Chocolate Dipped Strawberry-Chocolate Cupcakes
Cupcakes:
2 cups self-rising flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup butter, room temperature
2 eggs, separated, egg whites beaten stiff
3 1/2 oz. semisweet chocolate, melted
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 oz. package cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup fresh strawberries, mashed
about 7 cups powdered sugar
Ganache:
12 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
22-24 strawberries for tops of cupcakes
1/4 cup white chocolate, melted
Cupcakes:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with about 22-24 liners; set aside.
In a bowl of a stand mixer beat together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks one at a time and beat well between additions. Add the vanilla and melted chocolate and blend well. In a separate bowl sift together the flour and baking powder. Add in thirds the flour and half the milk to the butter mixture; blend just until combined. Stir in mini chocolate chips. Beat the egg whites until stiff in a separate bowl. Fold in the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Scoop evenly 2/3 full into the liners. Bake for about 20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center. Remove from oven and allow to set for 5 minutes before removing cupcakes to cooling rack. Allow to cool completely.
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting:
Combine all the ingredients and beat until blended and fluffy. Add sugar gradually until it's the correct consistency. Place the frosting in a piping bag fitted with a large start tip and pipe on cooled cupcakes.
Ganache:
Heat cream and pour over the chopped chocolate. Stir until blended completely. Place the ganache and drizzle some over the cupcakes. With the remaining ganache dip strawberries into ganache and place on parchment lined baking sheet. Place dipped strawberries in the refrigerator to allow the ganache to set up. Meanwhile melt the white chocolate. Remove from the refrigerator and drizzle the melted white chocolate over the firm dipped berries. Place back in the refrigerator to allow white chocolate to firm up . Once the chocolate coating is firm on the berries place one on each cupcake
