Indulge in the ultimate dessert experience with these irresistible **Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes**. This recipe harmoniously blends the rich, deep flavors of decadent chocolate cupcakes with the sweet, fresh taste of creamy strawberry frosting, all crowned with elegant, homemade chocolate-covered strawberries. Perfect for any occasion that calls for a touch of romance or a burst of delightful flavor, these moist, fluffy treats are guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser.
Whether you’re planning a romantic Valentine’s Day surprise, a festive birthday party, or simply craving a sophisticated dessert, these chocolate strawberry cupcakes offer an unparalleled taste sensation. Each bite delivers a perfect balance of intense cocoa and vibrant berry, making them a truly unforgettable dessert that brings the best of both worlds together.
If you’re a fan of classic flavor combinations, especially the timeless pairing of chocolate and strawberries, you are about to discover your new favorite cupcake recipe. These treats are not just visually stunning; they are packed with rich, authentic flavors, boast a wonderfully moist texture, and are incredibly fluffy, ensuring a melt-in-your-mouth experience.
Why You’ll Love These Strawberry Chocolate Cupcakes
- Irresistible Flavor Combination: Enjoy the perfect harmony of rich chocolate and creamy strawberry frosting, beautifully complemented by fresh, chocolate-covered strawberries. It’s a combination that’s simply impossible to resist.
- Perfect for Any Occasion: These elegant cupcakes are ideal for Valentine’s Day, anniversaries, birthday celebrations, or as a delightful dessert for any special gathering. They are a guaranteed hit with both children and adults.
- Simple & Accessible Recipe: Crafted with common pantry staples, the chocolate cupcake base is straightforward to prepare, making this a rewarding baking project for all skill levels.
- Visually Stunning: With their vibrant frosting and artfully decorated chocolate-dipped strawberries, these cupcakes are as beautiful to look at as they are delicious to eat, making them a centerpiece on any dessert table.
Essential Ingredients You’ll Need
Crafting these delectable cupcakes starts with high-quality ingredients, ensuring the best possible flavor and texture. This section provides an overview of the key components; full measurements and detailed instructions can be found in the comprehensive recipe card located at the bottom of this page.
For the Moist Chocolate Cupcakes:
- All-purpose flour: Essential for the structure of the cupcake. Ensure it’s packed correctly for accurate measurement.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: The heart of the chocolate flavor. Opt for a good quality cocoa for a richer taste.
- Granulated sugar: Provides sweetness and helps with the cupcake’s tender crumb.
- Baking powder: The leavening agent that gives the cupcakes their fluffy rise.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances the chocolate flavor.
- Unsalted butter (softened): Adds richness and moisture. Softened butter creamed with sugar creates a light, airy texture.
- Milk: Contributes to the moistness and tender crumb.
- Eggs: Bind the ingredients, add richness, and aid in structure.
- Vanilla extract: A crucial flavor enhancer that complements the chocolate beautifully.
For the Luxurious Strawberry Buttercream Frosting:
- Powdered sugar (confectioners’ sugar): The base for a smooth and creamy frosting.
- Unsalted butter (softened): Creates the rich, velvety texture of the buttercream.
- Freeze-dried strawberries: These are key for intense, natural strawberry flavor and a beautiful pink hue without adding excess moisture.
- Milk or heavy cream: Used to achieve the perfect consistency for piping a smooth, fluffy frosting.
For the Elegant Chocolate Covered Strawberries:
- Fresh strawberries: Choose ripe, firm strawberries of similar size for an attractive garnish.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips: For dipping the strawberries, providing a classic, rich chocolate shell.
- White chocolate chips: Optional, for decorative drizzling to add visual appeal.
Adaptable Recipe: Delicious Variations
This recipe is wonderfully versatile, allowing you to customize it to your taste or for different occasions. Here are a few ideas to inspire your culinary creativity:
- Strawberry Filled Cupcakes: For an extra burst of berry goodness, carefully hollow out the center of each baked cupcake using a small spoon or a cupcake corer. Fill the cavity with strawberry jam, fresh strawberry compote, or even a dollop of strawberry cream cheese frosting before topping with buttercream.
- Swirled Strawberry Batter: Before baking, after dividing the chocolate cupcake batter into the liners, swirl a teaspoon of strawberry jam or a homemade strawberry puree into each cupcake. This creates beautiful marbled patterns and adds a hint of fruity flavor throughout the cake.
