These are hands down one of the best cupcakes I’ve ever made! The inside has a chocolate-cinnamon streusel ribbon (that adds a little crunch) and the frosting is made with the syrup from macerated strawberries, cinnamon and sugar. It’s like a little bite of coffee-cake-cupcake goodness which makes it a perfect pair with your morning coffee.

These cupcakes were created as an entry into The Foodie Blogroll 1,2,3 Cook & Snap Recipe Contest using the ingredients Chocolate, Cinnamon and Strawberries. I’d love if you’d vote for my picture here.

As I write this post I am watching the Sochi 2014 Olympics and can’t help but think that these cupcakes deserve a gold medal haha!

Yield: 24

Cinnamon Streusel Cupcakes

Name: Cinnamon Streusel Cupcakes
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 14 min
Total time: 34 min
Yield: 24
Ingredients: Chocolate Cinnamon Streusel:; 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips, melted; 3 Tbs Brown Sugar; 1 Tsp Cinnamon; Cupcakes:; 1/2 Cup Cake Flour; 1/2 Cup All Purpose Flour; 1/2 Cup Sugar; 1/2 Cup Buttermilk, reduced fat; 1 Egg Yolk; 2 Eggs; 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract; 1/2 Tsp Baking powder; 1/2 Tsp Baking soda; 1/2 Tsp salt; Frosting:; 1/4 Cup Frozen Strawberries; 3 Tbs Sugar; 2 Tbs Water; 1 tsp Cinnamon; 1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream; 1 Cup Powdered Sugar

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 14 minutes

Total Time 34 minutes

Ingredients

Chocolate Cinnamon Streusel:
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips, melted
3 Tbs Brown Sugar
1 Tsp Cinnamon
Cupcakes:
1/2 Cup Cake Flour
1/2 Cup All Purpose Flour
1/2 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Buttermilk, reduced fat
1 Egg Yolk
2 Eggs
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 Tsp Baking powder
1/2 Tsp Baking soda
1/2 Tsp salt
Frosting:
1/4 Cup Frozen Strawberries
3 Tbs Sugar
2 Tbs Water
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1 Cup Powdered Sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. Line mini cupcake pan with 24 liners.

Start by making the chocolate cinnamon streusel. Melt chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl in 30 second intervals, stirring in between each 30 seconds until melted and smooth. Mine took 1 and a half minutes. Add brown sugar and cinnamon and stir. It will be a thick paste like consistency.

Next put the frozen strawberries in a bowl, top with water, sugar and cinnamon and combine all ingredients and set aside.

In a bowl combine cake flour, all purpose flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside

In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the sugar and the egg yolk and egg until creamy. Add the vanilla extract and the buttermilk and mix until well combined. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and combine.

Spoon about a teaspoon in the lined mini cupcake pan. Then take a knife and spoon and cut a little of the streusel in each of the cups, then top it off with a little batter. Bake for 13-15 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

For the frosting: take the liquid from the strawberries that have been melting into a syrup (I used about 2 Tbs worth of liquid) only take the liquid and put in the bowl of a stand mixer. Discard the remaining strawberries (or use them in a smoothie or milkshake). Add the heavy cream and powdered sugar and whip until soft peaks form.

To frost the cupcakes spoon the whipped cream frosting into a gallon zip lock bag and cut a hole into the corner and use as a piping bag and frost the cupcakes.

Optional-top the cupcakes with a little piece of strawberry

Recipe adapted from one I saw from Mary over on the Sifting Focus Blog for Buttermilk Streusel Cupcakes