Here is another simple cupcake recipe. This one was for a 2 year old’s birthday party - Naomi’s cousin. While it’s not super exciting, the resulting cupcake is very tasty, a crowd-pleaser, and relatively easy to put together. I also did a small batch for a small group. The recipes could be easily doubled or quadrupled without any problems. One pint of strawberries is all you will need to both top the cupcakes and to chop for the filling.
Old-Fashioned Chocolate Cupcakes
~8 regular cupcakes / 350 degree oven
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, room temp
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
1 large egg, room temp
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup high quality unsweetened cocoa powder like Valrhona brand
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1. Beat butter until softened. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
2 Add egg and beat until well combined.
3. Measure the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder into a small sized bowl and whisk to combine.
4. Measure out the milk and vanilla and stir to combine
5. Add about a third of the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar and beat to combine. Add about a half of the milk/vanilla and beat to combine. Continue adding, alternating between dry and wet and finishing with the dry.
6. Scoop batter into cupcake cups about 2/3’s full. Bake cupcakes for about 22-25 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
Strawberry Ganache Filling and Ganache Glaze
4.5 ounces (128 grams) Valrhona 85% cacao (or any bittersweet chocolate)
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
pinch salt
1/3 cup strawberries, diced
1. Chop chocolate and transfer into a heat proof bowl.
2. Heat cream until bubbles form around the edge of the pan, pour cream over the chocolate.
3. Let sit for 1 minute then stir until combined.
4. Add vanilla and salt. Stir until combined.
5. Divide the ganache in two approximate equal portions. In the first portion, mix in the chopped strawberries. Transfer to the refrigerator to chill.
6. Leave the second portion on the counter to cool down. You want the filling to thicken up before the glaze. Once the filling is think, fill the cupcakes with it. Then glaze with the glaze. See assembly instructions below.
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-3 cups powdered sugar
1. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter at medium speed until creamy.
2. Add the milk, vanilla extract, and 2 cups of powdered sugar and beat at low speed, occasionally stopping to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, until light and fluffy. Add more powdered sugar to arrive at the consistency and sweetness you like.
Assemble
1. Fill the cupcakes with the strawberry ganache filling using the cone method. This post has step by step photos of the method.
2. Spoon a tablespoon of glaze on each filled cupcake and smooth.
3. Top with buttercream frosting and a strawberry.
These look delish! Thanks for posting!
Comment by Helen — April 29, 2008 @ 1:06 am
This even though simple, sounds delicious. Sometimes all you need is a simple cupcake to please a crowd, espcially kids. But you made it with elegance and 85% cacao! Wow! I wish I could watch you bake, seriously.
Comment by Aran — April 29, 2008 @ 3:25 am
A strawberry ganache filling sounds pretty exciting to me!
Comment by rachel — April 29, 2008 @ 3:32 am
Simple, but a nice cupcake for a cupcake newbie like myself to start with… may try it with raspberries. Although, I love the look of the single strawberry on top… very festive.
Comment by clevermonkey — April 29, 2008 @ 5:56 am
What lucky children to have these delicious-looking cupcakes to eat for their birthday celebration! (Can I please be adopted?) :-D
I love reading website and plan to use one of your cupcake recipes for my son’s next birthday party. (I only wish I had discovered your blog BEFORE his has party.)
Keep up the great work! You cupcakes make my mouth water and my tummy rumble.
Comment by Isdihara — April 29, 2008 @ 7:52 am
this cupcake sounds like spring time.Can’t wait to try it! Thanks
Comment by carol — April 29, 2008 @ 7:58 am
These look and sound delicious! I had to get the recipe! Thanks!
Comment by Linda — April 29, 2008 @ 8:19 am
Looks amazing delicious as usual! I also love that I can always trust your recipes to come out beautifully every time…thanks!
Comment by My Sweet & Saucy — April 29, 2008 @ 9:15 am
omg these look so fantastic!!! i MUST try this recipe! and i have some strawberries in the fridge to use up…
Comment by Dorothy — April 29, 2008 @ 9:20 am
I’ve been on the prowl for a strawberry flavored cupcake, but I want to use strawberry preserves instead of strawberries since my grocery stores don’t have any ripe ones yet. I’m sure if i go through your archives i can find a strawberry cupcake somewhere, or maybe a vanilla one with strawberry filling.
Comment by Amanda — April 29, 2008 @ 11:27 am
I took one look at these on tastespotting, saw the tag-line for cupcakes “frosted with chocolate glaze AND buttercream” and immediately dubbed these as heinously delicious. Honestly, I don’t know how you do it. So extravagant, so fantastic. My favorite of yours so far is the eggnog cupcake recipe posted a couple of years ago. Spectacular. I’m going to have to give these a try.
P.S.- have you ever thought of mojito flavoring for a cupcake? Not too novel, but it would be nice to get something rummy, minty and limey…
Comment by Kelsey — April 29, 2008 @ 12:38 pm
I disagree–these *are* super exciting. They sound (and look) fabulous!
