DARK CHOCOLATE STRAWBERRY CUPCAKES
Smothered in romance
The colour pink and fresh Strawberries seem to be two things that are popping up in my studio quite often these days. Not just because we all love the two together (of course), or because beautiful fresh strawberries are in season, but because the combination of the two paired with white, dark or milk chocolate always continue to remain a beautiful combination of elegance, indulgence and… romance! A totally timeless, endless love.
I don’t know about you, but the thought of chocolate dipped strawberries bring to mind romantic candle lit dinners, wine and pure dessert indulgence… actually, come to think of it, that wine combination may even be the next one to feature - a red wine truffle filing? Don't mind if I do!
Just the thought makes me want to whip up a sugar coated night of romance, and of course I would… if I wasn’t completely full from devouring a batch of these already.
Here one second, gone the next... whoops!
Trust me when I say these babies are addictive. If you don’t like rich and chocolatey amazingness then Im sorry, you’ve come to the wrong place because these are heart stoppers! A delicious rich chocolate cupcake, smooth and silky strawberry buttercream topped with fresh strawberries and smothered in chocolate fudge sauce (plus a Kit Kat if you’re feeling extra adventurous!)
Oh, and to pipe the seductive swirl I used one of my favourite piping tips, the Wilton Open Star tip (1M). It's such a versatile tip to use when piping and always gives cakes and cupcakes an elegant effect.
Difficulty: Capable Baker
Gather The Following...
Now, Lets Begin!
Start by preheating your oven to 160 degrees celsius, then line 2 x 12 Cup muffin tins with liners and set aside.
Combine the chocolate, butter, sugar and milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the butter and white chocolate have completely melted and you achieve a smooth glossy mixture.
Remove the mixture from the heat and allow it to cool while you prepare the other ingredients.
Lightly beat the eggs together with the vanilla and add to the cooled mixture until no streaks of egg remain.
Sift both the self-raising and plain flour into a large bowl, slowly add one cup of the white chocolate mixture to the flour, stirring thoroughly between each addition to ensure no lumps remain. Repeat until both the chocolate and sifted flours are completely combined.
Pour mixture into prepared cupcake tins and bake in preheated oven for 35-45 mins or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
While the cupcakes are cooling prepare your buttercream!
To make your strawberry buttercream begin by placing your strawberries into a food processor and blitz until they become a thick puree.
Push the strawberry puree through a sieve to extract any of the strawberry seeds and set aside until needed. You will need a 1/2 cup of puree. *Alternatively this can be relaced with a 1/2 cup of Strawberry Jam for a sweeter frosting.
Next, beat the butter on high using an electric stand mixer until light and fluffy (roughly 5-7 minutes). Once butter has softened, add in the strawberry puree and rosewater then beat until fully incorperated.
Lastly, add in the powdered sugar, one cup at a time until combined. If the frosting is too runny, add more sifted icing sugar - if it is too thick, add in some thickened cream or milk.
300g Good Quality Dark Chocolate
200g Salted Butter
¾ cup White Sugar
250ml Full Cream Milk
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 Eggs, lightly beaten
2/3 cup Self-Raising Flour
1 cup Plain All Purpose Flour
Strawberry Buttercream
175g Fresh Strawberries
500g Unsalted Butter, softened
6 cups Powdered Sugar
1 tsp Rosewater
Toppings!
Store bought or home made
Chocolate Sauce
Fresh Strawberries
Chocolate Strands and Spinkles
4 KitKats Bars