Extra chocolatey cupcakes with strawberry cream cheese frosting swirled into the prettiest rose-shaped pattern... I'd say Monday is off to a pretty sweet start, wouldn't you?
I actually have another chocolatey V-day treat to share with you guys sometime soon which I'm super excited about, but then I just couldn't resist going the cutesy route too and swathing a dessert in pink frosting roses and little sugar pearls. I'm a sucker for pretty cakes and cupcakes; it's true. :/ Plus, I definitely needed to have a continuation of the chocolate and strawberry thing I had going on last Valentine's with that strawberry bundt cake. All this is another way of saying that my Sunday plans got buried somewhere under a bowl of rich chocolate cupcake batter, rosy swirls of strawberry frosting, and a heavy dusting of cloudy-white confectioner's sugar covering my kitchen like sweet snow. It was worth it.
I have in fact made these chocolate cupcakes before, although it was back in the days of... umm.. my 10th blog post ever, when nobody knew this little space of the internet existed. I knew they were good, but I'd forgotten just how perfect they are until now. They somehow manage to be moist without being wet at all, and so tender that you can bite into them just as easily as you can sink your teeth into the frosting on top. And because I can't leave well enough alone, I stirred chocolate chips into the batter. It had to be done.
Must say though, what I'm loving about these cupcakes is that luscious Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting. It may look innocent in all its blush-colored rose glory, but if anything was ever dangerously delicious, it's this frosting. It's got that sweet tang of cream cheese frosting laced with a pure, bright strawberry flavor. Plus, the fresh strawberry purée gives it a gorgeous pink hue without using any food coloring. The roses are super easy to frost and a few sugar pearls sprinkled here and there complete the look in a snap.
It goes without saying that these would be such a sweet treat to bake up for friends and loved ones on Valentine's Day, and they would no doubt be a huge hit at classroom Valentine's Day parties!
PrintDouble Chocolate Cupcakes with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- Yield: 12 cupcakes
Ingredients
Double Chocolate Cupcakes
- 1 ⅛ ounces (⅓ cup) dutch-process cocoa powder, sifted
- 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 6 ounces (¾ cup) hot coffee
- 5 ¼ ounces (¾ cup) granulated sugar
- 3 ⅛ ounces (¾ cup) bread flour, spoon and level
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 ⅞ ounces (6 tablespoons) canola/vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 ounces (½ cup) bittersweet (or semisweet) chocolate chips, chopped
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- 6 ¼ ounces (1 ¼ cups) chopped fresh strawberries
- 2 ½ tablespoons granulated sugar
- 4 ounces (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 14 ounces (3 ½ cups) confectioner's (powdered) sugar, sifted
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- heavy pinch of salt
- pearl sprinkles, optional
Instructions
Note:
- To save time, start steps 1-3 of the frosting while baking and cooling the cupcakes. The strawberry purée should then be ready to use once the cupcakes have cooled and are ready for frosting.
Double Chocolate Cupcakes
- Combine the cocoa powder and 3 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate in a large bowl. Pour the coffee on top and whisk together until smooth. Refrigerate until no longer warm (about 20 minutes).
- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease a standard 12-cup muffin tin or line with cupcakes liners.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, bread flour, salt, and baking soda. Whisk in the chopped chocolate chips.
- Add the vegetable oil, eggs, white vinegar, and vanilla extract to the cooled coffee mixture and whisk together until smooth. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir together gently just until evenly combined.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared muffin cups - each will be about ¾ full or slightly more. Bake in the preheated oven for 17-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cupcakes comes out clean or with just a couple small crumbs.
- Cool cupcakes in pan for 10 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- Sprinkle the granulated sugar over the chopped strawberries in a bowl. Toss together and let sit for 1 hour to allow the sugar to pull out the juices from the strawberries.
- Transfer the strawberry mixture to a blender and blend until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a small saucepan.
- Bring strawberry mixture to a simmer over medium heat and simmer for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally and reducing the heat as needed to maintain simmer. Once done, the mixture should have reduced substantially and be fairly thick. Allow to cool completely.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or using a bowl with a handheld electric mixer), cream together the butter and cooled strawberry purée until completely smooth, wiping down the bowl and beater as need. Add the cream cheese and continue to beat until smoothly incorporated, again wiping down bowl/beater as necessary.