- Chocolate Ganache Drizzle: If you prefer a more intense chocolate experience or want to skip the chocolate-covered strawberries on top, drizzle the strawberry frosting with a rich chocolate ganache. This adds another layer of decadent chocolate flavor and a glossy finish.
- Alternative Frostings: While strawberry buttercream is a highlight of this recipe, feel free to experiment with other frosting types. A Simple Cream Cheese Frosting would offer a tangy contrast, or a light and airy Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting could add a unique texture.
Before You Begin: Essential Baking Tools
Having the right tools can make your baking experience much smoother and more enjoyable. Here are the essential items you’ll need for these chocolate strawberry cupcakes:
- Hand mixer or a stand mixer: Crucial for properly mixing the cupcake batter and achieving a light, fluffy buttercream. A stand mixer offers convenience, but a good quality hand mixer works perfectly.
- Large mixing bowls: You’ll need at least two: one for dry ingredients and combining the cupcake batter, and another for making the buttercream.
- 12-cup muffin tin: The standard pan for baking cupcakes.
- Cupcake liners: Ensure easy removal and clean presentation.
- Wire rack: For cooling the cupcakes completely before frosting.
- Piping bag and Wilton 1M piping nozzle (optional but recommended): For beautifully piped strawberry buttercream swirls.
- Baking parchment paper: Essential for drying the chocolate-covered strawberries.
- Toothpicks: For dipping strawberries into melted chocolate.
Don’t forget to check out my Amazon storefront for some of my favorite baking products that make any recipe a breeze!
Step-by-Step Instructions for Perfect Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes
Let’s dive into the detailed process of creating these exquisite chocolate strawberry cupcakes. Following these steps carefully will ensure a delightful result. This is an overview; the complete, printable instructions are in the recipe card below.
Making the Chocolate Cupcakes:
- Prepare for Baking: Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a standard 12-hole muffin tin with paper cupcake liners.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, and softened unsalted butter.
- Initial Mixing: Using a handheld electric mixer or the paddle attachment of a stand mixer, mix these ingredients on low speed until the mixture resembles coarse sand or fine crumbs. This helps distribute the butter evenly and ensures a tender crumb.
- Prepare Wet Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, and vanilla extract until well combined.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Gradually pour the wet ingredient mixture into the dry ingredients in the large bowl. Start mixing on low speed, then increase to medium-high speed. Beat thoroughly for about 2 minutes until the batter is smooth and lump-free. Be careful not to overmix.
- Fill Liners: Divide the smooth chocolate cupcake batter evenly among the 12 prepared cupcake liners, filling each about two-thirds full.
- Bake: Bake in the center of your preheated oven for 18-20 minutes. The cupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, or when the tops spring back gently when touched with a finger.
- Cool: Once baked, remove the muffin tin from the oven and transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting. This is crucial for preventing your frosting from melting.
Creating the Strawberry Buttercream Frosting:
- Combine Frosting Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, add the powdered sugar, softened unsalted butter, and freeze-dried strawberries.
- Initial Mix: Using a handheld mixer or the paddle attachment, beat the ingredients together on low speed until the mixture resembles a sandy consistency. This incorporates the butter and powdered sugar without creating a cloud of sugar dust.
- Add Liquid and Whip: Gradually add 2-3 tablespoons of milk or heavy cream, starting with 2 tablespoons and adding more if needed to reach desired consistency. Increase the mixer speed to high and beat for 5 minutes. The buttercream should become very light, fluffy, and smooth.
- Prepare for Piping: Transfer the finished strawberry buttercream to a piping bag fitted with your desired piping nozzle (a Wilton 1M is excellent for swirls).
Crafting the Chocolate Covered Strawberries:
- Prepare Strawberries: Wash the fresh strawberries thoroughly and dry them completely with a paper towel. Any moisture will prevent the chocolate from adhering properly.
- Melt Semi-Sweet Chocolate: Place the semi-sweet chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in short bursts (e.g., 30 seconds initially, then 15-second intervals), stirring well after each interval, until completely melted and smooth. Be careful not to burn the chocolate.
