Chocolate and Strawberry Cupcakes

CHOCOLATE AND STRAWBERRY CUPCAKES 

Does anything say Valentine’s baking like strawberries and chocolate? Combined with cake, strawberry jam and pink shortbread hearts, what more could you want from a sweet treat? 

These cupcakes are light and fluffy, with a gooey jam centre and airy vanilla buttercream… and don’t forget the ‘buttery’ shortbread heart to top it all off! 

Preparation : 20 minutes

Baking Time : 20 – 25 minutes (Extra for the Shortbread Hearts)

Makes : 16 – 18 cupcakes

Ingredients

– For the Cupcakes –

• 300g Dairy-Free Milk (I used Oat) 

• 1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar 

• 275g Caster Sugar

• 55g Coconut Sugar

• 100g Dairy-Free Butter

• 335g Plain Flour

• 1 tsp Bicarbonate Soda

• 40g Cacao Powder

• 50g (Handful) Strawberries

• A jar of Strawberry Jam 

– For the Buttercream –

• 120g Dairy-Free Butter

• 600g Icing Sugar

• 6 tbsp Diary-Free Milk (I used Oat)

• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract

• A Few Drops of Pink or Red Food Colouring

– For the Shortbread Hearts –

• 150g Plain Flour 

• 100g Dairy-Free Butter

• 40g Caster Sugar

• 10g Icing Sugar 

• 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

• A Few Drops of Pink or Red Food Colouring

Method

– For the Cakes –

1. Preheat the oven to 160C fan and line a cupcake/muffin tray with cases (I prefer my cupcakes to be muffin size so I use muffin cases). 

2. In a bowl or jug, whisk together the milk and apple cider vinegar and leave it untouched whilst you make the rest of the cake batter (the aim is for it to curdle, as unpleasant as that sounds!)

3. Cream the butter and sugars together, then add the flour, cacao powder, bicarbonate soda and mix. 

4. Slowly add in the milk mixture, making sure to mix it until it’s all combined into the cake batter. Be careful not to over-beat the batter, as too much air in the mix can cause the cakes to sink in the centre when they come out of the oven (something that I’ve done too many times!) 

5. Fold in the strawberries and mix until they are as evenly distributed as possible (there is less liquid in this mix, because the strawberries will release juices as they bake!)

6. Spoon the mixture into the cases, filling the cases between 1/2 and 3/4 full and place in the oven for 20 – 25 minutes. 

7. Once baked, take the cupcakes out of the tray and place them on a wire rack. Leave them aside to cool completely, before starting to decorate them. 

8. Once the cupcakes are cool, cut a small hole into the top of the cupcakes extending about half way down and fill this hole with your strawberry jam. 

9. Once they are all filled with your jam, put them to one side whilst you make the buttercream.

– For the Buttercream –

1. Cream the butter to soften it, then add the icing sugar, whisking until combined (I use a standing mixer on a high speed with a whisk attachment). 

2. Once creamed, add the dairy-free milk (half a tablespoon at a time), vanilla extract, food colouring and continue to whisk.

3. Choose your preferred piping nozzle and fill the piping bag with the buttercream, then pipe the buttercream onto the cupcakes. 

– For the Shortbread Hearts –

1. Cream the butter and caster sugar (I use a standing mixer on a high speed with a whisk attachment).

2. Then add the flour, icing sugar, vanilla extract and food colouring, mixing until it forms a dough (you may want to use the heat of your hands to help the butter soften some more). 

3. When the mixture has formed a dough, roll it out on a floured surface (I rolled mine quite thin, but if you prefer thicker shortbread add a couple of minutes baking time). Cut out the hearts and place on a lined baking tray. 

4. Bake the shortbread for 8 – 10 minutes at 160C fan. Leave them to cool on a rack before adding to cake and then enjoy! 

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