Description
Dark chocolate and strawberry cupcakes combine rich cocoa with sweet berry notes for an irresistible dessert. Bakers can craft these elegant treats through simple techniques and quality ingredients for a memorable culinary experience.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup (125 grams) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (50 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup (120 ml / 4 fl oz) buttermilk
- ½ cup (120 ml / 4 fl oz) hot coffee
- ¼ cup (60 ml / 2 fl oz) vegetable oil
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup (225 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups (360 grams) powdered sugar, sifted
- ¼ cup (60 ml / 2 fl oz) fresh strawberry puree
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
- Pink gel food coloring (optional)
- Fresh strawberries (optional)
- Dark chocolate shavings or curls (optional)
Instructions
- Oven Preparation: Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- Dry Ingredient Fusion: Sift flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt into a large mixing bowl, ensuring complete integration.
- Liquid Component Blending: Whisk buttermilk, hot coffee, vegetable oil, egg, and vanilla extract in a separate bowl until uniformly mixed.
- Batter Creation: Merge wet and dry ingredients, stirring gently until achieving a smooth, slightly fluid consistency without overmixing.
- Baking Process: Distribute batter evenly into cupcake liners, filling two-thirds full, then bake for 18-22 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Cooling Stage: Rest cupcakes in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack for complete cooling.
- Buttercream Crafting: Cream butter using an electric mixer, gradually adding powdered sugar while mixing to create a silky smooth texture.
- Flavor Infusion: Incorporate strawberry puree, vanilla extract, and salt into buttercream, adjusting color with food coloring if desired.
- Final Decoration: Once cupcakes are thoroughly cooled, pipe or spread strawberry buttercream across the surface, garnishing with fresh strawberry slices, dark chocolate shavings, or an elegant chocolate drizzle.
Notes
- Optimize Oven Temperature: Ensure precise 350F (175C) by using an oven thermometer to prevent uneven baking or dry cupcakes.
- Control Liquid Ratio: Maintain a slightly thin batter consistency by slowly incorporating wet ingredients, preventing dense or heavy texture.
- Master Buttercream Technique: Beat butter until light and fluffy, then add powdered sugar gradually to avoid lumpy or grainy frosting.
- Customize Flavor Variations: Experiment with alternative fruit purees like raspberry or swap dark chocolate for milk chocolate to personalize the recipe.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 11
- Calories: 300
- Sugar: 30 g
- Sodium: 200 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg