Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cupcake

As I mentioned in an earlier post about my daughter’s birthday, how she wanted pumpkin flavored cake.  So I had decided to add two cupcake flavors one being the Tiramisu (the last recipe I posted) and this one~ Chocolate Covered Strawberry!!  There is just something about Chocolate and Strawberry that is so intoxicating.  When I was putting it together I knew I didn’t want to use store bought strawberry preserves.  I had a recipe for quick homemade strawberry jam that would work perfectly (this jam is so fresh and delicious I could eat it alone by itself).  As for the frosting I thought about incorporating the strawberry in, but decided that I would add another chocolate… White chocolate!  The way all of these flavors come together are just heavenly.  Indulge!!

                                                                            

Cupcake Ingredients

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-process
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 6 tablespoons buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg white
• Strawberry Filling, recipe follows
• White Chocolate Frosting, recipe follows
• Chocolate Ganache, recipe follows
• Sliced strawberries for garnish 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard 12-cup muffin tin (or two 6-cup muffin tins) with paper liners. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. 

With an electric mixer, combine cocoa and 3 tablespoons hot water until a thick paste forms (this process intensifies the chocolate flavor). Add butter, buttermilk, egg, and egg white; beat until combined. Whisk in flour mixture until smooth.  Scoop (or spoon) batter into prepared tin(s).

Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.

Core the middle and pipe in Strawberry filling. Pipe white chocolate frosting and garnish with a slice of strawberry and drizzle with left over strawberry filling and chocolate ganache.

Strawberry Filling

Ingredients

• 1 cup Homemade Strawberry Jam
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 ½  Tbsp Cornstarch

Directions

Bring all ingredients to a boil in a small sauce pan, stirring constantly.  Boil 2 minutes to thicken and pour into a jar to cool.

White Chocolate Frosting

Ingredients

• 6 oz. Ghirardelli White Chocolate
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 sticks butter, softened
• 1 ¼ cup confectioner sugar
• Splash of vanilla

Directions

Warm heavy cream in a saucepan then add white chocolate, stir until melted and smooth.  Set aside to cool.  Then add butter, sugar, vanilla and beat on high until light and fluffy.

Chocolate Ganache

Ingredients

• 8 oz. Ghirardelli Chocolate
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 Tbsp butter, softened
• 1 Tbsp liqueur (options like grand marnier, Frangelico, amaretto etc.) or vanilla

Directions

Place the chopped chocolate in a medium sized stainless steel bowl and set aside.  Heat the cream and butter in a medium sized saucepan over medium heat. Bring just barely to a boil; do not over-heat, else the cream will get scorched and burnt.  Remove from heat and then add the chopped chocolate to the cream. Let it stand for 5 minutes, then stir with a whisk until smooth. Add the liqueur to flavor the ganache, if desired.