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Home » Desserts » Chocolate Strawberry Upside Down Cupcakes

Chocolate Strawberry Upside Down Cupcakes

February 13, 2024 · Julie Davis ·
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Angled photo of strawberry cupcakes with chocolate ganache.
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These fluffy strawberry cupcakes are covered in an easy chocolate ganache and look like a perfect little mini-cake! They are reminiscent of a chocolate-dipped strawberry, a little more special than a traditional cupcake, and so fun to serve.

Table of Contents

  • Recipe Overview
  • Ingredients
  • How to Make Upside Down Cupcakes
  • Variations & Tips
  • Storing
  • More Strawberry Recipes You’ll Love
  • Jump to Recipe

Chocolate Strawberry Upside Down Cupcakes Recipe

I loved getting upside down cupcakes at a local deli growing up, so developing this version of my favorite treat was so fun! Chocolate and strawberry is a classic combination that is perfect for these adorable little cakes.

The strawberry cake flavor is bright and bold, balancing the rich and creamy semi-sweet chocolate. The cupcakes are cooked traditionally, but once cooled, turn on their tops and coated with an easy 2-ingredient ganache. These Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes are perfect to serve to guests or make for a special treat at home!

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Close up top shot of Chocolate Strawberry Upside Down Cupcakes.

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes

  • All-Purpose Flour
  • Salt
  • Baking Powder
  • Milk – 2 % or whole, or you can substitute with your favorite non-dairy milk.
  • Fresh Strawberries – Frozen and thawed strawberries are a great option. too!
  • Sugar
  • Butter 
  • Vanilla Extract
  • Eggs
  • Strawberry Jello Mix – This helps boost the strawberry flavor so it stands up to the chocolate flavor. It also gives the cupcakes the prettiest color of pink!

For the Chocolate Ganache

  • Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bars – Bars work best for ganache, instead of chips. Find them in the baking aisle of your local grocery store!
  • Heavy Whipping Cream

Toppings (Optional)

  • Freeze Dried Strawberries – Crumbled
  • White Chocolate Chips/Coconut Oil – This makes the best drizzle. You can swap these out for another flavor, or add a drop of food dye to make the drizzle a pretty color!
  • Dried Rose Petals
Ingredients for Chocolate Ganache Strawberry Cupcakes recipe.

How to Make Upside Down Cupcakes

These chocolate strawberry cupcakes are actually VERY easy to put together! Here’s how to make them:

Make the Cupcakes

  1. Mix the dry ingredients and set aside.
  2. Blend the strawberries, milk, and sugar.
  3. With a hand mixer, mix sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla, and jello powder.
  4. Add the strawberry milk and dry ingredients in alternating batches.
  5. Fill cupcake liners with the cake batter and bake for 20 minutes at 325 degrees F.
Strawberries, sugar, and milk in a blender.
1. Add strawberries, milk, & sugar to blender.
Strawberries, sugar, and milk blended together until smooth.
2. Blend until smooth.
Liquid ingredients for strawberry cupcakes mixed together.
3. Mix liquid ingredients.
Dry ingredients poured into liquid ingredients for strawberry cupcakes.
4. Add mixed dry ingredients.
Strawberry cupcake batter in a mixing bowl.
5. Mix cake batter and pour into cupcake tin. Bake!

Make the Ganache

  1. Chop the chocolate bars into fine pieces. Smaller pieces = Easier to melt!
  2. Warm heavy cream, and pour it over the chocolate in a bowl. Cover the bowl and let sit for 2-3 minutes.
  3. Stir slowly to combine and make a smooth ganache. Stirring too fast may form bubbles, so be gentle!
Baking chocolate shaved into tiny pieces.
1. Cut chocolate into tiny pieces.
Baking chioccolate mixed with hot heavy whipping cream.
2. Pour warm heavy cream over chocolate.
Chocolate ganache being mixed.
3. Stir slowly.
Creamy chocolate ganache warm in a bowl.
4. Make smooth ganache!

Frost the Upside Down Cupcakes

  1. Unwrap the cooled cupcakes and place them upside down on a wire rack on top of a sheet pan.
  2. Use a spoon to add and spread the ganache over the top of each cupcake until fully covered. Gently coaxing the chocolate down the sides. If it is too thick, simply warm it over a double boiler.
  3. Let them sit until the ganache gets firm and set. Serve and enjoy!
Baked strawberry cupcakes, flipped upside down on a cooling rack.
1. Place cupcakes upside down.
Chocolate ganache being poured over upside down strawberry cupcakes.
2. Spoon ganache over each one.
Chocolate ganache setting over strawberry cupcake.
3. Let the ganache fall over the sides.
Freeze dried strawberries topping chocolate ganache cupcakes.
4. Add toppings and let set!

Variations & Tips

Cake – Use your favorite cupcake recipe or save time with a box cake mix instead. Just ensure you bake them at 325 degrees F so the tops don’t dome too much to make a flat bottom when turned upside down!

Toppings – Sprinkles would be so cute on top of these! Add them when the ganache is still soft so they stick well. Crushed freeze-dried strawberries or a halved fresh strawberry would also be a perfect addition. Another idea is to melt some white chocolate chips with a teaspoon of coconut oil and drizzle it over the tops.

Ganache – Be patient when working with the ganache. It’s ready to use when it thickly coats your spoon, and if it begins to thicken too quickly you can set the base of your bowl in a bowl of hot water and stir it well until it warms and thins a bit.

Ganache cupcakes with strawberry cake.

Storing Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes

These Chocolate Strawberry Upside Down Cupcakes are perfect to make ahead! Store covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Allow them to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving.

