Easy Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cupcakes


Japanese combine chocolate with everything from edamame soy beans to sweet potatoes. And strawberries, of course, as Japan is the world's greatest consumer of the ruby gem sweets.

  • The strawberry cupcake recipe is adapted from Home Cooking with Trisha Yearwood.
  • Vintage Cakes by Julie Richardson inspired the chocolate ganache. 
  • Strawberry frosting is the creation of yours truly, The Ninja Baker.
Ingredients: 


For the strawberry cupcakes:

  • 1 box white cake mix
  • 1 box (3 ounces) strawberry gelatin
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh strawberries
  • 4 large eggs

Tip: Dab the strawberries with a paper towel to avoid excess moisture.

For the chocolate ganache:

  • 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup heavy cream

For the strawberry frosting:

  • 1 tub (8 ounces) of whipped cream cheese
  • 5 tablespoons strawberry gelatin
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream
Directions: 


For the strawberry cupcakes:

  1. Combine all ingredients with an electric mixer. 
  2. Divide into silicone baking cups or into cupcake cases in a muffin tin
  3. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
  4. Cool


For the chocolate ganache:

  1. Heat the heavy cream in a saucepan over a medium-low flame. 
  2. Stir occasionally and watch for small boil bubbles.
  3. Remove from the stove and swirl the cream over the chocolate.
  4. (Make sure all the bits of chocolate have been touched by the cream.)
  5. Cover for 5 minutes. 
  6. Stir vigorously from the inside of the melted chocolate until a smooth blanket of chocolate appears.
  7. Let the ganache rest for 3 hours. Go ahead and give the bowl a stir once every hour.
  8. (No worries if you don't. I've let it go without a single stir and the ganache is still great.)
  9. Frost the cooled cupcakes.


For the strawberry frosting:

  1. Whip up all the ingredients with an electric mixer.
  2. Fill a piping bag with a star tip and garnish the cupcakes.