Chocolate Strawberry Ganache Cupcakes

I gotta admit - I'm falling behind with the blogging! I've baked these rich and sweet babies a week ago and completely forgot to blog about them. Maybe it's the Spring weather...with the sunshine out almost every other day, there is so much more to do than typing away at a laptop! Anyway, I need to catch up on the blogging, I have another recipe I need to post asap too!

Back to the Spring weather, strawberries are everywhere and dirt cheap!!!! I'm just trying to find as many strawberry recipes to bake as I can. This recipe is adapted from cupcakeblog.com and is one that has been sitting in my thick book of "internet recipes to bake" for almost a year now. And I totally regret not attempting these earlier - they were crazy delish!!!!

It's a simple chocolate cupcake, filling with a chocolate strawberry ganache where there is a hint of the strawberry flava but a rich and intense chocolatey taste. And it is then topped with my favourite chocolate frosting that I like to use on all cupcakes if I can help it.

This cupcake was a hit with grown men, women and even 5 and 11 year old kids. I received a perfect 10 for these, you gotta bake them!

Chocolate Strawberry Ganache Cupcakes

(bakes 12 cupcakes)

Chocolate cupcakes:

- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)

- 1 cup white granulated sugar

- 2 eggs

- 1/2 cup + 4 tablespoons flour

- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

- 1/8 teaspoon salt

- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

- 1/2 cup milk

- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate strawberry ganache filling:

- 4 oz bittersweet chocolate (chopped)

- 3/4 cup heavy cream

- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

- 1/8 teaspoon salt

- 2/3 cup strawberry puree

Chocolate frosting:

- 8 oz semisweet chocolate (chopped)

- 3/4 cup heavy cream

- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1. Chocolate cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin tin with paper liners.

2. Beat the butter until smooth. Then add the sugar and beat until fluffy.

3. Add the eggs, one at a time and beat well after each addition.

4. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder.

5. Mix in the flour mixture, alternating with the milk (flour - milk - flour - milk - flour). Mix well after each addition. Then mix in the vanilla extract.

6. Fill the muffin cups till 2/3 full.

7. Bake for 22 - 25 mins, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let it cool on a wire rack before filling and frosting the cupcakes.

8. Chocolate strawberry ganache filling: Heat the heavy cream until it boils and pour it over the chopped chocolate. Let it sit for 1 min, then whisk it to combine until smooth. Add the vanilla extract and salt.

9. Mix in the strawberry puree. Chill it in the fridge until ready to use.

10. Chocolate frosting: Heat the heavy cream and butter until it boils, then pour it over the chopped chocolate. Let it stand for 3 mins, then whisk until smooth.

11. Let it cool and thicken in the fridge for 1-2 hours. When ready to use, beat the mixture until it is of a frosting consistency.

12. Assembly: Using a knife, cut out a cone shape in the middle of the cupcakes.

13. Fill the cupcakes with the ganache filling.

14. Top it back with the cones.

15. And finally, frost the cupcakes!

P.S. I just started training with a personal instructor and I don't think he will be very happy to hear about my baking habit. Hmmm...I am secretly wondering if offering him a cupcake on a weekly basis will be a good idea. Maybe he'll go easy on me?