Mini Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cupcakes

Instructions

For Cupcakes:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line your KitchenAid® Professional-Grade Nonstick Mini Muffin Pan with mini cupcake liners.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
3. Using a KitchenAid® Stand Mixer, cream butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes on medium speed. Add eggs one at a time, beating until just combined after each addition. Beat in vanilla extract.
4. Reduce Stand Mixer speed to low and slowly add half of the flour mixture to the batter. Add the buttermilk and beat until just combined. Add the rest of the flour and mix. Scrape down the side of the bowl as needed. Do not overmix.
5. Divide batter into prepared tins. Fill each liner about 2/3 full. Bake cupcakes until lightly golden or a toothpick inserted into the center come out clean, about 8-10 minutes.
6. Remove cupcakes from pan and cool completely on a wire rack.
7. While the cupcake cools, make the filling. In a medium saucepan, combine the strawberries, sugar, and water. Cook until strawberry is broken down and sauce thickens. Divide into two and save one half as filling. The other half you can pass through a fine mesh and use in the frosting.

For strawberry frosting

1. Whip butter for 8 minutes on medium speed using the flat beater of a KitchenAid® Stand Mixer. The butter will become pale and creamy.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix on low speed for 1 minute. Then increase speed to medium and mix for 6 minutes until the frosting is light, creamy, and fluffy.
3. Frost cooled cupcakes using your favorite decorating tip. I used Wilton Tip 1M for these cupcakes. Chill for about 20 minutes before coating with melted chocolate.
4. Dip each frosted cupcake into the melted cupcake to coat the top. Let cupcakes sit for 10-15 minutes or until chocolate hardens.