- Add the confectioner's sugar in parts, beating in on low speed until incorporated and then increasing speed to whip frosting until smooth. Beat in the vanilla and salt.
- Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large closed star tip (I used Ateco 846). Starting at the center of each cupcake, pipe in a spiral out towards the edge to create a rose. Top cupcakes with a few pearl sprinkles if desired.
- Store cupcakes in an airtight container. For short term storage (a few hours) they can be stored at room temperature, but for longer storage they should be kept in the refrigerator.
Chocolate Cupcakes Adapted From: Cook's Illustrated, Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting is a Confessions of a Bright-Eyed Baker Original
Mere
Here is my fav http://www.minted.com/product/foil-pressed-valentine-cards/MIN-NX1-VFS/sealed-with-a-kiss
"sealed with a kiss"
I love that it is simple and had foil. so cute!
Rosanne
I like Striped Love Valentine's Day cards
LaCindaB
I like the Sunset Valentine's card. And I love your recipe and photos, so pretty!
Paula Michele Hafner
I like the Puppy Love Classroom Valentine's Day Cards.
Tracie Trump
Love Valentine Your a Hit!, my fb is T Michelle Trump, my twitter is @tmt121172 and my pinterest is Tracie Trump
Amy
I needed to leave a separate comment (other than the entry to your fabulous giveaway) because OH MY GOODNESS I am in love with all of your props!! Your photos always look so classy and elegant. Where did you find your napkins, backdrops, and everything else you've ever used?? ;)
alexandra
Haha thanks Amy! I've made all of my backdrops and the napkins I have are from random places, mostly Sur la Table when they go on clearance, but also wherever I happen to see something I like. :) The one in the photo was actually something I have from my mom - not sure where it came from originally!
Amy
Those little inherited pieces are the best! What wood did you use for creating your backdrops? I'm having difficulties finding lighter pieces that are easier to work with. Do you have any tutorials too? Thanks so much for your help Alexandra! :)
alexandra
For the board in these photos and a couple of others I have, I think I used strips of 1/4" thick pine. I double-sided it though, so it ends up being 1/2" thick. For those I followed this tutorial from Love and Olive Oil which was super helpful. I've also bought a 3/4" thick solid wood board like you can see in these photos and these and I basically followed the same painting technique as with the others.I like making them larger because it allows more space for photos at different angles, so they aren't exactly a breeze to move around, but it's not a biggie.
Amy
I'm a HUGE baseball fan, so the baseball card ("Valentine, you're a hit!") one melts my heart!
Shannon
Love Day Foil Pressed is my favorite, what a treat!
erin
Those cupcakes look so good :) and I love minted cards!!
Shannon Baas
You're a hit.
Ashley
These cupcakes sound awesome - love the sound of that cream cheese strawberry frosting! And those pretty doilies - just gorgeous in the photos!
alexandra
I remember that you made that strawberry frosting a while back, so I'm sure you would love this frosting! It's the best part. :) Thanks Ashley!
Jodee Weiland
These cupcakes look absolutely delicious! I love chocolate and cream cheese frosting as well. I have to make these for Valentine's Day as a gift to myself!
Mary Frances
The color of that frosting is gorgeous! Can I just eat that with a spoon??? Your photos are also beautiful; love the contrast of the dark cupcake and pink frosting. Seriously, your photos are so calming, with the colors and the cupcakes ... and that is a little deep ;) Moving on! Love love love these cupcakes!
alexandra
Haha; the truth is, it's super hard not to eat it with a spoon! Thank you so so much for the sweet compliments!
Jess
Omg, these look amazing! Love your photos- I really must try these! :)
alexandra
Thanks Jess! The frosting alone is worth trying - SO good!
Consuelo @ Honey & Figs
These are some of the most adorable cupcakes I've ever seen! That frosting sounds utterly perfect, and the color is beautiful! I think I've fallen in love with these babies ;--)
Have a wonderful week! xx
alexandra
Aww thanks so much Consuelo - so sweet!
Have a fab week yourself. :)