These delicious cupcakes are the perfect Valentine’s Day treat! Vanilla cupcakes with strawberries and dark chocolate chips baked inside, then topped with sweet strawberry icing and a Hershey’s Kiss.
Prep Time: 1 hour Bake Time: 26 minutes
Makes: 24 cupcakes
Cupcake Ingredients:
- 2 cups flour
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- ½ cup half + half
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 egg whites
- ½ tsp. vanilla extract
- ½ cup finely diced strawberries
- ⅓ cup dark chocolate chips
Icing Ingredients:
- 3 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ tsp. vanilla extract
- 4 tbsp. milk
- strawberry reduction sauce
Strawberry Reduction Sauce Ingredients:
- 1 cup sliced strawberries
- 2 tbsp. water
Other Items Needed:
- 24 unwrapped Hershey’s Kisses
- 2 - 12 cup muffin pans
- 24 cupcake liners
- small saucepan and lid
- electric mixer
- spatula
- cutting board
- bowls
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- toothpick
Directions:
- In a small saucepan, add 2 tbsp. water and 1 cup sliced strawberries.
- Over medium heat bring the strawberries to a soft boil, then cover and let simmer until the strawberries are soft (this doesn’t take too long, so make sure to keep checking).
- Remove the saucepan from heat and using either a fork or hand held masher, mash up the strawberries well.
- Put the saucepan back on the burner on medium heat and stirring frequently let the juices reduce and thicken.
- Transfer the strawberry reduction sauce to a container and let cool a few minutes before covering. Then, place in the refrigerator to finish cooling.
- Place the cupcake liners in both of the 12 cup muffin pans and set aside.
- Unwrap the Hershey’s Kisses, place in a bowl and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In a small mixing bowl, add flour, baking powder and salt, stir with a whisk to combine.
- Sift the flour mixture using either a sifter or a mesh colander into another bowl and then set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the butter. Using an electric mixer, mix the butter until it is a creamy consistency.
- Add the sugar and vanilla extract and mix until well combined with the butter.
- Add in the egg whites, half + half and the sour cream and mix until just combined.
- Then, add the sifted flour mixture, spooning a little at a time until all of the flour has been added and just combined with the other ingredients. *Make sure not to overmix.
- Lastly, fold (using a spatula, not the electric mixer) in the ½ cup finely diced strawberries and ⅓ cup dark chocolate chips.
- Spoon ⅔ of the cupcake mixture into each of 12 cup muffin lined pans.
- Bake for approximately 26 minutes or until the toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Cool on a wire rack. * When the cupcakes have cooled slightly, I like to cover them and place them in the refrigerator to lock in the moisture.
- To make the icing, take the strawberry reduction sauce out of the refrigerator and set aside.
- Sift the powdered sugar into a bowl and set aside.
- Add the butter to a large mixing bowl and using an electric mixer, mix the butter until creamy.
- Add the vanilla extract and combine well.
- Add 2 tbsp. of the milk and then add half of the powdered sugar (spooning a little bit into the mixture at a time).
- Add the additional 2 tbsp. of milk and the other half of the powdered sugar.
- Add all of the strawberry reduction sauce and mix on low speed, just until incorporated. * Don’t over mix or it will change the consistency of the icing.
- Using a spoon, spoon a small amount of the icing on top of each cupcake and then using the back of the spoon, spread it over the top of the cupcake.
- Then, place a Hershey’s Kiss on top of each cupcake.
- Enjoy!