Double Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes
These Double Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes taste like a decadent chocolate-covered strawberry in cupcake form. Featuring a rich, fudgy chocolate sponge and a silky strawberry buttercream made from a real fruit reduction, this dessert is bold, elegant, and completely free of artificial flavors or coloring.
Equipment
- Cupcake Pan
- Mixing bowls
- Electric mixer
- Saucepan
- Fine-mesh sieve
- Piping bag and tip
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ¾ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 1 ½ tsp baking soda
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ¾ cup buttermilk, room temperature
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ cup hot coffee or hot water
- 1 ½ cups fresh or frozen strawberries
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (for frosting)
- 3–4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (for frosting)
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Cook strawberries over medium heat for 10–12 minutes, mashing as they soften. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve to remove seeds. Return juice to pan and simmer until reduced to about 3 tablespoons. Cool completely.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a cupcake pan. Whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Add egg, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla to dry ingredients. Mix until combined, then slowly stir in hot coffee until batter is smooth and thin.
- Fill liners just over halfway full. Bake for 18–22 minutes until tops spring back. Cool completely before frosting.
- Beat butter until pale and fluffy. Gradually add powdered sugar, cooled strawberry reduction, vanilla, and salt. Whip until light and vibrant pink.
- Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes. Garnish with fresh strawberry slices or a drizzle of chocolate ganache if desired.
Notes
Store cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for up to 4 days. Bring to room temperature before serving for best texture.