- Dip Strawberries: Hold each strawberry by the stem end or poke a toothpick into the stalk. Dip each strawberry into the melted semi-sweet chocolate, coating it about two-thirds of the way up. Place the dipped strawberries on a sheet of baking parchment paper to dry.
- Melt White Chocolate (Optional): Once all strawberries are coated in semi-sweet chocolate, melt the white chocolate chips in the microwave using the same short-burst method.
- Drizzle: Transfer the melted white chocolate to a small piping bag or a ziplock bag with a tiny corner snipped off. Drizzle the white chocolate decoratively over the semi-sweet chocolate-coated strawberries. Let them set completely on the parchment paper.
Assembling Your Cupcakes:
- Frost Cupcakes: Once the cupcakes are completely cooled and the chocolate-covered strawberries have set, pipe beautiful swirls of strawberry buttercream on top of each chocolate cupcake.
- Garnish: Finish each cupcake by carefully placing one homemade chocolate-covered strawberry on top of the frosting.
Pro Tips for Perfect Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes
Achieving bakery-quality cupcakes at home is easier than you think with these expert tips:
- Strawberry Preparation is Key: It is crucial to wash all strawberries thoroughly to remove any invisible mold spores or residue. After washing, use a paper towel to dry them meticulously. Any leftover moisture will cause the chocolate to seize or the strawberries to weep, compromising the final look and texture.
- Tempering Chocolate for Shine: Chocolate burns very easily in the microwave. Always melt chocolate in very short bursts (e.g., 30 seconds for the first interval, then 15 seconds thereafter). Make sure to stir the chocolate chips thoroughly between each microwaving session; this evenly distributes the heat and helps prevent burning. For a truly glossy finish, when you notice that almost all the chocolate chips have melted, stop heating and continue stirring vigorously. The residual heat from the melted chocolate will temper the remaining chips, ensuring a smooth, shiny coating.
- Bain-Marie Method: An alternative and often preferred method for tempering chocolate is the bain-marie (double boiler). Fill a small saucepan with a couple of inches of water and bring it to a gentle simmer. Place your chocolate chips in a heatproof glass bowl and set this bowl on top of the saucepan, ensuring the bottom of the bowl does not touch the simmering water. The steam will gently melt the chocolate, allowing for greater control and a perfect temper.
- Setting Chocolate-Covered Strawberries: Allow the chocolate to set on the strawberries at room temperature, which typically takes 10-15 minutes. Avoid placing them in the refrigerator immediately, as this can cause condensation to form on the outside of the chocolate, leading to a dull finish and potential stickiness.
- Don’t Overmix the Batter: Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour too much, leading to tough, dense cupcakes. Mix just until the ingredients are combined and the batter is smooth.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Ensure butter, eggs, and milk are at room temperature. This helps them emulsify better, creating a smoother batter and a more even texture in your baked goods.
Make Ahead & Storage Guidelines
These delicious cupcakes can be prepared in stages to fit your schedule, and knowing how to store them properly will ensure they remain fresh and delightful.
Make Ahead:
You can prepare the chocolate-covered strawberries 3-4 hours in advance. However, I don’t recommend making them much longer than that, as fresh strawberries eventually start to seep juice, which can make them soggy and affect the chocolate coating.
Storage:
- Refrigerate: Once frosted and decorated, these cupcakes should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will maintain their freshness and flavor for at least 2 days.
- Freeze: For longer storage, freeze the unfrosted chocolate cupcakes. Allow them to cool completely, then wrap them individually in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-safe bag or container. They can be frozen for up to 2-3 months. When ready to serve, thaw them at room temperature, then frost and decorate as usual. The chocolate-covered strawberries are best made fresh, so add them after thawing and frosting.
Perfect Pairings: What to Serve With
These chocolate strawberry cupcakes are a treat on their own, but pairing them with the right beverage or accompaniment can elevate the experience even further. Consider serving them with:
- A tall, cold glass of milk for a classic combination.
- A warm cup of milk tea for a comforting touch.
- Your favorite coffee blend, which perfectly complements the rich chocolate flavors.
- More fresh strawberries or a medley of mixed berries on the side, adding a refreshing contrast to the sweetness of the cupcakes.
