Chocolate-Dipped Strawberry Cupcakes Recipe (with Video)

Make the Chocolate Cupcake Batter and bake the cupcakes
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F and position a rack in the center of the oven
2. Line a 12-cup standard-size muffin pan with paper liners and lightly grease with cooking spray
3. Whisk together the coffee and cocoa until there are no lumps remaining and set aside to cool to room temperature
4. Whisk together the flaxseed meal and water in a medium bowl and chill in the fridge until the mixture firms up, about 5 mins
5. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl
6. In the bowl with the flax egg, add the vegetable oil, vanilla, oat milk, and brown sugar, and whisk to combine
7. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and whisk until smooth
8. Divide the batter equally among the 12 prepared cups and bake for 20-25 mins, until a tester inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out mostly clean, with a few moist crumbs attached
9. Allow the cupcakes to cool for about 30 mins in the muffin pan, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour longer
10. Note: Baked cupcakes keep at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days
Frost and finish the cupcakes
1. In a small bowl, melt the chocolate chips by microwaving them in 30-sec increments; once melted, mix with the oil and set aside to cool to room temperature, making sure it doesn't solidify
2. Cut a handful of strawberries into quarters; select the 12 most beautiful slices, and set aside
3. Holding a small serrated knife at a 45-degree angle, cut a hole about 1 inch in diameter and 1 inch in depth in the center of each cupcake
4. Remove the "lid" and scrape off the majority of the cake from this piece
5. Fill each hole with about 1 tsp of strawberry jam, then replace the lids
6. Once the cupcakes are cool, fit a piping bag with a Wilton 1M or other large open-star tip and fill it with half the buttercream
7. Position the tip of the piping bag at a 90-degree angle, about an inch above the cupcake
8. Start piping frosting in the center of the cupcake, then move down to the lower edge of the cupcake, then move the bag in a clockwise motion around the edge of the cupcake until you have reached the lower edge again, then slowly bring the bag up, and continue piping in an upward, spiral motion, bringing the bag closer and closer to the center until finishing in a peak; release the pressure on the piping bag
9. Pipe frosting on half the cupcakes, then fit a new piping bag with the remaining frosting and frost the rest (this is to prevent the frosting from getting too warm when it is in contact with your hands holding the bag)
10. Fill another piping bag with the melted chocolate mixture and snip a hole about 1/8 inch in diameter at the tip of the bag
11. Pipe a drizzle of chocolate in a line across each cupcake, at roughly the 1/3 mark
12. Place a strawberry quarter in the center of each cupcake, roughly perpendicular to the chocolate drizzle
13. Note: Frosted cupcakes keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days; allow the cupcakes to come to room temperature before serving