Cake of the Week: Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream

When life gives you lemons, make Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting. 

I realize that’s not how the saying usually goes, but can you really disagree? I mean, lemonade is good, but can anything really compare with a rich and chocolatey cake covered in sweet creamy (and pink!) frosting? Nope. Nothing can.

A few weeks ago SpeedyKate and I had a chocolate cupcake-needing day, so I made a batch of these babies to cheer us up. I knew they would be good – but oh man this is almost like a flourless chocolate cake kind of good. I only wish I had some right now!

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream

Printable recipe.
(Recipe adapted from Une Gamine Dans La Cuisine.)
For the cake:

• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter cut into 4 pieces
• 2 ounces chopped bittersweet or unsweetened chocolate (I used unsweetened)
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ baking powder
• 2 eggs
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup sour cream OR Greek yogurt

For the frosting:

• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 ½ cup powdered sugar
• ½ cup pureed strawberries (or a large spoonful of strawberry jam)
• A splash of milk or cream if your frosting is too thick

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.
3. In a medium heat-proof bowl combine butter, chopped chocolate, and cocoa. Either set bowl over a saucepan of simmering water to melt the butter and chocolate while stirring until smooth OR microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring between. Set aside to cool.
4. In a separate bowl, wish flour, baking soda, and baking powder.
5. In another large bowl, whisk eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Whisk the chocolate into to the egg mixture. 
6. Sift in about 1/3 of the flour mixture. Then add the sour cream or Greek yogurt. Stir in remaining dry ingredients. 
7. Divide evenly among the cupcake liners and bake for 18-20 minutes. (Warning: Do not over-bake! Err on the side of underdone for these. I baked for 20 minutes and it was a bit too much.) Let cool in the pan 5 minutes, then remove to finish cooling on a wire rack.

Frosting:

1. Beat all ingredients together. Add more sugar or some milk as needed to either thicken or loosen your frosting. 
2. When the cupcakes are completely cool, frost with a spatula or piping bag.

Printable recipe.