Boozy Valentine's Cupcakes

Share some love with the important people in your life with these BOOZY bites from heaven!

These Valentine-inspired cupcakes begin with a bourbon chocolate cake base, are then covered with a whipped strawberry vanilla buttercream, and are finally topped with a hand-dipped dark chocolate covered strawberry!

MAKES 12 CUPCAKES

Bourbon Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
• ¼ cup bourbon
• ¼ cup water
• ¼ cup buttermilk
• 1 egg
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. In a small saucepan over low heat, combine butter, cocoa, bourbon and water. Whisk until melted and smooth (about 3 mins) and remove from heat to cool slightly. Mix buttermilk, egg, and vanilla using a stand or hand electric mixer. Beat in melted butter mixture until combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together remaining dry ingredients, then add to wet batter and mix until incorporated. Transfer batter to 12 cupcake liners and bake for 16-18 minutes. Remove from oven and cool in cupcake pan for 10 minutes before removing to allow to cool completely. When cooled, frost with buttercream frosting and top with dipped berry (see recipes below).

Strawberry Vanilla Buttercream

Ingredients

• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 1 lb powered sugar (16oz)
• 1/2 cup freeze-dried strawberries, pulverized in food processor 
• 2-3 Tbsp milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

Beat softened butter on medium with an electric mixer until creamy. Add half of the powered sugar and 1 Tbsp milk, beating on low speed to combined. Repeat with remaining powdered sugar and milk. Once combined, add strawberries and vanilla and mix until incorporated. Then mix frosting on medium-high speed another 30 seconds to whip the frosting to a lighter consistency. Add another Tbsp milk if consistency is too thick

Dark Chocolate Strawberry Garnish

Ingredients

• 12 whole strawberries, washed & dried
• Ghirardelli dark chocolate melting wafers (10oz bag)

Directions

Place half of the bag of melting wafers in a glass bowl and microwave for 1 minute 30 seconds. Stir until melted and smooth, then one-by-one, dip each strawberry into the melted chocolate, placing on wax paper until set (about 10 minutes).