Rich Chocolate Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting
Rich, dark double chocolate cupcakes are filled with chocolate ganache and frosted with a strawberry buttercream frosting in this very chocolaty way to say I Love You.
Servings 6 jumbo cupcakes
Ingredients
Strawberry Compote
- 3 cups sliced frozen strawberries
- 6 tbsp orange liqueur
Chocolate Ganache
- 8 oz bittersweet chocolate, either chips or finely chopped
- 1 cup heavy cream
Rich Chocolate Cupcakes
- 8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 3 oz bittersweet chocolate, either chips or finely chopped
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp table salt
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature
Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
- 16 tbsp (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups confectioners' sugar
- 3 tbsp strawberry juice pressed from the compote through a fine mesh sieve
- heart sprinkles, optional
Instructions
Strawberry Compote
- Add the strawberries and liqueur to a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Let simmer until the compote is thick and syrupy. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. You can make the compote a day ahead.
Chocolate Ganache
- Put the chocolate into a heat safe bowl large enough to hold the chocolate and cream and allow you to whisk. Bring the cream to a boil over medium high heat. Pour the cream into the bowl of chocolate. Let it sit for 30 seconds, then whisk until smooth. Set the ganache aside. (The ganache will need at least 30 minutes to cool enough to get to a spreadable consistency.)
Rich Chocolate Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350F. Fill the wells of a jumbo cupcake pan with liners. If you are halving the recipe, fill the empty wells halfway with water.
- Fill a medium saucepan with a couple of inches of water. Bring the water to a gentle simmer over medium low heat. Add butter and chocolate to a medium heatproof bowl and set it over the saucepan of water. Heat until the chocolate and butter are melted, whisking occasionally. Add the cocoa to the melted chocolate and whisk until smooth. Set the bowl aside and let cool until just warm to the touch.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking power, and salt.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, then add in the brown sugar and vanilla. Pour in the cooled chocolate and whisk until smooth. Whisk in 1/3 of the flour mixture, then 1/2 of the sour cream, another 1/3 of the flour, the remaining sour cream, and the remaining flour. Batter should be thick and smooth.
- Add 1/2 cup of batter to each cupcake liner. Bake the cupcakes for 18-19 minutes. A toothpick will still be a little wet if you put it the middle of the cupcakes. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for a few minutes then carefully move them to a cooling rack.
- Once the cupcakes have cooled for about 15 minutes on the rack, remove a 2 inch section of cupcake top from each. If needed, scoop out some of the middle so you have enough room for 2 tbsp of filling. Add 1 tbsp of ganache and 1 tbsp of strawberry compote to each cupcake. Replace the tops. Then spread another tablespoon or two of ganache over the top of each cupcake. Let the cupcakes cool completely to room temperature.
Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
- Press the remaining strawberry compote through a fine mesh strainer and collect the liquid. You should have about 3 tbsp when you're done. Set this aside for the frosting.
- In a large bowl begin beating together the butter and confectioners' sugar with a mixer on low speed. Add the strawberry juice one tablespoon at a time while you continue to beat together the butter and sugar. Once the frosting is creamy and smooth, transfer it to a piping bag or a plastic bag with the corner cut off. If you want, use a decorative tip to pipe the frosting. Pipe frosting onto each cupcake. Decorate with colored sprinkles.
Notes
- I used Bittersweet Ghiradelli Chocolate Chips for both the ganache and the cupcakes.
- Other equipment includes 1) a #8 Zeroll Disher, 2) a Jumbo Cupcake Pan, and 3) Jumbo Cupcake Liners.
- Remember for halving the recipe that 3/4 cup = 12 tbsp. So you will need 6 tbsp each of flour and brown sugar.
- If you make the ganache ahead and need to warm it up so you can spread it on the cupcakes, you can very gently over very low heat in a double boiler warm it through. Or put it in the microwave on half power for a few seconds at a time.
- I used a large open star piping nozzle. (I looked this up so I would know what it's called!) One with just few zigzags and a wide opening. Like this one. I have also simply piped directly from the bag without using a tip.