Strawberry Surprise Cupcakes

Step 1

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line a jumbo muffin tin or a regular muffin tin with paper cups. Set aside.

Step 2

Rinse the strawberries and trim the tops off. Place them in a blender or processor and puree. There should be 1 cup of puree.

Step 3

Whisk sugar and oil until combined.  Add egg and yolk, whisking to combine.

Step 4

Add the strawberry puree.

Step 5

Combine the salt, baking soda, baking powder and flour. Whisk together. Add to the above.

Step 6

Fill the cups about 3/4 full.

Step 7

Bake for aboutr 25 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Cool before continuing or these may be frozen for later.

Step 8

While the cupcakes are cooling, heat the cream until it is very hot but do not boil it.

Step 9

Add the chocolate and submerge it under the cream. Let it sit for 3 or 4 minutes, then whisk it to combine completely.

Step 10

Cool the ganache but don't let it set up. Set aside.

Step 11

Be sure to remove the desicant from the package. Combine the freeze dried strawberries and powdered sugar in the bowl of a processor. Process until they are a pink powder.

Step 12

Place the butter, almond extract and the strawberry powdered sugar in the bowl of a mixer. Mix on low until it comes together, then raise to medium or medium high and beat until it is light and the volume has increased. Add the food coloring if using and mix in, scraping as necssary.

Step 13

After the cupcakes have cooled completely, cut a hole in the top. Using a small knife pointed down and towards the center, go around the center of the cupcake to remove some of the cupcake to make room for the ganache. Be sure to save that piece to replace it.

Step 14

Cut away the pointed end of the piece you removed. You only need a thin piece of cake to go seal the top.

Step 15

Fill the hole with the ganache pretty much up to the top. Place the top over the ganache and press down slightly to make a flat top.

Step 16

Use a #6 open star tip in a pastry bag to pipe the buttercream on top of the cupcakes.

Step 17

The cupcakes can remain at room temperature for a couple of days. They can also be frozen. Freeze them until hard, then wrap individually in foil. Freeze up to 2 months. To thaw, unwrap them and thaw in the refrigerator for best results or at room temperature where they will, most likely, condensate a bit more but be fine.