Easy Chocolate Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting make for the ultimate Valentine’s Day party dessert and any chocolate lover’s dream.
Valentine’s Day always brings to mind candlelit romantic dinners and chocolate-dipped strawberries. Today’s dessert takes it to another level. These Chocolate Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting are the perfect Valentine’s Day dessert. They are rich, chocolatey, and sweet. Top them off with a freshly sliced strawberry, and your favorite pink and red sprinkles for the ultimate Valentine’s Day-themed cupcakes.
Find more highly-rated cupcake recipes here.
CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH STRAWBERRY FROSTING
This homemade chocolate cupcake batter bakes into the lightest, most moist, and luscious cupcakes. If you’re not a baker or are short on time, feel free to use a boxed cupcake mix from your favorite store-bought brand. The homemade strawberry frosting comes together smoothly using only 5 ingredients in a blender or food processor. If you want to make it even simpler, you can use plain vanilla frosting and strawberry extract. Either way, you will have delicious festive cupcakes ready to go for your next Valentine’s Day party.
Find my expert tips on how to make homemade chocolate strawberry cupcakes with strawberry frosting from scratch below! Don’t forget to tag me in all of your creations @lifeinthelofthouse on Instagram or Facebook. Let’s stay connected. ❤️
Why You’ll Love These Easy Chocolate Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting:
- Easy-To-Make: This recipe can be modified to make it as easy as you want, making it ideal for last-minute events and parties. It’s also perfect for all bakers of any skill level.
- Festive Valentine’s Dessert: From the rich, fluffy chocolate cupcakes to the delectable strawberry frosting and strawberries, this dessert embodies Valentine’s Day.
- Bakery-Style Finish: These homemade chocolate strawberry cupcakes present beautifully, giving a professional catered presentation.
- Versatile Party Treat: Serve these cupcakes for Valentine’s Day or Galentine’s Day parties, birthday parties, or anytime you’re craving a strawberry chocolate dessert.
- Make-Ahead Friendly: This recipe is highly flexible and can be made ahead of time.
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup milk (I use 2%)
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup boiling water
Strawberry Frosting
- 2 cups chopped fresh strawberries
- 3/4 cup salted butter, room temperature
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 4 Tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract OR strawberry extract
Instructions
For The Chocolate Cupcakes
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 30 muffin cups with paper baking cups, set aside.
Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla; beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Fill cups 2/3 full with batter.
Bake 20 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool cupcakes completely before frosting.
For The Strawberry Frosting
Place the freshly chopped 2 cups of strawberries in a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth.
Place puree in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat. Stir constantly while the mixture slowly comes to a boil. Continue to stir constantly while the puree thickens and reduces to 2/3 cup. This will take about 10 minutes or less.
Pour reduced puree into a measuring cup. You should have 2/3 cup of puree. Let it stand until it cools and comes to room temperature.
In a large bowl, add the room temperature butter. Using a hand-held mixer, beat until the butter is smooth. Add 2 cups of powdered sugar and the 2/3 cup of strawberry puree.
Mix until frosting becomes smooth. Gradually mix in the remaining 2 cups of powdered sugar and the extract.
Add in milk, as needed, for the desired thickness of frosting.
Top cupcakes with fresh strawberry frosting. Serve and enjoy!
Servings
Yields: 12 standard chocolate strawberry muffins (if you use a standard muffin tin).
Storage and Reheating
Store leftover chocolate strawberry cupcakes in an airtight container. Cupcakes can sit at room temperature for no longer than a day. After a day, either discard or place them in the fridge. If refrigerating, they’ll last up to 3 days, but keep in mind that they’ll dry out as the days go by. To freeze, place frosting and cupcakes already assembled, or in separate airtight containers, for up to 1 month.
Holly’s Tips for The Best Chocolate Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting:
- Save Time & Steps: This is a highly adaptable cupcake recipe. Feel free to use a boxed cupcake mix from your favorite store-bought brand instead of homemade. You can also use frozen or fresh strawberries for the frosting and topping. Whatever works best for you, do it!
- If Using Real Strawberries: Remove all seeds for a smoother, more consistent frosting. While this takes time, the end result is the most luscious and creamy frosting, making this small step worth not skipping.
