Rich Chocolate Cake filled with a fresh strawberry compote, dipped in a scrumptious satin chocolate glaze and finished off with a strawberry whipped cream frosting. The perfect guilty pleasure treat!
Recipe Updated: 1-17-2023
Cupcakes! (Que the heavenly music) Or, as I like to refer to them, Little Carb Cups of Joy!
They make me… SO happy! I love, love, love to make cupcakes! (Did I mention I love to make cupcakes?)
With Valentine’s Day right around the corner I wanted to do something special! Since I love cupcakes it only seemed natural that I create my dream cupcake! That’s the beauty of being a recipe creator. You crave something you can try to create it!
My mind exploded with the idea of a Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cupcake! Who doesn’t love a fresh ripe plump strawberry dipped in chocolate?
Well….ShaaaaZam! When they were finished, and I took my first bite…choirs of angels descended into my kitchen! I kid you not! Right there, singing praises of Joy! This cupcake tastes just like a Chocolate Covered Strawberry!
How To Make Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes
There are several steps to this recipe. It can seem overwhelming, but trust me, if you follow my step-by-step instructions, which I’ve updated, you too can make these incredible cupcakes!
First up is the “cake” portion of the cupcake. I tried to keep it simple and used a cake mix that I modified. It creates a beautifully moist cake with perfect rounded tops!
The “Cake” portion of Strawberry Chocolate Cupcakes
Preheat oven to 350 °F. Line two muffin baking pans with cupcake liners.
In the bowl of your stand mixer, or a standard mixing bowl, add 1 Duncan Hines Swiss Chocolate cake mix, 1 (3.9 ounce) package of chocolate fudge pudding mix, 4 large eggs, ¾ cup buttermilk, and ¼ cup vegetable oil.
Mix on low speed until well blended. Slowly add ½ cup warm water, a little at a time until batter is smooth.
Spoon batter into cupcake liners, filling 2/3 full. Place trays in middle rack of oven. Bake 15–18 minutes. Cupcakes are done when you press lightly in the center and they spring back.
TIP: Be sure to check them, sooner than you think you should, by lightly pressing down. If the cake springs back, even slightly, take them out, place them on a rack and let them cool!
While the cakes are baking and cooling skip down and make the Strawberry filling. For assembly’s sake this post is written in the way the cupcake is assembled.
How To Make Chocolate Satin Glaze
After the cupcakes are completely cool, you are going to dip the tops of your cupcakes into the Chocolate Satin Frosting.
To make Satin Glaze you will need a double boiler, or you can use a “double boiler pot” that attaches to the sides of a regular sauce pan. Fill the bottom of the double boiler, or sauce pan, with water and bring to a boil
In the top portion of the double boiler, or in your double boiler pot, add 1½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, 6 Tablespoons of butter, and 2 Tablespoons of light corn syrup.
Stir until chips are melted and mixture is smooth. Add ½ teaspoon vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.
Dipping Cupcakes in Satin Glaze
Remove melted chocolate glaze and place on a sturdy work surface. Carefully invert each cupcake and dip just the tops into the melted glaze. Place on a cooling rack and allow to “soft set”.
Once set, using a spoon, or large frosting tip, gently remove the center of each cupcake being careful to stop about ¼ inch from the bottom of the cupcake. Please note you will need to save the centers from each cupcake for later.
TIP: You will have some remaining Satin Glaze. Save it to use to drizzle on top of the whipped frosting!
How To Make Strawberry Filling for Cupcakes
Make the Strawberry filling while the cupcakes are baking and cooling so that it has time to “cool” before being placed in the center of the cupcakes.
In a large sauce pan, over medium-low heat, add ¾ cup finely chopped, and lightly mashed strawberries, ¼ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup water, and 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch.
Stir constantly until mixture thickens and juices become translucent. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
Filling Cupcake with Strawberry filling
Add the strawberry filling by dropping a teaspoon full into the empty centers of each cupcake.
Once all the centers are filled, replace the reserved centers into each hole by pressing down lightly. It is okay if the centers stick up slightly higher than the rest of the cupcake. They will be covered by the Strawberry frosting.
How To Make Strawberry Whipped Cream Frosting
In the bowl of your stand mixer, or a large mixing bowl, add 1 pint heavy whipping cream and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, or vanilla bean paste. Whip on high speed until stiff peaks form.
Add in ½ cup powder sugar and 6 Tablespoons ground freeze-dried strawberries. Mix for 2 minutes until all the ingredients are incorporated.
TIP: One, the best tips I have ever found for making strawberry frosting, whether it’s a buttercream or a whipped cream, like we are using in this recipe, is to use ground up freeze-dried strawberries! It prevents the frosting from separating like it does when using fresh fruit. Works great with freeze-dried raspberries too!
Fill a pastry bag, using a large 1M star tip, with strawberry whipped cream frosting and pipe directly onto the center of each cupcake making sure to cover the centers.
