Welcome to our sweet sanctuary, where we unveil the ultimate treat for chocolate and strawberry enthusiasts – Mini Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cupcakes. Dive into a world of decadence as we combine rich chocolate flavors with the luscious sweetness of ripe strawberries. This recipe is a delightful fusion of moist chocolate cupcakes, topped with velvety strawberry-infused frosting and adorned with a miniature chocolate-covered strawberry. Whether you’re celebrating a special occasion or simply craving a delectable dessert, these miniature delights are sure to satisfy your sweet tooth. Join us as we share the step-by-step process of creating these irresistible Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes that will make your taste buds sing with delight. Let’s embark on this journey of baking perfection and indulge in the harmonious marriage of chocolate and strawberries.
Valentine’s Day is a great opportunity to show the people in your life how much you care about them. It’s not just a lovers’ holiday in my opinion as I’ve always been a fan of having an extra day and going the extra mile to share my sentiments for those who matter the most. Whether it’s a baking party with my niece, an intimate dinner with the husband or a dessert party with my favorite girls, it’s always a cause for celebrating and there is always chocolate involved.
Chocolate-covered strawberries are a classic Valentine’s Day treat that my husband’s grandmother sends us every year, and this year I decided to create a cupcake encompassing all the flavors of this favorite. These mini chocolate-covered strawberry cupcakes will suit any celebration you are planning.
Whether you are staying in with your spouse, having a romantic night with the kids, or hosting a party for your girlfriends, these mini chocolate-covered strawberry cupcakes must happen!
They are extremely easy to make and you can definitely recruit the kids or girls to get involved. Start with your favorite vanilla cupcake recipe. Mine is shared below and it is a moist, fluffy and crumbly vanilla cake that is always delicious. Line your Mini Muffin Pans with mini wrappers and fill with cupcake batter.
Bake for 8-10 minutes as these mini cupcakes bake up really fast.
Fill the cupcakes with fresh strawberry puree. I love using fresh strawberries to make fillings because it’s an added sweet surprise inside each cupcake.
The next step is whipping up the strawberry frosting using Mixer. I always whip my frosting for at least 10 minutes to make sure it’s fluffy and creamy.
Frost your cupcakes and chill for at least 20 minutes to harden.
Finally, coat each frosted cupcake in melted chocolate. I love using dark chocolate as it cuts down on the sweetness of the cupcakes.
These mini cupcakes are beyond adorable and are fun to make with kids, for a baking party with girlfriends or for a special someone on Valentine’s Day.
Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes Recipe
Makes 48 mini cupcakes
INGREDIENTS
For mini cupcakes
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
For strawberry filling
1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
For strawberry buttercream
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2-3 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-3 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
A pinch of salt
1/2 cup strawberry puree (from above)
For topping
4 ounces dark chocolate, melted and cooled
DIRECTIONS
For cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line your Mini Muffin Pan with mini cupcake liners.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
- Using a Mixer, cream butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes on medium speed. Add eggs one at a time, beating until just combined after each addition. Beat in vanilla extract.
- Reduce the Stand Mixer speed to low and slowly add half of the flour mixture to the batter. Add the buttermilk and beat until just combined. Add the rest of the flour and mix. Scrape down the side of the bowl as needed. Do not overmix.
- Divide batter into prepared tins. Fill each liner about 2/3 full. Bake cupcakes until lightly golden or a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 8-10 minutes.
- Remove the cupcakes from the pan and cool them completely on a wire rack.
- While the cupcake cools, make the filling. In a medium saucepan, combine the strawberries, sugar, and water. Cook until the strawberry is broken down and the sauce thickens. Divide into two and save one half as filling. The other half you can pass through a fine mesh and use in the frosting.
For strawberry frosting
- Whip butter for 8 minutes on medium speed using the flat beater of a KitchenAid® Stand Mixer. The butter will become pale and creamy.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and mix on low speed for 1 minute. Then increase speed to medium and mix for 6 minutes until the frosting is light, creamy, and fluffy.
- Frost-cooled cupcakes using your favorite decorating tip. I used Wilton Tip 1M for these cupcakes. Chill for about 20 minutes before coating with melted chocolate.
- Dip each frosted cupcake into the melted cupcake to coat the top. Let cupcakes sit for 10-15 minutes or until chocolate hardens.