Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cupcakes

These delicious cupcakes are deceptively simple. The frosting gets its big strawberry flavor from freeze-dried strawberries. Use a boxed mix for the cupcakes, or substitute your own recipe. Chocolate cupcakes would be nice here too if you want to be really decadent.

Servings

24cupcakes

Servings

24cupcakes

Ingredients

24 yellow cake cupcakesprepared according to package diretions
6ounces Ghirardelli Dark Melting Wafers
2sticks unsalted butterroom temperature
1pound powdered sugar
1/4cup milk, half and half or cream
1 1/2teaspoons clear vanilla extract
1.2ounces freeze-dried strawberriesground into a powder
red or pink food dyeoptional

Instructions

Once cupcakes have cooled, melt the chocolate in the microwave according to the package directions. Once it is melted and smooth, dip each cupcake into the chocolate, turning it as you go to make sure you’re getting all the way to the edge of the cupcake paper. While it’s still upside-down, remove some of the excess with the tines of a fork. Don’t worry if you leave a small mark in the top of the cupcake, the frosting will cover it. Set aside to let the chocolate set, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, put the butter, powdered sugar, cream, and vanilla in the bowl of your stand mixer. Beat on low until ingredients start to come together then turn up to medium-high and beat for 2 minutes. Add 4 tablespoons of the strawberry powder (reserve the rest for another use) and beat for an additional two minutes. Add food dye, if desired and beat until combined. Then turn down to low and let run for about a minute to get rid of air bubbles.
Using a 1M tip or a ziplock with the corner cut off, pipe wide rosettes onto the top of the cupcake, starting in the middle and working outwards. Allow the frosting to set for 15-20 minutes before moving to your serving tray or storage container.