Chocolate-covered strawberries… is there anything better?
Chocolate-Covered Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes
adapted from Sprinkles
makes 12 regular cupcakes or 24 mini cupcakes
Ingredients:
for the cupcakes:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
1/3 cup puréed fresh strawberries (from about 2/3 cup strawberries)
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 large egg whites
for the ganache:
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup chocolate chips
Directions:
for the cupcakes:
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a regular muffin tin or mini-muffin tin with paper cupcake liners.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt; Set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the puréed strawberries, milk and vanilla; Set aside.
In your large mixer bowl, cream the butter until light and fluffy… 4-5 minutes. Beat in the sugar and cream again until light and fluffy.
Beat in the egg and egg whites until combined. On low speed, beat in half of the flour mixture until combined. Beat in the strawberry mixture and then finish off with the remaining flour mixture until just combined.
Scoop the batter into your paper-lined muffin tins, filling each one 3/4 full. Place in the oven, reduce the heat to 325ºF and then bake for 20-25 minutes depending on the size of your cupcakes, until a toothpick inserted into one of the cupcakes comes out clean.
Cool completely in the pan before frosting.
for the ganache:
In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream just to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate until smooth.
Remove the cupcakes from the pan and spoon the ganache over the top of the cooled cupcakes, allowing some of the ganache to drip over the sides.