These cupid cupcakes have three flavors packed into one amazing dessert: chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry! Garnish the cupcakes with a chocolate heart to make an even more festive Valentine's Day treat!
These Valentine's cupcakes feature a moist and tender vanilla cake that's filled with chocolate ganache. Then, they're topped with a strawberry frosting and an individual chocolate heart.
Whether you love chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry best, you don't have to choose anymore because you get all three flavors within these cupcakes!
Looking for even more cupcake recipes? Then check out these: chocolate Oreo cupcakes, banana split cupcakes, and red velvet cupcakes.
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Why You'll Love These Cupcakes
- They're filled with a rich chocolate ganache.
- You can taste all three flavors.
- The strawberry buttercream is smooth and creamy.
- The vanilla cake is perfectly moist and fluffy.
- They'd be amazing for Valentine's Day!
I wanted to create a perfect vanilla cupcake that was both flavorful while also being moist. Sometimes vanilla cupcakes are more dry, but not these!
I would imagine that cupid's cupcakes would look similar to these!
Ingredients Needed
Here are some notes on the ingredients we'll be using. For the full ingredients list, look at the recipe card below.
- Flour: I used all purpose flour. Be sure to properly measure your flour (check out "Expert Baking Tips" above).
- Baking Powder: Just baking powder is needed, no baking soda.
- Oil: You can use either vegetable oil or canola.
- Eggs: Adding an extra egg white helps the cupcakes to be more light and fluffy.
- Yogurt: Use either plain or vanilla yogurt. You could also use sour cream.
- Chocolate: I used semi-sweet chocolate chips but you could also use dark, milk chocolate, or even a 4-ounce chocolate bar.
- Freeze Dried Strawberries: Be sure to pulse the strawberries in a blender or food processor to create powdery crumbs.
Instructions
Here are the step by step instructions on how to make these vanilla cupcakes.
Step 1: Dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Step 2: Wet ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, egg, egg white, yogurt, and vanilla extract until combined.
Step 3: Combine the ingredients. Alternate adding the flour mixture and the milk to the wet ingredients (flour, milk, flour), whisking just until everything is combined.
Step 4: Bake. FIll the cupcake liners ⅔ of the way full and bake for 15-20 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool for 10 minutes in the pan before transferring them over to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 5: Chocolate filling. Add the chocolate chips to a small bowl. In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the heavy whipping cream until bubbling.
Pour over the chocolate and let it sit for 3 minutes. Then whisk together until smooth.
Step 6: Make the frosting. In a large mixing bowl using the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until smooth.
Add the freeze-dried strawberry powder, powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla and mix on low speed until combined.
Then increase to high speed and beat until smooth and fluffy.
Assembling the Cupcakes
Once the cupcakes have cooled, use a small sharp knife to carefully cut out the centers. Fill each cupcake with the ganache filling.
Then, frost the cupcakes. I placed the frosting in a piping bag and used the Wilton 1M piping tip. Add a chocolate heart to the top of each cupcake.
Storage Tips
Keep any leftover cupcakes in an airtight container on the counter for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Expert Baking Tips
- Measuring Flour: To help ensure you don’t add extra flour, follow these three simple steps: 1) Fluff up the flour using a fork. 2) Spoon the flour into your measuring cup. 3) Scrape a knife across the top of the measuring cup to level out the flour.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: If an ingredient calls to be at room temperature before baking, do it. This helps to ensure the best quality in both flavor and texture.
- Strawberries: I used freeze dried strawberries for the frosting in order to get an intense strawberry flavor and it is so good! If you'd rather use fresh strawberries, check out this recipe here.
- Cupcake Batter: Fill the cupcake liners ⅔ of the way full, which is about 2 ½ tablespoons of batter.
Recipe FAQs
You can use either a ½ cup of semi-sweet, milk, or dark chocolate or a 4-ounce chocolate bar.
This specific strawberry frosting uses freeze dried strawberries, but if you want to use fresh, follow my frosting recipe for fresh strawberry cupcakes instead!
Yes they can. Simply make the cupcakes the night before and then make the ganache and frosting the day of. Decorate and serve!
It brings me so much joy to see you make my recipes. 🙂
Happy Baking!
More Valentine's Day Recipes
📖 Recipe
Cupid Cupcakes
Equipment
- 12-count muffin pan
- Mixing Bowls
- Electric Stand Mixer
Ingredients:
Vanilla Cupcakes
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil (or canola)
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 large egg white, room temperature
- ¼ cup yogurt (vanill or plain), room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup milk, room temperature
Chocolate Filling
- ½ cup chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup heavy whipping cream
Strawberry Frosting
- 1 cup freeze dried strawberries
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), room temperature
- 3 ½ cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream (or milk)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 12 chocolate heart candies (optional for decorating)
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a 12-count muffin pan with cupcake liners.
Vanilla Cupcakes
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, egg, egg white, yogurt, and vanilla extract until combined.
- Alternate adding the flour mixture and the milk to the wet ingredients (flour, milk, flour), whisking just until everything is combined (be careful not to overmix).
- FIll each cupcake liner ⅔ of the way full (just under 3 tablespoons of batter) and bake for 15-20 minutes. Use a toothpick to check the centers for doneness and let the cupcakes cool for 10 minutes in the pan before transferring them over to a wire rack to cool completely.
Chocolate Filling
- In a small bowl, add the white chocolate chips. Set aside.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the heavy whipping cream until bubbling (25-40 seconds). Pour the heavy cream over the chocolate chips and allow it to sit for 3 minutes, then whisk together until smooth. Cool to room temperature.
Strawberry Frosting
- In a blender or food processor, pulse the freeze dried strawberries until powdery crumbs. You'll have about ½ cup.
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer using the paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until creamy (about 1-2 minutes). Add the freeze-dried strawberries, powdered sugar, heavy whipping cream, and vanilla extract and mix on low speed until combined (about 30 seconds).
- Then increase the speed to high and beat for another 1-2 minutes (frosting should be light and creamy).
Assemble
- Once the cupcakes have cooled, use a piping tip (or a small sharp knife) to carefully cut out the centers. Be careful not to go through the bottom of the cupcake. Fill each cupcake with the ganache filling.
- Frost the cupcakes. I placed the frosting in a piping bag and used the Wilton 1M piping tip. Add one chocolate heart to the top of each cupcake and serve.
- Store leftover cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Chocolate ganache was easy to make. All the flavors really go well together. So good!