Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cupcakes

I am so excited to write my first cupcake post.  And it's for a very special cupcake!  I helped to host a Relay for Life fundraiser this weekend and these are the cupcakes that I took.  The recipe is a bit involved but it's been floating around in my head for a while and since strawberries won't be in season around here much longer, it was time to give it try. 

For the cake, I used a recipe for vanilla cupcakes from Pioneer Woman and modified it to make strawberry cupcakes.  I used two toppings -- one, a strawberry-cream cheese buttercream and, the other, a cooked chocolate sauce -- this one is also used as the cupcake filling!  Yum!

Once I had all of my components ready, I used my apple corer to remove the center of each cupcake.  I filled an icing bag with my chocolate sauce and piped it into the center of each one.  Then the cupcakes were topped with a strawberry-cream cheese buttercream swirl, more chocolate sauce and a chocolate covered strawberry.

I'll post the tutorial later.  I'm having a hard time adding photos at the moment.  Here are the recipes -- hope you enjoy!!!

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Strawberry Cupcakes (adapted from Pioneer Woman)

1 c. shortening

1 3/4 c. sugar

2 c. cake flour, sifted

3/4 tsp. salt

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 c. buttermilk, room temperature

1 1/2 tsp. double strength vanilla

1 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 tsp. white vinegar

3/4 c. diced fresh strawberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.

Cream shortening and sugar until fluffy.

In a seperate bowl sift together the cake flour and salt.  In another seperate bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, baking soda, and vinegar.

Alternate adding flour mixture and buttermilk mixture to the shortening mixture.  Mix until combined and don't forget to scrap the sides.

Remove bowl from the mixer and fold strawberries into the batter by hand.

Fill each liner with 1/4 c. batter.

Bake 18-20 minutes or until golden on top.  Remove from oven and cool on cooling rack.

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Strawberry-Cream Cheese Buttercream

1 stick butter, softened

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 lb powdered sugar

1 1/2 tsp double strength vanilla

Dash of salt

1/4 c. strawberries, mascerated

Cream butter and cream cheese with vanilla and salt.  Add powdered sugar about a cup at a time and mix until fluffy between each addition.  Place strawberries in a sieve and use a spoon to mash out as much juice as possible.  Add strawberry solids to icing and whip until fluffy.

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Cooked Chocolate Sauce

1 1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. cornstarch

7 tbsp. cocoa

1 stick butter

3/4 tsp.salt

1 1/2 c. boiling water

1 tbsp. vanilla

Mix the sugar, cornstarch, cocoa, salt and 1 tsp. of the butter in a sauce pan.  Stir in the boiling water with a whisk and heat over medium heat, stirring constantly until thick and bubbly.  Remove from heat and stir in remaining butter and vanilla.

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