Stracciatella Cupcakes; fluffy vanilla cupcakes flecked with shards of dark chocolate, inspired by the classic Italian gelato.
Do you have any flavours that you adore, that don’t really get the love they deserve?
Stracciatella is a flavour so underrated that many people in my country have never even heard of it, let alone tasted it.
The simple combination of subtly sweet vanilla creaminess and bitterly rich dark chocolate is utterly divine. This is why, understandably, the Italians have been turning it into a popular gelato for decades. Much like the American obsession with Oreo cookies and milk, the darkness of cocoa and familiar blandness of milk blend together into a glorious harmony.
While it has been done to death in ice cream shops, I felt that the delicious simplicity of this flavour deserved to be utilised elsewhere. Say ciao to these Stracciatella Cupcakes. A fluffy vanilla cupcake and swirl of sweet vanilla buttercream frosting, all flecked with the blackness of 70% dark chocolate. It’s so unremarkable, yet so bloody good.
These Stracciatella Cupcakes were initially just an experiment, after discussing the flavour a couple of days earlier. I worried the chocolate may simply melt through the cake batter and ruin the speckled effect. I worried the dark chocolate would be lost in the sugary clouds of frosting. I even worried they just wouldn’t look particularly appealing. Thankfully, as often is the case, I was wrong.
The chocolate holds up well during baking in the oven, and sits as such a pretty contrast against the whiteness of the frosted cupcake below. They may have a fancy name, but you truly must give these a go, just to discover how easy they are to make and to eat!
To make these Stracciatella Cupcakes, simply follow the recipe below!
Stracciatella Cupcakes
Notes
*BE A MAVERICK: why not hollow out the centre of the cupcakes and fill them with some Nutella?
*MAKE IT GLUTEN FREE: simply swap out the self-raising flour for a self-raising gluten free blend and add 2 tbsp of milk!
Ingredients
For the stracciatella cupcakes:
- 180g soft butter or margarine
- 160g caster sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 180g self-raising flour
- Pinch of salt
- 60g dark chocolate, 70% minimum cocoa solids, grated or chopped into fine shards
For the stracciatella frosting:
- 250g soft unsalted butter
- 500g icing sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- Juice of ½ a lemon
- 60g dark chocolate, 70% minimum cocoa solids, grated or chopped into fine shards (plus extra to decorate)
Instructions
For the stracciatella cupcakes:
- Preheat your oven – 180 C / 160 C fan / 350 F / gas mark 4 – and place 12 cupcake or muffin cases into a 12-hole muffin tin.
- In a large bowl, beat together the butter, sugar and vanilla until pale and fluffy. You can use a good old wooden spoon or an electric mixer!
- Crack the eggs in one at a time, beating well between each addition.
- Add the flour, salt and chocolate to the bowl and stir gently to combine into a smooth chocolate-flecked cake mix.
- Use an ice cream scoop or big spoon to evenly distribute the mixture between the 12 cupcake cases.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until lightly golden, risen and firm to the touch.
- Allow to cool in the tin for 5-10 minutes before removing and allowing to cool completely on a wire rack.
For the stracciatella frosting:
- In a large bowl, beat together the butter and half the sugar using a stand mixer, electric whisk or wooden spoon, until smooth and combined.
- Add the remaining sugar, vanilla extract, salt, and lemon juice, and beat the frosting vigorously for several minutes until noticeably lighter and fluffier.
- Stir through the chocolate shards.
- Use a table knife or palette knife to swirl some frosting onto each cake.
- Sprinkle each stracciatella cupcake with a few more shards of chocolate.
- Enjoy!