More Decadent Desserts You Might Also Enjoy
If you loved these chocolate strawberry cupcakes, be sure to explore more delightful dessert recipes that are equally irresistible:
- Chocolate and White Chocolate Covered Strawberries
- No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake Cups
- Strawberry Shortcake Bundt Cake
- How to Store Chocolate Covered Strawberries
- Moist Coffee Cupcakes with Coffee Buttercream
- Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes
- Blueberry Lemon Bars
- Cranberry Lemon Bars
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
If freeze-dried strawberries are unavailable, you can use fresh strawberries. To do this, puree about ¾ cup of fresh strawberries in a food processor. Transfer the puree to a small saucepan and cook it over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the liquid has reduced by half. Remove from heat and let it cool completely. Once cooled, add this concentrated strawberry puree to your buttercream in place of the freeze-dried strawberries. Be mindful that this might alter the frosting’s color and slightly change its consistency, potentially requiring minor adjustments to powdered sugar or milk.
Achieving the perfect frosting consistency is key for beautiful piping. If your strawberry buttercream is too thick, add a small splash (half a teaspoon at a time) of milk or heavy cream and beat until it reaches your desired smoothness. If it turns out too thin, gradually add more powdered sugar, a tablespoon at a time, beating after each addition until the frosting is firm enough to hold its shape for piping.
While this specific recipe uses all-purpose flour, you can often adapt it to be gluten-free by substituting a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend. Ensure your blend contains xanthan gum, or add a quarter teaspoon per cup of flour if it doesn’t, to help with structure. Results may vary slightly in texture.
To guarantee moist cupcakes, follow a few key practices: do not overmix the batter, as this develops gluten and can lead to a tough, dry texture. Use room temperature ingredients, as they emulsify better. And most importantly, do not overbake! Check for doneness with a toothpick and remove from the oven as soon as they pass the test.
Strawberry Chocolate Cupcakes
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe
Rate This Recipe
Ingredients
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour packed
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
- ¼ cup unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup milk
- 2 eggs
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Chocolate Covered Strawberries
- 12 strawberries
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¼ cup white chocolate chips
For the Buttercream
- 2 + ½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ freeze dried strawberries
- 2-3 Tablespoons milk or heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Line a 12-hole cupcake tin with cupcake liners.
- In a large bowl add the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, salt and butter.
- Use a handheld electric mixer or the paddle attachment fitted to a stand mixer to thoroughly mix together. The mixture should have a sandy consistency.
- In a separate bowl, beat together the milk, eggs and vanilla extract.
- Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Beat on high speed and beat well for a couple of minutes or until the cupcake batter is smooth.
- Divide the cupcake batter between the 12 cupcake liners.
- Bake in the center of the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes or until the cupcakes bounce back when touched with a finger.
- Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely on a cooling rack.
Chocolate covered strawberries
- Wash and thoroughly dry the strawberries.
- Melt the semi-sweet chocolate chips in the microwave in very short bursts, stirring frequently.
- Then poke a toothpick into the stalk end and use it to dip the strawberries into the melted chocolate. Set aside on a sheet of baking parchment to dry.
- When all the strawberries have been coated in the semi-sweet chocolate, melt the white chocolate chips in the microwave in very short bursts as before.
- Add the white chocolate to a piping bag then make a small incision by snipping the end of the bag with scissors. Drizzle the white chocolate on top of the coated strawberries. Leave to set.
Strawberry buttercream
- Add the powdered sugar, butter and freeze dried strawberries to a large mixing bowl.
- Use a handheld electric mixer or the paddle attachment fitted to a stand mixer to beat the ingredients together until sandy.
- Add the milk or heavy cream slowly, then increase the speed to high and beat for 5 minutes. The buttercream should be very light, fluffy and smooth.
- Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1M piping nozzle.
- Pipe swirls of strawberry buttercream on top of the cupcakes.
- Add a chocolate covered strawberry to decorate each cupcake.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 62g |
Protein: 4g |
Fat: 20g |
Saturated Fat: 12g |
Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g |
Monounsaturated Fat: 5g |
Trans Fat: 1g |
Cholesterol: 63mg |
Sodium: 108mg |
Potassium: 155mg |
Fiber: 1g |
Sugar: 54g |
Vitamin A: 432IU |
Vitamin C: 8mg |
Calcium: 103mg |
Iron: 1mg
Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!
Mention @AmirasPantry or tag #AmirasPantry!