• Cooking Time: 18-20
• Servings: 24
• Preparation Time: 15
• Cupcakes:
• ½ cup butter (softened)
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• ½ cup baking cocoa (Scharffen Berger preferred)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup buttermilk
• ½ cup water
• Filling:
• 2 cups fresh strawberries pureed
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon water
• Champagne Frosting:
• ½ Cup Butter – Room Temperature
• 8oz Cream Cheese - Room Temperature
• ¼ cup (or more) Champagne
• Dash of Salt
• 3 to 4 cups Powdered Sugar

1. Cupcakes:
2. Pre-heat oven to 350 Degrees (F).
3. Place 24 liners in cupcake pan.
4. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
5. Beat in vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt and whisk to blend.
6. In a third small bowl, combine buttermilk and water together and set aside.
7. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture alternating with buttermilk mixture (be sure not to overbeat after flour is added).
8. Fill paper lined cupcake pan with large ice cream scoop.
9. Bake at 350 degrees (F) for 18 to 20 minutes.
10. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans.
11. Place on wire rack and cool completely before frosting.
12. Filling: Place small sauce pan on stovetop and put on medium heat, add strawberries and sugar, bring to slight boil.
13. In a separate small bowl, mix cornstarch and water until no lumps. Add cornstarch mixture to pan and keep on medium low heat for about a minute. Cool completely before use.
14. Champagne Frosting: With paddle attachment, cream butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Add salt and 2 cups powdered sugar. Slowly beat in until smooth, add champagne and mix. Add remaining sugar until smooth. Adjust sugar for consistency variances depending on desired outcome of frosting. Frost.
15. More Cupcake Recipes you may enjoy!

This recipe idea came to me by taking the three most tantalizing tastes that remind me of love. What is better than chocolate, strawberry's and champagne? So I took all three and thought of a creative way to make this into one of our most flavorful cupcakes.