Julie Clark
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Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes
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Perfect for Valentine’s Day or spring day! Soft Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes are moist chocolate cupcakes with strawberry filling. The strawberry buttercream will melt in your mouth!
Nothing says spring like a colorful cupcake! These fluffy chocolate cupcakes with strawberry filling are a deliciously rich milk chocolate cupcake paired with a strawberry buttercream flavored with real freeze-dried strawberries. We keep the strawberry filling simple by using strawberry jam.
You’ll love these Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes because they are 100% from scratch (although we’ll give shortcuts for busy days below). The beautiful cupcakes are the perfect treat for Valentine’s Day, but really any time of year. This chocolate cupcake recipe makes 24 cupcakes and they’d pair nicely on a dessert table with our chocolate strawberry galette.
How to Make Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes
This homemade cupcake recipe is 100% foolproof! It’s the perfect recipe to try if you’ve never made a homemade chocolate cake.
- Prepare cupcake pans with 24 cupcake liners. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In a stand mixer, mix the buttermilk, oil, eggs, vanilla together. Slowly add in the mix of dry ingredients while the mixer is on low. Add the coffee and make sure everything is combined. The batter will be very thin.
- Fill the cupcake cups about ½ to ⅔ full and bake for about 18-21 minutes or until the center of the cupcake springs back when you touch it (a toothpick inserted in the center may come out with a few moist crumbs.). Allow the cupcakes to cool on a cooling rack. While the cake is cooling, make the frosting.
- Although we have a strawberry frosting with fresh strawberry puree and a quick strawberry frosting with jam, we wanted to create a buttercream that had great strawberry flavor and color. To do that, place the freeze dried strawberries into a food processor and pulse until it makes a fine powder.
- In a stand mixer bowl, with the mixer on medium speed, whip the butter for 2 minutes until it is almost white in color. Make sure the butter is at room temperature, but not melted. Add in the powdered sugar, strawberry powder, vanilla and cream. Beat on low speed for 3-5 minutes, adding in another tablespoon of cream as needed.
- Use a knife or small spoon to cut a circle into the top center of the cupcake to create a pocket. Don’t go all the way to the bottom. Keep the hole about ¾” deep.
- Spoon a heaping teaspoon of strawberry jam into the middle of the cupcake. Then place the cut piece of cake back on top to seal the cupcake.
- Use a piping bag and Wilton Tip 1M or 2D to pipe swirls of strawberry buttercream frosting on the top of each cupcake. Then you can decorate the chocolate strawberry cupcake.
- Some variations for decorating the top are: fresh strawberries, chocolate-covered strawberries, chocolate chips or even drizzled with chocolate ganache.
Need a shortcut?
Use a chocolate cake mix to whip up the chocolate strawberry cupcakes quickly. Bake according to the box mix instructions. You can also buy Pillsbury or Betty Crocker strawberry frosting.
If you prefer cake mixes, try our strawberry cupcakes with cake mix.
Other Strawberry Recipes
- Strawberry Crumb Bars
- Strawberry Shortcake Scones
- Strawberry Shortcake Cheesecake
- Donut Strawberry Shortcake
- Strawberry Bread
- Strawberry Cookies
If you’re looking for a cake, try chocolate strawberry cake. You may also love chocolate strawberry brownies, whole grain cupcakes or Valentine’s Day cheesecake.
If you prefer white cake, try our white cream cupcakes or chocolate chip cupcakes.
Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes
Make that sweet tooth smile with these deliciously addicting Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cupcakes. A rich chocolate cupcake with strawberry filling is frosted with light strawberry buttercream.
Servings 24 servings
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Total Time 43 minutes
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup freshly brewed strong hot coffee
For the filling:
- 3/4 cup strawberry jam
For the strawberry buttercream
- 1 ½ cups freeze dried strawberries
- 1 cup salted butter room temperature
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ cup heavy cream plus more if needed for desired consistency
Instructions
Make the cupcakes:
- Prepare muffin tins with 24 paper liners. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar, ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt
- In a stand mixer, mix the buttermilk, oil, eggs, vanilla together. Slowly add in the mix of dry ingredients while the mixer is on low. Add the coffee and make sure everything is combined. The batter will be very thin. 1 cup buttermilk, ½ cup vegetable oil, 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 cup freshly brewed strong hot coffee
- Fill the cupcake cups about ½ to ⅔ full and bake for about 18-21 minutes or until the center of the cupcake springs back when you touch it. Allow the cupcakes to cool on a cooling rack. While the cake is cooling, make the frosting.
Make the frosting:
- Place the freeze dried strawberries into a food processor and pulse until it makes a fine powder. 1 ½ cups freeze dried strawberries
- In a stand mixer bowl, with the mixer on medium speed, whip the butter for 2 minutes until it is almost white in color. Make sure the butter is at room temperature, but not melted. Add in the powdered sugar, strawberry powder, vanilla and cream. 1 cup salted butter, 4 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoons vanilla extract, ¼ cup heavy cream
- Beat on low speed for 3-5 minutes, adding in another tablespoon of cream if the buttercream needs to be thinner for piping.
Assemble the cupcakes:
- Use a knife to cut a circle into the top center of the cupcake to create a pocket. Don’t go all the way to the bottom. Keep the hole about ¾” deep. Spoon a teaspoon of strawberry jam into the center to fill the cupcake, then place the cut piece of cake back on top to seal the cupcake. ¾ cup strawberry jam
- Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes in swirls. Garnish with strawberries and chocolate shavings or curls.
Notes
- Switch up the fruit with any other freeze-dried fruits you can find. Raspberry is also delicious!!
- Don’t have coffee? Use hot water and 1 tablespoon espresso powder.
- If you don’t have buttermilk, make a substitution. Add a teaspoon of vinegar to a measuring cup and fill it the rest of the way with milk. This works best with a high fat milk such as whole milk or half and half.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container on the counter for up to 24 hours or refrigerate for up to 5 days. To freeze, store in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before eating
- Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks.
Nutrition
Serving: 96g | Calories: 400kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 271mg | Potassium: 300mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 52g | Vitamin A: 309IU | Vitamin C: 182mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 4mg