Comment by Stacy — April 29, 2008 @ 6:43 pm
This came just in time! I have a whole flat of uneaten strawberries! Yum!
Comment by Jenn Sedor — April 29, 2008 @ 8:03 pm
That photograph is wonderful, I know I am going to give these a go without even having to read the recipe!
Comment by Gillie — April 30, 2008 @ 5:19 am
Fun!! This kind of reminds me of my peanut butter filled vanilla cakes with strawberry cream cheese. My ‘ganache’ didn’t quite turn out so I put it on the top of the cupcake more like a paste. One of my coworkers said it was like having a meal. Hahhaa. Fruit and pb…balanced diet!
Comment by Mara — April 30, 2008 @ 2:32 pm
i do love classic flavours like this and is pretty too! the strawberry chocolate ganache got me first though. that’s going to be done some time soon i reckon. cheers.
Comment by diva — May 1, 2008 @ 8:06 am
Great minds… I was also in a chocolate/strawberry mood recently. I did strawberry buttermilk cupcakes with a strawberry baked inside, topped with a strawberry chocolate ganache (glaze thickness) and then spooned heaps of chocolate mousse on top. They were also a big hit.
Comment by Britni — May 1, 2008 @ 9:57 pm
Whenever I come to visit you I always feel like I have arrived in Cupcake Heaven! Honestly I don’t think I could pick a favorite.
Comment by Kim — May 2, 2008 @ 5:34 am
I’ve been reading and drooling over your website for awhile now. So today I made these cupcakes, they seemed wet on top but my toothpick came out clean so I took them out. But then they fell in the middle while cooling. What did I do wrong? I’m sure it has to do with the baking soda or powder right?
I also have the ganache made too. What should I do with it now?
Thanks
Comment by Kim — May 3, 2008 @ 3:28 pm
These sound delicious! You are so creative!
Comment by Becca — May 4, 2008 @ 12:16 pm
i made the cupcakes but they fell 2x. tasted great but they were a big mess. :(
Comment by ayano — May 4, 2008 @ 3:49 pm
Could this be done with white chocolate as well? I don’t know if that would affect the ganache, but I love the white chocolate / strawberry combination.
Comment by Tina — May 5, 2008 @ 12:07 pm
I also made them, but had the same falling problem as the last commenter. I played with the fill amount, and added flour but just couldn’t make them work. I accredited it to my elevation (living in Denver is a nightmare for my baking skillz).
I had to do a quick subsitute with boxed mix cupcakes. They turned out OK, but when I added the strawberry ganache and buttercream they were REALLY good.
Comment by katie — May 6, 2008 @ 8:01 am
If you wanted to make a bigger batch, would you double the recipe or just make two seperate batches? I get nervous when baking of just doubling everything. These look amazing, but I need to make more then 8.
Thanks!
Comment by Melissa — May 6, 2008 @ 11:20 am
This looks inviting. Perfect for my kids and their friends.
have added it as a must visit recipe for the week on my blog :)
Comment by Gaurav — May 7, 2008 @ 1:31 pm
Found your blog via todayscreativeblog and am loving it! I’m definitely motivated to make cupcakes for Mother’s Day now. Thanks for the inspiration!
Comment by Marianne — May 8, 2008 @ 2:15 pm
Thanks for sharing a great recipe! I just tried it and I love how it looks & tastes. I am VERY new to cupcake baking, but I had fun. It reminds me of molding chocolates, except I’m making shells with cupcakes! I love how the ganache turned out. Maybe I should try it in my chocolates. :) My next adventure will be making similar cupcakes with raspberries. Thanks again for great blog & recipes!!
Comment by Yun — May 8, 2008 @ 10:40 pm
IT looks very delicious and so cute~!
I’m really interested in cupcakes~!
I wanted to make cakes several months ago.
BUT now! I wanna make some cute cupcakes than great cakes~ because of your lovely cupcake~!
thanks for your recipies.
Comment by myoung sun — May 9, 2008 @ 3:02 am
Not terribly exciting? The strawberry ganache and glaze make them super exciting to me :)
Comment by RecipeGirl — May 9, 2008 @ 8:35 am
I just made them. Have yet to sample but they look delicious. Did I screw up or are the cupcakes meant to be a bit more dense?
Comment by Sheldon — May 10, 2008 @ 5:15 pm
I always love your recipes, without exception. And not one has failed on me yet!!
This looks beautiful. I can’t wait to try it.
Comment by Hannah — May 11, 2008 @ 9:27 pm
Wow! I made these and everyone loved them. I really enjoyed the contrast between the sweet buttercream and the bitter ganache.
Comment by Bronwyn — May 14, 2008 @ 6:51 pm
i cant believe i havent come here before!! i am besotted!! and you will find me lurking around much more!! this is a fabulous discovery…i am adding you to my blogroll……
Comment by arundati — May 15, 2008 @ 7:57 am