A play of chocolate, strawberries, and cream cheese in the form of a cupcake. These chocolate strawberry cupcakes are balanced for summer, but also perfect for strawberry cravings off the berry season, as fresh strawberries are used only for decoration. They are easy to make and quick to disappear from the table.
Deep Flavor Chocolate Cupcakes
These cupcakes have a deep chocolate flavor with a subtle hint of coffee, which may not be clearly distinguishable but definitely adds a nice touch. You might have already tried this recipe if you made my Chocolate Caramel Cupcakes, but strawberry filling and strawberry frosting make these chocolate cupcakes quite a different and amazing treat.
Light and Creamy Strawberry Frosting
I could eat this frosting alone with a spoon, as it’s so delicious and light. It’s not too sweet, not too buttery, and truly tastes like strawberries. Plus, it’s super easy to make, with the only “heads up” being to use room temperature ingredients.
Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes
A play of chocolate, strawberries, and cream cheese in the form of a cupcake. These chocolate strawberry cupcakes are balanced for summer, but also perfect for strawberry cravings off the berry season.
- Prep Time15 min
- Bake / Cook Time25 min
- Total Time40 min
- Yield12 cupcakes
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 50 g / 1,76 oz strong black coffee (preferably espresso)
- 25 g / 0,88 oz natural cocoa powder
- 10 g / 0,35 oz rum or brandy
- 150 g / 5,29 oz unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 200 g / 7,05 oz light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs (~120-140 g / 4,23-4,93 oz in total without shells)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 160 g / 5,64 oz wheat flour (cake or plain flour)
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ⅛ tsp salt
Strawberry Frosting
- 140 g / 4,93 oz cream cheese
- 140 g / 4,93 oz unsalted butter (softened)
- 120 g / 4,23 oz sweetened condensed milk
- 12 g / 0,42 oz powdered lyophilized strawberries
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ⅛ tsp salt
Directions
Chocolate Cupcakes
Prepare coffee and till it’s still hot pour it onto cocoa powder. Add rum and mix everything well till you get an even melted chocolate-like consistency. Set aside to cool.
Preheat the oven to 160°C / 320°F and line a cupcake pan with 12 standard-sized cupcake liners (bottom diameter ~5 cm / 2 inch).
In a bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt well. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, cream room-temperature butter with sugar for a few minutes until light and fluffy.
Add eggs, one at a time, and mix until combined.
Add cooled coffee-cocoa mixture and vanilla extract. Mix until combined.
Sift flour with baking powder into the batter and mix everything with a silicone spatula or a spoon just until combined.
Distribute the batter between 12 standard-sized cupcake liners (bottom diameter ~5 cm / 2 inch). You should have about ⅔ of the liners filled.
Bake in the middle rack of the oven for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean.
Remove baked cupcakes from the pan and transfer them to a rack to cool completely.
Strawberry Frosting
Combine cream cheese, softened butter, and sweetened condensed milk in a bowl. Beat with a handheld or stand mixer on a low-medium speed till everything is well combined.
Add powdered lyophilized strawberries, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat further until well combined, light, and fluffy.
Fill and frost the cupcakes
After the cupcakes have cooled completely, cut a circle into the center of the cupcakes with a small knife or any other sharp tool (I like using a potato peeler for this).
Fill cupcakes with strawberry jam.
Transfer the strawberry filling into a piping bag and frost the filled cupcakes. Decorate with fresh strawberry slices and basil leaves.
Serve immediately or keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Let them come to room temperature before serving.
notes
- If you are concerned about consuming caffeine, use decaffeinated coffee or change to the same amount of hot water.
- Lower baking temperature and slightly longer baking time help cupcakes to rise more evenly. 160°C / 320°F worked best for me in this case, but you can slightly adjust the temperature according to your oven.
- While making strawberry frosting, start with all ingredients at room temperature for the best results.
- If you only have whole lyophilized strawberries, powder them with a food processor and sift through a whisk. You will be left with some larger chunks, which you can sprinkle on top of cupcakes as a decoration.
