Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes

Instructions

Chocolate Cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 350℉ (177℃). Line a cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners.
In a small mixing bowl, stir together the dark cocoa/dutch-process cocoa powder, semisweet chocolate chips, and boiling water until the chocolate chips are melted. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt. Pour in the slightly cooled chocolate mixture into the flour mixture and whisk until well combined. Add in the vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract, and whisk until the cupcake batter is well combined and smooth (the batter will be thin).
Portion the cupcake batter into the cupcake liners, filling about ⅔-¾ full. Use a large liquid measuring cup or a bowl with a spout to easily fill the liners.
Bake the cupcakes for about 20 minutes or until the tops of the cupcakes bounce back slightly when gently touched. Cool the cupcakes in the pan for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Strawberry Filling

In a small saucepan, combine the frozen strawberries, granulated sugar, and lemon juice. Cook over medium-low heat stirring occasionally until the strawberries are broken down and the mixture is bubbling. Mash the strawberries with a wooden spoon to break them up.
In a small separate bowl, mix together the cornstarch and water until smooth.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the cornstarch slurry and mix well until the mixture thickens. Transfer the strawberry filling to a heat-proof bowl and cool to room temperature. If making ahead, store the strawberry filling in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

Before making the buttercream, make the strawberry reduction. You can make the strawberry reduction up to a week in advance and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Bring the reduction to room temperature before making the buttercream.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, whip the room temperature unsalted butter for 5 minutes until light, pale, and creamy.
Add in half of the powdered sugar and mix on the lowest speed until the sugar is combined with the butter. Add the remaining half of the powdered sugar and continue to mix on low speed until fully combined.
Add in the strawberry reduction and mix on low speed until fully combined with the butter mixture. Then, add in the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and salt, and continue to mix on low speed until combined and smooth. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure the ingredients are well incorporated.
Increase the mixer speed to medium and whip the buttercream for about 3 to 5 minutes until it is smooth and creamy. If the buttercream looks split or curdled, this is normal, just continue to whip until it emulsifies and turns smooth and creamy. Then, turn the mixer to low speed and mix the buttercream for several minutes to remove air bubbles.
Optional: To smooth out the buttercream, melt 1 cup of the frosting in the microwave for 15 seconds. Pour the melted frosting back into the mixing bowl and mix the frosting on low speed until the buttercream is super smooth and creamy.

Chocolate Ganache

In a small microwave-safe bowl, heat the semisweet chocolate chips and heavy cream in the microwave in 15 second intervals, stirring in between each interval, until the chocolate is melted and the ganache is smooth. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes.

Assembling the Cupcakes

Use an apple corer to remove the center of the chocolate cupcakes. Plunge the corer about ⅔ of the way down the cupcake, twist, and remove the cake.
Fill a piping bag with the strawberry filling and pipe the filling into the center of the cupcakes.
Fill a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1M piping tip with strawberry buttercream frosting. Pipe a generous swirl of the strawberry buttercream onto the filled cupcakes.
Use a piping bag or squeeze bottle to drizzle the cooled chocolate ganache over the strawberry frosting and decorate the cupcakes with freeze-dried strawberries.

Notes

Storing & Serving:

Room temperature: Store the cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day.
Refrigerator: Store the cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Serve at room temperature for the best taste and texture.

Recipe Tip: Make the strawberry filling and strawberry reduction ahead of time and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1 week.

Note: Metric conversions and nutritional information are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information.

Recipe Update: This recipe was updated February 2026. The cupcake and frosting recipes are the same. I added the strawberry filling, chocolate ganache, and freeze-dried strawberries, and removed the chocolate covered strawberries.

Equipment

Ingredients

Chocolate Cupcakes

Strawberry Filling

Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

Chocolate Ganache

Additional Ingredients

Instructions

Chocolate Cupcakes

Strawberry Filling

Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

Chocolate Ganache

Assembling the Cupcakes

Notes

Nutrition

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