Freezing – I do not recommend freezing the cupcakes with the ganache on them, but you could make the cupcakes ahead of time. Let them cool completely and wrap them individually, put them in an airtight container, and freeze for 1-2 months. When you’re ready to serve them, allow them to thaw at room temperature, frost them per the instructions, and enjoy!

Strawberry cupcake with chocolate ganache cut in half.

More Strawberry Recipes You’ll Love

  • Strawberry Tres Leches Cake
  • Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake Ice Cream
  • Strawberry Crunch Cake
  • Strawberry Pancakes Recipe
  • Strawberry Pop Tarts

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Angled photo of strawberry cupcakes with chocolate ganache.

Chocolate Strawberry Upside Down Cupcakes

Julie Davis
These fluffy strawberry cupcakes are covered in an easy chocolate ganache and look like a perfect little mini-cake! They are reminiscent of a chocolate-dipped strawberry, a little more special than a traditional cupcake, and so fun to serve.
5 from 63 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes mins
Cook Time 20 minutes mins
Total Time 50 minutes mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 16 Cupcakes
Calories 301 kcal

Equipment

  • Muffin Pan
  • Wire Rack
  • Hand Mixer

Ingredients
  

For the Cupcakes

  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 cup milk 2% or whole
  • 8 ounces strawberries fresh, or thawed frozen
  • 1 cup sugar divided
  • 1/2 cup butter melted
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup strawberry jello powder

For the Ganache

  • 2 4-ounce semi-sweet chocolate bars
  • 8 ounces heavy whipping cream

Instructions
 

Cupcakes

  • Preheat the oven to 325. Line 16 cupcake tins with cupcake liners.
  • Combine the flour, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl, and set aside.
  • In a blender, blend the fresh strawberries, milk, and 1/4 cup sugar.
  • Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the remaining 3/4 cup sugar and the melted butter and mix using a hand mixer on the lowest speed.
  • Add the vanilla and eggs and mix until well combined.
  • Add 1/4 cup of the jello powder, and continue using the hand mixer on the lowest speed until it is all combined well.
  • Now, add the strawberry milk mixture, and the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating between the two.
  • Continue mixing on low speed until everything is mixed in well.
  • Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 full.
  • Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  • Let the cupcakes cool completely, then remove them from the liners and set them upside down on a wire rack over a baking sheet.

Ganache Topping

  • Finely chop the chocolate bars and put the pieces in a medium bowl.
  • Warm the heavy cream on the stove in a saucepan until it just begins to simmer.
  • Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and cover the bowl with a lid or towel. Let it sit for 3 minutes.
  • After 3 minutes, remove the cover and gently stir the chocolate and cream until combined and one uniform color.
  • Using a spoon, pour a spoonful of the ganache on a cupcake and use the back of the spoon to spread the ganache over the sides.
  • Add more ganache and continue spreading until all sides are covered. The extra will drip off onto the sheet pan underneath.
  • Once all the cupcakes are covered, gently tap the pan to remove any air bubbles.
  • Let the upside down cupcakes sit for at least an hour before serving until the chocolate sets. You can put them in the fridge to speed up the process. Serve & Enjoy!

Notes

Cake – Use your favorite cupcake recipe or save time with a box cake mix instead. Just ensure you bake them at 325 degrees F so the tops don’t dome too much to make a flat bottom when turned upside down.
Toppings – Sprinkles would be so cute on top of these! Add them when the ganache is still soft so they stick well. Crushed freeze-dried strawberries or a halved fresh strawberry would also be a perfect addition. Another idea is to melt some white chocolate chips with a teaspoon of coconut oil and drizzle it over the tops!
Ganache – Be patient when working with the ganache. It’s ready to use when it thickly coats your spoon, and if it begins to thicken too quickly you can set the base of your bowl in a bowl of hot water and stir it well until it warms and thins a bit.
Storing – These Chocolate Strawberry Upside Down Cupcakes are perfect to make ahead! Store covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Allow them to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving.
Freezing – I do not recommend freezing the cupcakes with the ganache on them, but you could make the cupcakes ahead of time. Let them cool completely and wrap them individually, put them in an airtight container, and freeze for 1-2 months. When you’re ready to serve them, allow them to thaw at room temperature, frost them per the instructions, and enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 301kcal
Keyword Chocolate Strawberry Upside Down Cupcake
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5 from 63 votes (56 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. Nisha says

    February 16, 2024 at 10:23 am

    5 stars
    This looks so delicious , cant wait to try it !

    Reply
  2. Swathi says

    May 1, 2024 at 10:19 am

    5 stars
    very nice strawberry upside-down cupcakes

    Reply
  3. Liz says

    July 5, 2024 at 12:03 pm

    5 stars
    These turned out so cute!! We loved the strawberry cakes topped with rich ganache! YUM.

    Reply
  4. DK says

    July 5, 2024 at 12:47 pm

    5 stars
    These upside down strawberry cupcakes were so soft and fluffy! I made these for my daughter’s birthday party and the kids absolutely loved them!

    Reply
  5. Ashley says

    July 5, 2024 at 1:33 pm

    5 stars
    I love this easy way to make mini desserts! The flavor combo was spot on. Great recipe!

    Reply
  6. Oscar says

    July 6, 2024 at 9:29 am

    5 stars
    I whipped up these fluffy strawberry cupcakes, and everyone loved them. The chocolate ganache on top makes them look like mini-cakes and gives a delightful chocolate-dipped strawberry vibe.

    Reply
  7. Swathi says

    July 6, 2024 at 2:40 pm

    5 stars
    Chocolate strawberry upside-down cupcakes is a delicious treat. My family enjoyed it. I like that I can use frozen strawberries in this recipe.

    Reply

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