Strawberry Chocolate Cupcakes
Makes 28 cupcakes
*3/4 cup Extra Light Olive Oil
*1 cup Greek Yogurt
*1/4 cup Butter, almost room temperature
*1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
*1/2 cup Brown Sugar
*2 Large Eggs, room temperature
*1 cup Buttermilk, room temperature or mix 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice to 1 cup Milk
*1 and 3/4 cups All-purpose Flour
*1 cup Hershey’s Special Dark Chocolate Cocoa Powder
*1 and 1/2 teaspoons Baking Soda
*1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt
*1/2 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, Ghirardelli, optional
Preheat oven 375*F. Line cupcake/muffin pans with cupcake liners.
Directions:
In a stand mixer with paddle attachment on medium speed, cream together the oil, yogurt, butter, vanilla, sugar and brown sugar mix until incorporated well. Then add the eggs one at a time.
In a bowl sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. On low-speed and alternate by adding the flour and buttermilk a third at a time. Mix only until incorporated. Scrap the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula making sure ingredients are blended together well.
Scoop cupcake batter into cupcake lined cupcake/muffin pans and fill 2/3 full.
Turn down the heat on the oven to 350*F. Bake for 25 to 28 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in pans about 10 minutes, remove and cool completely before frosting.
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting (1M Decorating Star Tip and Piping Pastry Bag)
*8 ounces Cream Cheese, room temperature
*1 cup Butter, almost room temperature
*3 cups Sifted Powdered Sugar, more or less as needed
*2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract or Vanilla Bean Paste
*1 cup Freeze Dried Strawberries, ground fine
*Literally a pinch of Sea Salt
Frosting Directions:
In a medium bowl add the cream cheese and butter, using an electric hand mixer and cream together. Then add vanilla and slowly mix-in the powder sugar, dried strawberries and salt. Mix until combined. Refrigerate frosting 10 minutes before piping on the frosting or until frosting pipes on cupcakes easily.
Frosting Recipe adapted from Half Baked Harvest
Enjoy!
Lindy
