Strawberry Black Forest Cupcakes

Strawberry Black Forest Cupcakes

Based upon our Strawberry Screech Black Forest Cake, these luscious little cupcakes are sure to be a hit at your next celebration. The dark chocolate cupcakes get filled with some strawberry compote before being topped with vanilla whipped cream and shards of chocolate ganache. I've left the rum out of the cupcake version but you can easily sprinkle a teaspoon or so onto each cupcake before you add the compote and whipped cream for a more adult version.


Makes about 2 dozen cupcakes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cake

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup soured milk (just add a table spoon of lemon juice or vinegar to the milk)
• 1 cup cold black coffee
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat with electric mixer for 2 minutes.

Pour batter into paper lined muffin pans, about 2/3 full and bake for about 15-20 minutes depending on the size of the cupcake pans until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool completely. Using a melon baller, scoop out a small hole in the top of each cupcake and fill it with some of the strawberry compote. Pipe some vanilla whipped cream on top of the cupcake before garnishing it with sliced strawberries and chocolate ganache.

Strawberry Filling

• 2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries
• 1/2 cup sugar

Combine in a saucepan and bring to a gentle boil. Thicken with 1 rounded tbsp corn starch dissolved in an ounce or two of cold water, which is added to the strawberries while stirring gently. Boil gently for 1 additional minute, stirring constantly.Cool completely in the fridge.
Vanilla Whipped Cream

• 3 cups whipping cream
• 4  rounded tbsp icing sugar (ie powdered sugar, confectioners sugar)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Combine and whip until stiff mounds form.

Chocolate Ganache

• 1 cup chocolate chips
• ¼ cup whipping cream

Heat whipping cream to scalding but do not boil. Stir in chocolate chips and stir over low heat until smooth. You can dip strawberries in this glaze to garnish your cupcakes or drizzle it over the top.  I use a piping bag with a number 3 writing tip to drizzle the ganache but a zip-loc bag with the corner snipped off works just as well.

If you would rather use shards of ganache as pictured, just pour the melted chocolate mixture onto a parchment lined pan and chill until firm. You can then just slice it in pieces to use as a garnish along with a small dollop of the strawberry compote and sliced strawberries on top of the whipped cream. 

Strawberry Black Forest Cupcakes