Mini Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes

A moist rich chocolate cupcake that is filled with jammy strawberries then topped with a cream cheese strawberry frosting, a chocolate drizzle and of course that precious strawberry heart. The perfect indulgence.

When I was younger, cupcakes were for kids. Oh how times have changed. Cupcakes are a fun and delicious way to serve dessert at any age. I especially love making mini cupcakes. Not only do they taste great but they make such a great presentation. These Mini Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes don’t disappoint. The cake is super rich and tender and loaded with deep chocolate flavor while the jammy strawberries add a ton of moisture and natural sweetness. Then they are topped with a creamy strawberry cream cheese frosting that pops with strawberry flavor and drizzled with a smooth bittersweet chocolate and finished off with a precious strawberry heart. So whether to celebrate a birthday or Valentine’s Day they make the perfect treat that are sure to be loved by all.

Why You Will Love These Cupcakes:

• Flavor: Every bite is like a flavor explosion. Between the rich chocolate, the juicy strawberries and the creamy frosting, you will be sure to enjoy every bite.
• Ease: They might look complicated, but these cupcakes are in fact quite easy to make. They do have three steps, the cupcake itself, the jammy strawberries and the frosting, but each step is really easy to put together.
• Presentation: Whats not to love about these adorable cupcakes. The pink frosting really pops along side the chocolate cupcake and drizzle and that mini strawberry heart, need I say more?

Tips For Making These Cupcakes

• Cooling: It is very important that the cupcake and the jammy strawberry filling is completely cooled before assembling the cupcakes. When the cupcakes are completely cooled you will be able to remove the centers easily without damaging the whole cupcake. As the strawberries cool, they will thicken allowing for a more jammy consistency. Not to mention you never want to frost a warm cupcake.
• Avoid Over Mixing: You never want to over mix a cake batter. It will cause your cakes or cupcakes to become dense instead of fluffy and tender. You will want to mix your ingredients just until combined or until no more flour is visible.
• Avoid Over Baking: You want to bake these cupcakes until they are just done. Begin checking these cupcakes after 10 minutes by gently pressing on the top of one of the cupcakes. If it bounces back it’s ready. Over cooking will cause the cupcakes to become dense and dry. Nobody likes a dry cupcake.
• Make Ahead: You can make the strawberries and the cupcakes a day before you assemble them. This will allow for adequate cooling.

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What You Need To Make These Cupcakes

Equipment:

• Mixing Bowls: Having mixing bowls in a variety of sizes helps in the preparation of your recipes.
• Silicone Spatula: Having a good silicone spatula is important for mixing your ingredients and for scraping out your mixing bowls.
• Mini Cupcake Tray: If making mini cupcakes, you are going to want to use a mini cupcake baking tray. I like to use one that is sturdy and non stick for those times when you want to bake your cupcakes without liners.
• Mini Cupcake Liners: I like to use paper liners when making cupcakes or muffins. This will prevent sticking and allow for an easy cleanup.
• Medium Sized Ice Cream Scoop: I find the easiest way to fill your cupcake liners with batter is with an ice cream scoop. It will allow you to scoop out the same amount each time.
• Cupcake Corer: These corers can be used for coring apples or cupcakes. They work very well at removing a small amount of cupcake so that a filling can be added.

Ingredients:

• Flour: A good All Purpose Flour works best.
• Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: I like to use an Unsweetened Double Dark Cocoa Powder due to its rich flavor.
• Sugar: Granulated Sugar will not only add sweetness but also add texture to your recipe.
• Baking Powder & Baking Soda: These are the leavening agents which will allow your cupcakes to rise giving them a fluffy texture.
• Salt: A small amount of salt added to sweet recipes will help enhance the flavors in that recipe.
• Espresso Powder: I always add espresso powder to chocolate recipes. It will help intensify the chocolate flavor.
• Eggs: Used as a binder.
• Buttermilk: This will add a slightly tangy flavor and helps create a lighter fluffier texture to your cupcakes.
• Oil: I like to use Avocado Oil for its neutral flavor and its health benefit’s.
• Vanilla: I always opt for Pure Vanilla Extract Due to its intense vanilla flavor.
• Strawberries: For this recipe I used fresh strawberries for both the filling and the heart topper. Frozen strawberries can be substituted for the filling but not the heart topper.
• Lemon Juice: Fresh is always best.
• Butter: I always opt for a unsalted butter so that I can control the amount of salt in my recipes.
• Cream Cheese: It is very important that your cream cheese comes to room temperature so that it blends into the other ingredients smoothly.
• Powdered Sugar: Perfect for making a smooth and creamy frosting.
• Freeze Dried Strawberries: These will bring intense strawberry flavor.
• Bittersweet Chocolate Chips: Drizzled on top for a little extra chocolate flavor.