Chocolate Cupcake Strawberry Shortcakes

ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds strawberries, hulled, rinsed and sliced
• 2 tablespoons orange-flavored liqueur, if desired
• 3 to 4 tablespoons sugar, or to taste
• 2 to 3 teaspoons lemon juice, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon grated orange peel
• For the cupcakes:
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons softened butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 ounce bittersweet chocolate, melted
• 3 ounces buttermilk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• For the whipped cream:
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, plus additional for sifting over cupcakes
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla

directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 8 (1/2-cup) muffin tins with paper cups.

Sift first flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Beat butter until creamy with an electric mixer; add sugar, a little at a time, until light and fluffy. Add egg and chocolate, a little at a time, beating until just incorporated.

Whisk together buttermilk and vanilla in a small bowl. Add flour mixture to chocolate mixture alternately with buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with flour, beating until just combined.

Spoon batter into lined muffin tins, filling 2/3 full. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean with a few crumbs attached. Cool in pans 5 minutes, remove from pans and cool completely.

To make the whipped cream, combine heavy cream, sugar and vanilla in a bowl. Whip the cream to soft peaks with an electric mixer.

To assemble: Cut tops off 6 cupcakes. Smooth a layer of whipped cream over bottoms of cupcakes and top cream with strawberries. Place tops back on cupcakes and garnish each with a dollop of heavy cream and a strawberry. Sift powdered sugar over cupcakes.