Delicious and easy chocolate strawberry cupcakes are made with rich chocolate cupcakes and strawberry cream cheese buttercream frosting. It is no surprise that chocolate and strawberries make for one of the most amazing flavor combinations.
These are basically a chocolate covered strawberry cheesecake in cupcake form! The strawberry buttercream turns into a beautiful pink color from the natural (no red dye!) freeze dried strawberry powder.
Chocolate strawberry cupcakes are so good and perfect for anytime of year. The naturally pink frosting and heart shaped chocolate covered pretzels made for the perfect Valentine's Day dessert recipe. I found the heart shaped chocolate pretzels pictured from Target around Valentine's Day, but these heart pretzels are similar from Amazon. Top the cupcakes with a chocolate covered pretzel heart, chocolate covered strawberries, or candy hearts like these conversation hearts or these gummy hearts and you've got an easy Valentine's dessert!
This was inspired by my double chocolate cupcake recipe. The strawberry buttercream is a cream cheese buttercream variation made similarly to my vanilla buttercream recipe, but with added freeze dried strawberries ground into a powder mixed in.
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Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes Ingredients
These chocolate cupcakes with strawberry cream cheese buttercream require common ingredients with one very special ingredient - freeze dried strawberries.
Chocolate Cupcake Ingredients
- all purpose flour
- unsweetened cocoa powder
- baking soda
- salt
- sugar
- vegetable oil
- large eggs
- warm coffee (or sub for buttermilk)
- vanilla extract
Strawberry Cream Cheese Buttercream Ingredients
- unsalted butter
- cream cheese
- powdered sugar
- heavy whipping cream
- vanilla extract
- freeze dried strawberries
- salt
This easy to make strawberry buttercream recipe is the star of these cupcakes. The chocolate cupcakes are moist and rich, without being too sweet. Chocolate and strawberry cupcakes never dissapoint!
Equipment for Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes
Here is what you will need to make these cupcakes:
- 12 cup muffin/cupcake pan
- cupcake liners
- electric mixer - a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a handheld mixer with beater blades attached will do!
- whisk and silicone spatula
- food processor or small chopper - this is optional to grind the freeze dried strawberries into a powder. It is the best way to do it and the easiest, however if you do not have a food processor or chopper you can also put the freeze dried strawberries into a bag and smash them up really well that way.
- mixing bowls
- measuring cups and spoons
Storage for Chocolate Srawberry Cupcakes
Store the cupcakes in an airtight container for up to 3 days at in the refrigerator. Because of the cream cheese frosting, I recommend these be refrigerated but it is very important to use a proper airtight container to avoid the cake from drying out.
Chocolate strawberry cupcakes also freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw and serve these cupcakes at room temperature. The best way to freeze cupcakes is to wrap each individual cupcake in plastic wrap and then put them in an airtight freezer bag. Let the buttercream crust/firm up a bit before wrapping them in plastic wrap.
Tips for Baking the Best Cupcakes
- Avoid overfilling cupcake liners! This is one of the easiest mistakes to make when baking cupcakes. Fill the cupcakes according to the individual recipe. Some recipes call for only ½ full, ⅔ full, and some cupcake recipes may even call for ¾ of the way full. Regardless, listen to the recipe and DO NOT fill to the top.
- Use room temperature ingredients. This is especially true for cold ingredients often used for cupcakes such as milk, eggs, and/or butter. Butter can be melted or softened at room temperature.
- Measure the flour properly. Flour is the most commonly incorrectly measured ingredient in baking and using too much or too little can greatly alter the outcome of any recipe. The MOST accurate way to measure flour is to weigh it. Most recipes will account for around 120-130 grams per 1 cup of flour. If you do not have a scale or the recipe does not specify metric measurements, use the spoon and level method! At the very least, you should ALWAYS fluff up the flour before measuring it into the measuring cups. Fluff the flour up with a utensil in the container and/or bag, then use a spoon to spoon the flour into the measuring cup until full, then take the straight edge/handle of the spoon or butter knife to level off the flour from the top of the measuring cup.
