Description

These Decadent Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes combine rich chocolate cake with a luscious strawberry buttercream frosting. Topped optionally with elegant chocolate-covered fresh strawberries, these cupcakes offer a perfect balance of chocolatey depth and fruity sweetness, ideal for celebrations or indulgent treats.

Ingredients

Scale

Cupcake Batter

1 cup sugar (200g)
1 cup all purpose flour (120g)
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (42g)
½ tsp baking soda (3g)
½ tsp baking powder (2g)
½ tsp kosher salt (3.5g)
2 eggs (100g)
½ cup sour cream (114g)
⅓ cup warm black coffee or water
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract

Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup freeze dried strawberries, pulverized
3 cups powdered sugar
2 tbsp cream or milk
1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
1 pinch salt (optional)

Optional Chocolate Covered Strawberries

12 fresh strawberries (washed and dried with tops on)
½ cup dark chocolate

Instructions

Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners and set aside.
Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and kosher salt until thoroughly combined.
Add Wet Ingredients: Add eggs, sour cream, and warm coffee or water to the dry mix, whisking until a smooth batter forms with no lumps.
Incorporate Oil and Vanilla: Add vegetable oil and vanilla extract and mix well, ensuring all dry ingredients at the bottom are fully combined for an even batter.
Fill Cupcake Liners: Spoon batter into each cupcake liner filling about two-thirds full to allow room for rising.
Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 18 minutes. Then, cool the cupcakes in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Prepare Strawberry Powder: Pulverize freeze dried strawberries into a fine powder using a spice grinder, blender, or by crushing them inside a sealed bag with a rolling pin—this prevents clogging when piping.
Make Frosting Base: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine softened butter, pulverized strawberries, and powdered sugar.
Cream Ingredients: Start mixing on low speed, gradually increasing to high once the butter has incorporated most of the sugar, to avoid powder spills.
Mix Until Creamy: Continue mixing on high speed for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
Add Cream and Vanilla: Add cream (or milk) and optional vanilla extract, then mix for another minute until stiff peaks form. If the frosting is too thick, add another tablespoon of cream.
Pipe or Spread Frosting: Fill a piping bag fitted with a large tip and decorate cupcakes, or simply spread the frosting with a knife.
Prepare Chocolate Covered Strawberries (Optional): Wash and dry fresh strawberries thoroughly with tops intact to ensure the chocolate hardens correctly.
Melt Chocolate: Melt dark chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring between until fully melted and smooth.
Dip and Chill: Dip each strawberry into melted chocolate, remove excess chocolate, and lay on parchment paper to dry.
Set Chocolate: For quicker hardening, place the dipped strawberries in the freezer for 5 minutes.
Garnish Cupcakes: Top frosted cupcakes with the chocolate-covered strawberries for an elegant finish.

Notes

If you prefer not to use coffee, water works fine but coffee enhances the chocolate flavor.
Make sure freeze dried strawberries are pulverized finely to avoid clogging the piping bag.
Use room temperature butter for frosting to ensure smooth creaming.
Keep chocolate-covered strawberries dry; moisture will prevent proper chocolate hardening.
Store cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate up to 4 days.
The frosting can be adjusted in thickness with additional cream or powdered sugar, depending on piping preference.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 18 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 cupcake
Calories: 380 kcal
Sugar: 32 g
Sodium: 210 mg
Fat: 22 g
Saturated Fat: 12 g
Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
Trans Fat: 0.2 g
Carbohydrates: 42 g
Fiber: 3 g
Protein: 4 g
Cholesterol: 60 mg

Keywords: chocolate strawberry cupcakes, strawberry buttercream, chocolate cupcakes, chocolate covered strawberries, dessert cupcakes, easy cupcake recipe