Tender chocolate cake filled with fresh strawberries drizzled with chocolate, frosted with a strawberry cream cheese frosting and topped with a chocolate covered strawberry.
These cupcakes were divine and so perfect for Valentines Day!

Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients

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• 2 cup cake flour
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup salted butter
• 1 ½ cup light brown sugar
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 ½ cup buttermilk
• 2 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

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Preheat oven to 350℉ and line two cupcake pans with cupcake liners.
In a bowl, sift together dry ingredients, set aside.
In mixer, beat butter on high until creamy and smooth.
Add in brown sugar and granulated sugar, mix on high for 2 minutes.
Add eggs to butter mixture and mix just until combined.
Take bowl full of dry ingredients, and buttermilk and add it alternately to the butter mixture.
Start by adding ⅓ of flour mix, then half of the milk, then another ⅓, then more milk, and finish with the last ⅓ of the flour.
Scoop cupcake batter into the prepared pans and bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes.
Let cupcakes cool until ready for assembly.
Meanwhile make the chocolate dipped strawberries and prepare filling.

Chocolate dipped strawberries and strawberry filling

Ingredients

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• 1 carton of strawberries chopped
• 1 carton of strawberries whole
• 2 bags of chocolate chips

Instructions

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While cupcakes are cooling prepare the chocolate dipped strawberries.
Using a ceramic bowl, put 1 bag of chocolate chips in and put into the microwave for 1 minute.
Pull the bowl out and stir until all of the chocolate has melted.
Dip the whole strawberries into the melted chocolate and let them cool on a parchment paper.
Chop the other carton of strawberries reserving, and pureeing ¼ cup to be set aside for the frosting.

Frosting

Ingredients

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• ½ stick of butter
• 8 oz cream cheese
• ¼ cup pureed strawberries
• 1 - 32oz bag powdered sugar

Instructions

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In the mixer, cream the butter until it is coating the sides of the bowl.
Add in cream cheese and blend, scraping down the sides of the bowl as you go, until the cream cheese and butter are fully blended.
Add in the bag of powdered sugar and mix for a few minutes, add in the strawberry puree all at once and the frosting should start to come together.
Whip for 3 minutes until smooth.
(If the frosting is still a little stiff add in a bit of heavy cream.)

Assembly

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Once cupcakes have cooled, with a cupcake corer or large piping tip, cut holes into the top of the cupcakes.
Fill with chopped strawberries and drizzle with melted chocolate.
(Melt chocolate according to same directions for chocolate dip strawberries above, put in piping bag and cut off the tip and drizzle on top of the strawberries.)
Frost cupcakes with strawberry frosting, drizzle with remaining melted chocolate and top with a chocolate covered strawberry.