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Soft, dark chocolate cupcakes topped with strawberry compote and cream cheese frosting

Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes

Soft, dark chocolate cupcakes topped with strawberry compote and cream cheese frosting
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Makes: 9 cupcakes
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Ingredients
  

For the strawberry compote

  • 200 gms strawberries (8 to 10 berries)
  • 1 tbsp water
  • 2 tsps caster sugar
  • 1/2 tsp cornflour + 1 tsp water

For the cupcake batter

  • 3/4th cup all-purpose flour (90 gms)
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 100 gms 70% to 75% dark chocolate, chopped
  • 115 gms butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsps soft brown sugar (120 gms)
  • 1 egg, at room temperature (see notes)
  • 1/2 tsp  vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup  freshly boiled water (125 ml)

For the frosting

  • 100 gms unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 150 gms cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup icing sugar (100 gms)
  • 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp strawberry compote

Instructions

  • I made the compote and baked the cupcakes on day one, then made the frosting and assembled the cupcakes on day two. I found this easier since there is some chilling time involved so spacing out the steps helped.
  • To make the compote, combine the strawberries, sugar and 1 tablespoon water in a saucepan on low heat. Stir constantly until the fruit has softened and the liquid begins to look foamy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Combine the cornflour and 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl, and add it to the saucepan. Continue stirring for another 2 to 3 minutes, letting the compote simmer and thicken. The liquid will coat the back of a spoon as it thickens. Turn off the heat and let the compote thicken further and cool at room temperature, then refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours, or even overnight. It will thicken to a jam-like consistency which is easy to stir into the frosting.
  • To make the cupcakes, sift the flour and baking soda in a large bowl. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 175 C and line 9 muffin moulds with cupcake liners.
  • Melt the chocolate till smooth in a double boiler or microwave (in 10 second increments, stirring in between each). Set aside to cool.
  • In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar till pale and fluffy with a hand mixer on low to medium speed. Next, beat in the egg and vanilla. Add the melted chocolate, and stir by hand till combined but do not over-mix.
  • Now add the flour mixture gradually, alternating with the boiled water. Stir gently, using a silicone spatula if you have one, avoiding lumps as much as possible. If you do see any lumps, run a hand mixer through the batter. The batter should be smooth and a little runny.
  • Divide the batter equally among the muffin moulds, filling them just about 3/4th of the way, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until they have risen, developed slightly crackly tops and a toothpick poked in the center comes out clean.
  • Allow the cupcakes to cool in the tray for 10 minutes and then place them on a wire rack to cool completely, without peeling the liners off. They will fall slightly as they cool and have fairly flat tops.
  • To make the frosting, beat the butter and cream cheese with a hand mixer on low to medium speed, until smooth and creamy. Add the vanilla, sift in the icing sugar and beat until combined. Now add 1/4 cup of the chilled compote and stir it in, adding a couple more tablespoons if you want a deeper colour and/or flavour. You will have about 1/2 cup compote in all, but adding the whole amount will make the frosting too runny and could cause it to split. Plus, it's super berry flavoured with just 1/4 cup. Store any leftover compote in the fridge and spread it on toast!
  • Place the frosting in the fridge for at least 1 hour to be able to spread it onto the cupcakes, and about 4 hours if you want to pipe it. My recommendation is to avoid piping this as the combination of cream cheese and berry juices makes the frosting quite soft.
  • When chilled, spread it generously onto the cupcakes, decorate with strawberry pieces or small, whole strawberries and dig in! Store in the fridge at all times, they will keep for 3 to 4 days. Happy baking!

Notes

*You can add a few more spoons of brown sugar to the batter, or use a milder chocolate if you want sweeter cupcakes. As written, the batter is bittersweet which I enjoyed since the frosting is pretty sweet.
*I have an eggless version of the dense chocolate loaf (which is the same batter as used in these cupcakes). However, I haven't tried that version as cupcakes. Let me know if you do!
*This batter would make a great layer cake. Use the proportions in the original dense chocolate loaf recipe (double of this one, basically), and you may need to double the frosting if you want a very thick layer in the center.