TIP: When pipping your frosting start in the middle. Push down, then go around and up! Just like if you were filling and ice cream cone! This way you won’t have a hole in the center of your “frosting tower”! (“Frosting tower” I’m pretty sure that is a culinary term!)
Drizzle with remaining chocolate satin glaze if desired or sprinkle with mini chocolate chips!
Other Favorite Cupcake or Cake Recipes
- Red Velvet Cupcakes with Buttermilk
- Cookies and Cream Mousse Cupcakes
- Chocolate Raspberry Filled Cupcakes
- Coconut Cupcakes with Lime Buttercream Frosting
- Spiced Ginger Ale Cupcakes
- Perfect Vanilla Cupcake from Natasha’s Kitchen
I realize this isn’t a “simple” recipe! There are a lot of different elements involved! However, like my grandma used to say… “Anything worthwhile is worth doing!”
Which is SO true of these cupcakes. The first bite and you’ll hear choirs singing!
I honestly couldn’t believe how YUMMY these are! I stood at the counter drooling with each bite! Sad, but true!
Thanks for stopping by! Have a wonderful week and I hope you make a batch of these for your sweetheart!
Happy Nesting!
Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cupcakes
A chocolate cupcake filled with a fresh strawberry filling topped with a satiny chocolate glaze and a strawberry whip cream frosting! They are AMAZING!
Ingredients
- 1 Box Duncan Hines Swiss Chocolate Cake mix
- 1-3.9 oz package chocolate fudge pudding mix
- 4 eggs
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup warm water
Strawberry Filling
- 3/4 cup finely chopped and lightly mashed fresh strawberries
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 Tbsp corn starch
Satiny Chocolate Glaze
- 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
- 6 Tbsp butter
- 2 Tbsp light corn syrup
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Strawberry Whip Cream Frosting
- 1 pint heavy whipping cream
- 6 Tbsp ground freeze dried strawberries
- 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup powder sugar
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two muffin/cupcake trays with liners.
- In a mixing bowl add the cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, buttermilk, and vegetable oil. Mix on low speed until well blended.
- Slowly add the warm water a little at a time until it is incorporated into the cake mix. Mix on low speed, scraping bowl frequently, for 10 minutes or until batter is smooth.
- Spoon batter into cupcake liners. Fill 2/3 full. Place trays in middle rack of oven.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes. Cupcakes are done when you press lightly in the center and they spring back. Remove cupcakes from the oven and place on a rack to cool. Cool completely. While cupcakes are cooling mix up the strawberry filling.
Strawberry Filling
- Place all the filling ingredients into a medium sauce pan. On low heat, stir mixture constantly until it thickens and juices becomes translucent. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
Satiny Chocolate Glaze
- In a double boiler, or double boiler pot, over hot, but not boiling water, combine chocolate chips, butter and corn syrup.
- Stir until chips are melted and mixture is smooth, then add in the vanilla.
- Dip cupcake tops into the melted glaze and allow to set. Reserve any left over glaze to drizzle on top of cupcakes.
- Once satin glaze is set, using a spoon or frosting tip, remove the centers of the cupcakes. Reserve the centers on a paper plate to be used later.
- Add the strawberry filling by dropping a teaspoon spoonful of the strawberry filling into the empty center of each cupcake. Once all the holes are filled, replace the reserved center holes pressing down lightly. It is okay if they stay above the top of the cupcake as the whip cream frosting will cover them.
Strawberry Whip Cream Frosting
- In a large mixing bowl, whip the heavy whipping cream and vanilla until stiff.
- Add in powder sugar and ground up freeze dried strawberries. Mix 1-2 minutes longer until all ingredients are incorporated and whip cream is stiff and firm.
- Fill a pastry bag with a 1M star tip, with the whip cream frosting. Pipe the frosting onto the top of the cupcake.
- Once all the cupcakes are frosted with the whip cream frosting, drizzle with the remaining satiny chocolate glaze. You may need to remelt the glaze in the microwave for about 20 seconds.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
24Serving Size:
1 cupcakeAmount Per Serving: Calories: 277Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 66mgSodium: 151mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 1gSugar: 23gProtein: 4g
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Kerri
Sunday 24th of October 2021
I laughed out loud while reading your recipe! Your fun, awesome personality shines through! 😁 I was looking for a "Welcome to the neighborhood" type of treat for new neighbors and after making these I decided I'm keeping all of them and making them brownies instead! Hee,hee! These are really that good, and super easy to make. Thank you for sharing them. I subscribed to your emails so I can get the great recipes you are gracious enough to share!
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Thursday 28th of October 2021
Hi Kerri! Thank you so much for your kind comments! I would have kept the cupcakes too and gone into hiding in the closet with ALL of them! Thank you for signing up for my News Letter. We are just in the middle of changing our program for that, so be patient with me...new News Letters are coming! Happy Nesting! Norine
Judith Guertler
Thursday 5th of May 2016
Since I'm your dear Mother. . . where are my Chocolate Covered Strawberry cupcakes???
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Thursday 5th of May 2016
I would tell you they are here at the house but, since we ate them all that would be a lie! ;)