Chocolate cupcakes are the way to my heart, especially these chocolate cupcakes with strawberry frosting. I think out of every dessert, chocolate cake continues to be my favorite simply because of its delicious flavor and incredible texture. These chocolate cupcakes are by far my favorite recipe I have made to date. They’re so rich and chocolaty, they’re almost like a fudgy brownie, but their texture is still as light and fluffy as ever! Hopefully you love these chocolate cupcakes with strawberry frosting as much as I do. I think they’re the perfect way to celebrate Valentine’s Day, or really, any day.
The chocolate flavor in this recipe is unmatched, and I fully believe it is due to the quality and type of the cocoa. This recipe calls for dutch-process cocoa, and unfortunately, there is really no true substitution for this recipe. If you were to use a natural cocoa like Nestle or Hershey’s, your cake would be very flat and disappointing. I also think that the flavor of natural cocoa powder is too acidic to enjoy in this cupcake. But if you are really a die-hard natural cocoa powder fan, or cannot find dutch-process, I have added a substitution for you. You can use natural cocoa powder if you swap the measurements of baking powder and baking soda in the recipe. Which means you would use 3/4 teaspoon of baking soda and 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder.
Why do you use dutch processed cocoa in these chocolate cupcakes with strawberry frosting?
Dutch-process cocoa powder is cocoa powder that has gone through processing to make it more alkali. The processing works to neutralize the cocoa’s acidity, giving the flavor a more mellow, rich, chocolaty flavor. The process also works to make the powder easier to dissolve into liquids, and gives it a darker color. Due to its neutrality, the cocoa itself does not react with baking soda any longer. S,o more often than not, recipes with dutch-process cocoa rely on leaving in the form of baking powder. Now, hopefully you realize why it is important to make sure that you are using dutch-process cocoa to make these classic chocolate cupcakes. It is important simply because this recipe is designed only for dutch-process cocoa powder, and without dutch-process, the cupcakes will not rise.
Chocolate Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
- 1⅔ cups All-Purpose Flour
- ¾ teaspoon Baking Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ¾ teaspoon Salt
- ⅔ cup Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder
- 1 cup Hot Water
- ½ cup Vegetable Oil
- ⅔ cup Brown Sugar
- ⅔ cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 Large Eggs
- 1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
For the Frosting:
- ½ cup Unsalted Butter
- 4 cups Powdered Sugar
- ¼ cup Strawberry Puree
- ¼ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ⅛ teaspoon Salt
Instructions
For the Cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 400°F and line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
- In a medium bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the hot (boiling) water and the cocoa powder. Whisk to combine and allow to sit for 2 minutes. This lets the cocoa powder bloom.
- After the cocoa is bloomed in the water, add the oil and sugars. Whisk to incorporate. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and whisk. Whisk vigorously for about 2 minutes to aerate the batter a bit.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix together until just combined. Do not over mix as this will create a tough cupcake. Evenly distribute the batter amongst the cupcake pan, filling each about 2/3 of the way up. This batter will make 16-18 cupcakes, so you will probably have to bake two batches.
- Put the cupcakes in the preheated oven and immediately adjust the temperature to 350°F. Starting the cupcakes out in a hotter oven allows them to rise better which is why we preheat the oven to 400°F but then change the temperature to 350°F as soon as we put the cupcakes in the oven.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool before frosting.
For the Frosting:
- Puree 6-8 strawberries in a food processor or blender. This should yield about 1/4 cup of strawberry puree.
- Add the butter and strawberry puree to a large bowl and beat to combine. Beat on high speed for 2 minutes to make sure everything is combined well and to aerate the butter a bit.
- Add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing until incorporated, until all 4 cups are added. Add the salt and vanilla and mix together.
- Taste as you go. If you want more strawberry flavor, add in a bit more strawberry puree, if you want it sweeter add more sugar or if you want it a bit more savory add a pinch of salt. Frosting is pretty forgiving, so you can make it to taste.
- Once it is created, frost the cooled cupcakes as you see fit, you can pipe frosting on them or add it with a spoon. Either way, they'll taste delicious, enjoy!
Follow me on Instagram @BAKINGWITHLEMON and hashtag your posts #BAKINGWITHLEMON if you make one of my recipes! I adore seeing you guys get creative with baking!
