry Chocolate Ganache)
- Chop the strawberries into pretty small pieces.
- In a small sauce pan over medium low heat, add the strawberries, granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon water. Stir constantly until the sugar is dissolved and mixture begins to boil. Remove from heat.
- In a large bowl, combine the strawberry mixture and the chocolate chips, stirring gently.
- Pour the heavy whipping cream in a microwave safe bowl and heat for 1 minute.
- Pour the heated whipping cream over the strawberry & chocolate mixture and cover. Allow to sit about 5 minutes.
- Remove the cover and whisk the mixture until the chocolate is completely melted. Allow to sit for at least 5-10 minutes before piping into the cupcakes.
- When the strawberry chocolate ganache is ready, it's time to fill the cupcakes.
- Using a melon baller, or tiny scoop, coming in from the top of the cupcake, remove a bit of the cake down through the center. Reserve the little cake ball.
- Fill the center of each cupcake with the strawberry chocolate ganache and place the remaining cake back on top pushing down gently to fill the hole.
- Repeat with all cupcakes.
FOR FROSTING
- When ready to frost the cupcakes, add the chopped strawberries to a food processor and puree until smooth. Set puree aside.
- Beat the butter until smooth. Add about half of the powdered sugar and mix until well combined and smooth. Add 2-3 tablespoons of strawberry puree and mix until well combined.
- Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
- IF FROSTING IS TOO THIN, ADD A LITTLE POWDERED SUGAR A TABLESPOON AT A TIME. IF FROSTING IS TOO THICK, ADD MILK OR WATER BY THE TABLESPOON UNTIL DESIRED CONSISTENCY.
- Add pink gel icing color until you have your desired shade of pink frosting, mixing well between additions.
- Fill piping bag and pipe the frosting on top of each cupcake.
- Top with chocolate shavings and strawberry pieces or a chocolate covered strawberry.
Valentine's Pretzel Hugs (3 Ingredients!) - Take Two Tapas
Tuesday 19th of April 2022
[…] Daily Dish Recipes – Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cupcakes […]
Jennifer
Wednesday 9th of February 2022
Super cute and fun! I love the traditional chocolate covered strawberries but these cupcakes are so much better!! My valentine is going to love me even more!
Sue Ringsdorf
Saturday 5th of February 2022
I love the presentation of these delicious Valentine's cupcakes! Simply amazing and my family was super impressed!
Nikki
Friday 4th of February 2022
How fun and delicious are these cupcakes! Perfect for Valentines!
Julie
Friday 4th of February 2022
What a beautiful idea adding that strawberry and I just loved how you filled them too. They're gorgeous!