- Reduce The Strawberry Puree: Reducing the strawberry puree concentrates the flavor and removes excess moisture. This step is essential for creating a thick, stable strawberry frosting that won’t become runny.
- Two Ways to Frost: You can either use a piping bag or a knife to frost. If you prefer to use a piping bag, place the frosting inside, add the tip, and frost away. I recommend this method if you’re going for a more aesthetic presentation for an event. For those who aren’t huge fans of frosting or aren’t going for an aesthetic presentation, use a knife and spread a layer of frosting over the top to your desired thickness.
- Make It Your Own: Get creative and use another fruit for the frosting and topping. You can also use vanilla cupcake batter if you don’t prefer chocolate. Use your favorite kind of sprinkles for different holidays and occasions.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Absolutely. Bake these chocolate cupcakes up to 2 days in advance. Store them unfrosted in an airtight container at room temperature or refrigerate for longer freshness. Frost just before serving for the best results.
No. If you don’t want to use fresh strawberries, you can also use frozen berries. Just make sure that if you do, they aren’t packed in sugar or syrup.
No, in place of the strawberries, you can also just use some strawberry extract. The flavoring won’t be as bold and refreshing, but you’ll still get a strawberry-flavored frosting.
These Chocolate Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting are already vegetarian as written. To make it vegan, replace the eggs with flax eggs (2 tablespoons ground flaxseed + 5 tablespoons water, let sit 5 minutes), use plant-based milk such as almond, soy, or oat milk, and swap the butter in the frosting for a vegan butter alternative. Be sure to use organic granulated sugar (some sugars are processed with bone char) and a vegan-friendly extract.
To make Chocolate Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting dairy-free, substitute the milk with a non-dairy option like almond milk, oat milk, or coconut milk. Replace the butter in the strawberry frosting with dairy-free butter or vegan margarine. Double-check that your cocoa powder and chocolate products are dairy-free, as some brands may contain milk solids.
To make Chocolate Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting gluten-free, replace the all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour that contains xanthan gum. Make sure all other ingredients, including baking powder, cocoa powder, and powdered sugar, are certified gluten-free to avoid cross-contamination. Bake times will vary slightly; use a toothpick to make sure cupcakes are baked thoroughly.
Similar Recipes
Craving something similar? Try my Chocolate Dipped Strawberry Mini Cheesecakes.
Wanting something different? Bake my Chocolate Cupcakes with Oreo Buttercream.
Can’t get enough of strawberries? Make my Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes next.
Looking for something more filling? My Neapolitan Cake and Strawberry Chocolate Pound Cake Trifle are both ideal for Valentine’s Day parties.
Have you made this Chocolate Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting recipe? 🍓
Leave a review, and don’t forget to tag me in your creations on Instagram and Facebook! @lifeinthelofthouse! #ChocolateCupcakes #StrawberryFrosting #LifeInTheLofthouse
Chocolate Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup milk (I use 2%)
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup boiling water
Strawberry Frosting
- 2 cups chopped fresh strawberries
- 3/4 cup salted butter, room temperature
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 4 Tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract OR strawberry extract
Instructions
For The Chocolate Cupcakes
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 30 muffin cups with paper baking cups, set aside.Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa powder , baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin) Fill cups 2/3 full with batter.Bake 20 to 22 minutes, or until tooth-pick inserted comes out clean. Cool cupcakes completely before frosting.
For The Strawberry Frosting
- Place the freshly chopped 2 cups of strawberries in a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth.Place puree in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat. Stir constantly while mixture slowly comes to a boil. Continue to stir constantly while puree thickens and reduces to 2/3 cup. This will take about 10 minutes or less.Pour reduced puree into a measuring cup. You should have 2/3 cup of puree. Let stand until it cools and comes to room temperature.
- In a large bowl, add the room temperature butter. Using a hand-held mixer, beat until butter is smooth. Add 2 cups of powdered sugar and the 2/3 cup of strawberry puree. Mix until frosting becomes smooth. Gradually mix in the remaining 2 cups of powdered sugar and the extract.Add in milk, as needed, for desired thickness of frosting. Top cupcakes with fresh strawberry frosting. Serve and enjoy!
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