High Hat Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes

Where do I start with these delicious High Hat Strawberry Chocolate Cupcakes? They are the perfect definition of a decadent dessert! The chocolate cupcakes are moist and fluffy, topped with a creamy strawberry meringue buttercream. Let's not forget about that smooth and silky chocolate shell.

About These Cupcakes

These cupcakes have three parts: 1) the chocolate cupcakes, 2) The Swiss Meringue Buttercream, and 3) The Chocolate shell.

• The cupcake recipe is my Ultimate Chocolate Cupcake recipe. This recipe makes the perfect chocolate cupcakes and can be adapted to many different variations.
• See the Swiss Meringue Buttercream post for the guide to make the perfect creamy Swiss Meringue Buttercream.
• The chocolate shell is as simple as mixing chocolate chips with some shortening. How bout that 🙂

Trust me, these cupcakes are super fun to make and make the most delicious dessert.

How To Make High Hat Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes

Cupcakes

• Start by sifting the dry ingredients, including flour, cocoa powder, Baking powder, and salt.
• Mix the heavy cream, oil, and sour cream in a separate bowl and set aside.
• Use the paddle attachment to beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Scrape the bowl as needed.
• Add the eggs one at a time, and make sure to mix well before adding the next addition.
• Add Vanilla extract.
• Add the dry ingredients alternating with the wet ingredients in three passes; start and finish with dry.
• Scoop the batter into the cupcake liners to ¾ capacity of each liner. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Let them cool down before frosting them.

Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream

• The first step is wiping all the dishes, tools, and equipment with white vinegar. This will get rid of any possible oil residue on the dishes. Any fat on your dishes or spatula will not allow the meringue to whip perfectly.
• Separate the egg whites. The egg yolk should not leak into the egg whites. It has a fat content and will not allow the meringue to whip.

And

• To have a Swiss Meringue Buttercream with the perfect consistency, measure all the ingredients and set them aside beforehand, including the butter. Leave the butter outside the fridge. Make sure the proportion of the ingredients is accurate. Usually, the amount of granulated sugar equals butter, and egg white is half the amount of sugar and butter.
•  Pour the egg whites and sugar into a clean bowl of a stand mixer and stir the mixture with a spatula. Place the bowl in a double boiler with simmering water.

• Place a thermometer inside the egg mixture and set it to reach 63°C (145°F). With a spatula, mix the mixture. Make sure to get to the bottom of the bowl and incorporate all the sugar and the egg white.
•  After a few minutes, the sugar starts to dissolve, and the mixture becomes foamy. It is important to stir the mixture until it reaches 63°C.
• Transfer the bowl to the stand mixer and set the whisk attachment, start beating the mixture at high speed until it reaches stiff peaks.
•  At this stage, leave the mixture alone to cool. The meringue will take about 5-10 minutes to cool. When the bowl is no longer warm to the touch, turn on the mixer at medium speed, then add the butter in small pieces until the mixture curdles. This step is crucial for a solid Swiss Meringue Buttercream with a good texture.

• Add all the butter until the buttercream is formed. Add the vanilla extract. If you want a white buttercream, add clear vanilla extract.
• Pulse the Freeze-dried Strawberries in the food processor until you have a soft powder.
• I would like to use a small amount of Strawberry Extract to enhance the flavour, but you can leave it out.
• Switch to the paddle attachment, and beat the buttercream for one minute. This will remove the air incorporated into the buttercream.
• Use a round piping tip to pipe the buttercream on the cupcakes, and bring the spiral to the top to have a tall high hat.
• Place the cupcakes in the freezer for half an hour.

Chocolate Shell

• Melt the chocolate in the microwave at 20-second intervals and stir the chocolate after each pass.
• Add the shortening and mix until melted. If you do not like shortening, use coconut oil instead.
• Pour the melted chocolate into a deep container (do not use a shallow dish) and dip the cupcake frosting into it, ensuring all the frosting is covered. Let the chocolate set for a few minutes, and then serve.

See more related posts here:

Nescafe Cupcakes,

Chocolate Cupcakes With Salted Caramel Frosting,

Red Velvet Cupcakes

📖 Recipe