- Avoid overmixing! Always whisk the dry ingredients in a separate bowl first and then fold the dry ingredients in gently. This helps to avoid overdeveloping the gluten. If you are using a gluten free flour 1:1 blend, then you do not need to worry about this as much.
- Use cupcake liners! These are a must for cupcakes. No ifs, ands, or buts about it!
- Use a cookie scoop/ice cream scoop to distribute the cupcake batter evenly in the cupcake pan. This is an easy tip to distribute the batter evenly (you could also use a scale to ensure each cupcake weights the exact same) and this method helps avoid making a mess with the batter.
- Do not open the oven while the cupcakes are baking. Use the oven light to help you see the cupcakes while baking. Opening the oven lets out a ton of heat and can sink the middle of the cupcakes.
- When making mini cupcakes, use mini add ins! For example, instead of regularly sized chocolate chips, use mini chocolate chips. For any fruits or nuts, chop them first before folding into the cupcake batter. Remember mini cupcakes also require much less time to bake!
- Let baked cupcakes cool COMPLETELY. It is essential for the cupcakes to be cool before decorating with frosting and/or toppings.
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Chocolate Cupcakes with Strawberry Cream Cheese Buttercream
Equipment
- electric mixer with paddle attachment(s)
- whisk and silicone spatula
- small chopper or food processor
- large 16" piping bag and open or closed star piping tip
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 1¼ cups all purpose flour
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sugar
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 6 ounces warm freshly brewed coffee (can sub for buttermilk)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Strawberry Cream Cheese Buttercream
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) (softened, room temp.)
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- ⅓ cup freeze dried sliced strawberries (grinds down to ¼ cup powder)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Optional Topping Ideas
- extra freeze dried strawberry slices
- chocolate covered strawberries
- chocolate covered pretzels
Instructions
Chocolate Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ and prep a 12 cup muffin pan with cupcake liners. Brew 6 ounces of coffee, set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients including the all purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a second mixing bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients including sugar, vegetable oil, and eggs until fully emulsified. Whisk in the vanilla extract until combined.
- Add a third of the dry flour mixture into the wet mixture and whisk, then pour in half of the warm coffee, mixing until combined. Add in another third of the dry ingredient mixture, whisking in and adding the remaining warm coffee. Finally mix in the remaining dry ingredient mixture and whisk just until combined.
- Pour the chocolate cupcake batter into the cupcake lined pan, filling the liners roughly ⅔ of the way full. Avoid overfilling the liners!
- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the center clean.
- Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting them. They should not be warm at all or you risk melting the frosting.
Strawberry Cream Cheese Buttercream
- In a small chopper or food processor, pulse the freeze dried sliced strawberries into a fine powder. Start with ½ of sliced freeze dried strawberries will leave you with around ¼ cup of powder. This only takes seconds to do.
- In a stand mixer or using an electric hand mixer, use a paddle attachment to whip the room temperature softened butter and cream cheese on medium speed until it turns light and pale in color.
- Add in the freeze dried strawberry powder and whip on medium speed until combined. Add in half of the powdered sugar, mixing on low speed and scraping the bowl down as necessary to fully combine the ingredients.
- Add in the heavy whipping cream, remaining powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla extract. Mix on medium speed until combined, then upping the speed to high and whipping the strawberry buttercream for 2-3 minutes more to help smooth it out and fully combine. Using a silicone spatula, scape the frosting down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary.
- Fit a 16" piping bag with a medium to large sized open or closed star piping tip. Fill with the strawberry cream cheese buttercream frosting.
- Once the cupcakes have fully cooled, pipe the strawberry buttercream on top into a layered swirl. Top with a freeze dried strawberry slice or a chocolate covered pretzel. Enjoy!
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
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