Oh Man, These Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes!

I don’t know about you, but there’s something kind of magical about baking Cupcakes. The air smells like childhood and Chocolate—plus, it’s a great excuse to eat batter off a spoon without anyone judging. The first time I made these decadent Chocolate strawberry cupcakes, I was honestly just trying to impress my sister-in-law (spoiler: it worked). Now it’s my go-to when I need something easy-dazzling, you know? Also, once I made a batch for my kid’s birthday and, not even kidding, they were gone before the party games started. Which made me both proud and a tiny bit salty because I only got half a cupcake. Oops.

Why You’ll Love These—No, Really

I bake these when I want to look like a kitchen hero without, well, doing all that much. My family pretty much stampedes when they smell chocolate and strawberries (okay, not literally, but I keep my elbows up just in case), and the combo is unreal. Sometimes I make these on a Friday night because the week has been a bit rough and I deserve some joy with sprinkles. The worst part? Trying not to eat the strawberries meant for the toppings. Seriously, it’s become a minor act of willpower.

What You’ll Need (and What I Sometimes Swap In)

1 cup plain flour (I’ve totally used self-raising, just skip the extra baking powder if you do—turns out fine!)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch-process is fancy but regular is fine—my gran swore by whatever was cheapest)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup sugar (brown sugar works if you’re out, it makes ’em slightly fudgier)
2 large eggs (sometimes I use 3 small ones because that’s all I have)
1/2 cup vegetable oil (olive oil gives a different vibe—earthier, I think?)
1/2 cup whole milk (I’ve tried oat milk when I ran out, honestly nobody guessed)
1 tsp vanilla extract (artificial works too, promise)
1 cup chopped strawberries, plus extra for topping (if they’re out of season, I use frozen—just thaw and pat dry first!)
For frosting: 1 1/2 cups whipping cream, 2 tbsp icing sugar, 2 tbsp cocoa powder, 1/2 tsp vanilla

Let’s Make Them—And Get a Little Messy

Crank the oven up to 180°C (350°F)… or, if you’re like me, whichever temp you remember from past success. Line a muffin tray with paper liners—unless you forgot to buy them; greased tins work, just more cleaning later.
In a big bowl, toss flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar together. Don’t worry if you make a bit of a chocolate dust cloud. That’s half the fun.
Beat in the eggs, oil, milk, and vanilla. I usually start slow so I don’t redecorate my kitchen. Batter will look sort of silky at this point—unless your eggs were cold… then it’s clumpy, but it’ll smooth out, promise.
Fold in the strawberries. This is where I sneak a few pieces straight from the bowl. Just me?
Spoon batter into the cases, about 2/3 full (I eyeball this, the more rustic-looking the better).
Pop them in the oven and bake 18-22 minutes. Toothpick test: poke one in, if it comes out mostly clean (a few sticky crumbs are fine), you’re golden.
Cool in the pan for a bit, then move to a rack—on second thought, sometimes I just set them on a plate because who even owns a wire rack?
Whip the cream with icing sugar, cocoa, and vanilla until it forms soft peaks that still look a tad lazy. Too stiff and it goes weird, so don’t overdo it.
Icing time! Dollop (or pipe, if you’re in a Martha Stewart mood) the frosting on the cooled cupcakes. Top each one with a fresh or not-so-fresh-looking strawberry, depending what you grabbed. If you fancy a drizzle, a bit of melted chocolate looks great—but only if you feel like washing another bowl.

Notes from My Totally Unofficial Test Kitchen

I once tried making these with coconut flour—complete disaster. Dense as old boots. Stick with regular flour, trust me.
Chocolate chips mixed into the batter? 10/10, but the cupcakes get even gooier. Not a complaint, honestly.
You can make the frosting ahead, just don’t frost warm cupcakes (learned that one the, um, messy way).
If the strawberries are sort of bland (you know the ones), a tiny sprinkle of sugar brightens them up.

Stuff I’ve Tried That Worked (and the One Thing That Didn’t)

I’ve swapped blackberries for the strawberries before—pretty tasty but a bit on the messy side. Tried orange zest in the batter once… it was a bold move; let’s just say it works better with strawberries. Oh! Dipping the tops in dark chocolate before frosting is a real show-off move, if you want to go wild. Once (for science) I tried balsamic strawberries—nope, too fancy for my lot.

Tools—Or Improvise Like Me

Muffin tray (or just use doubled-up paper cases on a cookie sheet if you can’t find yours)
Mixing bowls (anything big enough, I’ve used a salad bowl more than once)
Electric mixer (totally optional; a whisk and strong forearms do the job, might be good for a workout too)
Measuring cups/spoons, or the classic “close enough” eyeball method (my dad’s way)
Wire rack—though in a pinch, I just flip a baking tray over

Keeping ‘Em Fresh (Kind Of Pointless in My House)

Tuck leftovers (if you have any) in an airtight container and refrigerate. They taste best the same day, but will hold up for 2 days. Outside the fridge, they’re fine for about 8-10 hours, tops. Honestly, I’d be amazed if they last till breakfast. Once, I hid two and forgot—don’t do that.

How I Like to Serve These (and a Quick Family Tradition)

I usually plonk them on a big plate, pile more strawberries on the side, and let everyone dig in. Now and then we’ll light a candle and pretend it’s someone’s birthday—my mum started that and now it’s a thing. Also: a scoop of vanilla ice cream, if you can be bothered.

Things I Learned the Hard Way (So You Don’t Have To)

Rushing the cooling step? Big mistake. The frosting just slides right off—one time it just puddled, which was equal parts sad and delicious.
Tried to make them gluten free with just almond meal. Not the same. Maybe there’s a way but, not in my repertoire!
Cramming too much batter into the cases? They look wild, but join together—like mutant cupcakes. Still good, though.

FAQ—These Come Up Every Time

Can I use a boxed mix? Oh sure. I mean, I love the from-scratch version (and claim all the credit), but boxed mix plus berries = surprisingly good.
Do they freeze well? Sorta. The sponge is fine—frosting, not so much. If you freeze them, do it before frosting and decorate later.
What if I don’t have fresh strawberries? No problem! Use frozen, just pat them really well so you don’t end up with soggy bottoms (Mary Berry would not approve).
Any non-dairy swaps? Sure, I’ve had luck with coconut cream for the frosting, and oat or almond milk in the batter. Might taste a bit different, but still *good* kinda different.
How do you make them look fancy? Pipe the icing with a large star tip and drizzle some melted chocolate. Or stick a strawberry half at an angle. Half the time, I just shovel them onto a tray (they disappear either way).
Are these actually decadent? I mean, they’re chocolatey, fruity and creamy… so, yeah, I’d say they’re pretty decadent. My mate Jenny called them ‘dangerous,’ if that helps!

And that’s it! Make them, swap things in, sneak tastes, and don’t fuss the details too much—it’s just cupcakes after all. Next time, remind me to tell you about the time I tried beetroot brownies. That’s a story for another day…