Strawberry Truffle Cupcakes

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These Strawberry Truffle Cupcakes are moist vanilla cupcakes filled with strawberry truffle filling, topped with white chocolate buttercream! Such a tasty strawberry dessert and perfect for Valentine’s Day!

Strawberry Truffle Cupcakes on a white cake stand

So this past Saturday was the twins’ first birthday. It’s hard to believe a year has come and gone. If you’d have asked us within the first 4 months if we ever thought we’d make it, we’d have said we weren’t so sure. 🙂 But here we are and the boys just get cuter and more fun all the time.

As far as milestones and such for the one year mark, they are SO CLOSE to walking! They will stand on their own for quite a while and even play and dance while standing, but the most they take is a couple steps before they get back down and crawl. They are climbing the stairs though and getting into everything. Baby gates are everywhere and bathroom doors must remain closed. The water in the toilet and the toilet paper are huge draws. They beeline for any bathroom left open. Too funny.

We took some family photos yesterday and I can’t wait to get them and share them with you. It takes a few weeks, so I’ll be waiting (im)patiently. 🙂

In the meantime, we have Valentine’s Day coming up! Let’s be honest, the best part about the “holiday” is the treats. Whether you’re more of a chocolate kinda person or you’re into the pink and red, there’s plenty of  Valentine’s Day dessert options. I myself would like a little bit of everything. 🙂

A Strawberry Truffle Cupcake on a white table top
Overhead view of Strawberry Truffle Cupcakes on a white table

An Easy Strawberry Dessert with Vanilla Cupcakes

These Strawberry Truffle Cupcakes kind of have a little bit of everything. It’s a cupcake, but it’s also got some white chocolate going on. Plus, it’s inspired by a Ghirardelli truffle I saw at the store the other day and knew I shouldn’t buy (because I’d eat them all), but did anyway. I guess the silver lining is that they inspired these cupcakes!

The cupcakes start with a moist vanilla cupcake, which I used my Moist Vanilla Cake for and turned it into cupcakes. It’a wonderful vanilla cupcake, made with both butter and oil to get the benefit of flavor and extended moisture.

The filling is a whipped white chocolate ganache that is flavored with strawberry extract and colored pink with a little gel icing color. I toyed with the idea of adding strawberry extract – or even freeze dried strawberries – but since I was going for something similar to the candy, strawberry extract was more the right flavor. And SO yummy!

To finish them off, they are topped with a white chocolate buttercream that’s FULL of melted white chocolate. I divided the frosting into two batches and colored half of it pink for a fun swirl frosting. They are topped with little chewy candy hearts and the final Strawberry Truffle Cupcakes are not only delicious, but adorable and so festive! Such a great way to feed someone’s belly to show them you love them! 😉

A Strawberry Truffle Cupcake with a bite taken out on a white table
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Strawberry Truffle Cupcakes on a white cake stand
Recipe

Strawberry Truffle Cupcakes

  • Author: Lindsay
  • Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Yield: 12-14 cupcakes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American

Description

These Strawberry Truffle Cupcakes are moist vanilla cupcakes filled with strawberry truffle filling, topped with white chocolate buttercream! A perfect strawberry dessert for Valentine’s Day!


Ingredients

Strawberry Truffle Filling

  • 8 oz white chocolate chips
  • 1 tbsp strawberry extract
  • 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy whipping cream
  • Pink gel icing color

Vanilla Cupcakes

  • 1 1/4 cups (163g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 6 tbsp (84g) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3/4 cups (155g) sugar
  • 1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp (150ml) milk

White Chocolate Buttercream

  • 12 oz white chocolate chips
  • 1 1/4 cups (280g) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 5 cups (575g) powdered sugar
  • Pinch of salt
  • 56 tbsp (45-60ml) heavy whipping cream
  • Pink gel icing color
  • 1214 Heart candies

Instructions

1. To make the strawberry truffle filling, put the white chocolate chips in a medium sized bowl.
2. Put the strawberry extract and heavy whipping cream in a microwave safe measuring cup or bowl and microwave until it begins to boil.
3. Pour the cream over the white chocolate chips and allow to sit for 2-3 minutes, then whisk until smooth. If needed, microwave the mixture for 10-20 more seconds, then whisk until smooth.
4. Add a very small amount of pink gel icing color and stir until combined. Add a small amount more, if needed, to get the right shade of pink. Keep in mind that once you whip this filling later, it’ll lighten a bit, so make it a touch darker than you’ll end up wanting it to be in the end.
5. Set the ganache in the fridge to firm up, about 2-3 hours.
6. To make the cupcakes, prepare a cupcake pan with cupcake liners and preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C).
7. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
8. Add the butter, sugar and oil to a large mixer bowl and beat together until light in color and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Do not skimp on the creaming time.
9. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until mostly combined after each. Add the vanilla extract with the second egg. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated.
10. Add half of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until mostly combined.
11. Slowly add the milk and mix until well combined. The batter might look a little curdled, but that’s ok.
12. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until well combined and smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated. Do not over mix the batter.
13. Fill the cupcake liners about 3/4 full and bake for 14-16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
14. Remove cupcakes from the oven and place on a cooling rack to cool.
15. While the cupcakes cool, finish the filling. Put the chilled mixture in the bowl of a mixer and whip with the whisk attachment until soft peaks form, about 5-7 minutes. You’ll notice the mixture lighten in color.
16. Cut out the centers of the cupcakes. You can use a cupcake corer or a knife.
17. Fill the centers of the cupcakes with the filling. Set the cupcakes in the fridge while you make the frosting.
18. To make the frosting. Place the white chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and heat in 10-20 second increments, stirring between each, until white chocolate is melted and smooth. Set aside to cool a bit.
19. In a large mixer bowl, beat the butter until smooth.
20. Add the cooled white chocolate in 2-3 batches and mix until well combined.
21. Add about half of the powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons of heavy cream and mix until well combined.
22. Add remaining powdered sugar and salt and mix until smooth.
23. Add remaining heavy cream as needed to get the right consistency of frosting.
24. Divide the frosting roughly in half. Add some pink gel icing color to one half of the frosting.
25. To frost the cupcakes with the colored swirl, I like to use three piping bags. I use two piping bags and add the white frosting to one and the pink frosting to the other. Then add your piping tip (I used Ateco tip 847) to the third large piping bag. Add the two frosting filled bags to the third bag side-by-side. It may seem a little tight and awkward, but it’ll mostly fit. When you squeeze from the top of the third bag to pipe the frosting, the two colors should come out evenly next to each other to create the swirl. Frost the cupcakes with the buttercream, then top with a heart candy.
26. Refrigerate cupcakes in an air tight container until ready to serve. Serve at room temperature. Cupcakes are best for 2-3 days.


Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 Cupcake
  • Calories: 688
  • Sugar: 68.1 g
  • Sodium: 96.7 mg
  • Fat: 40.8 g
  • Carbohydrates: 77.9 g
  • Protein: 5.7 g
  • Cholesterol: 107.9 mg

Categories

Enjoy!

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Lindsay
About Lindsay

I'm a wife and a mom to twin boys and a baby girl! And I've got a serious sweets addiction! Bring on the treats!

Scripture I’m Loving

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29