Sizzling Strawberry Chocolate Flame Cupcakes

Valentines Day is right around the corner.  If you want a show stopping dessert that is as delicious as it looks? This is it! This is perfect for not only Valentines Day, but any time you want to make a statement with a dessert.  I apologize for the blurry photo and this photo really does this cupcake no justice. Taking photographs in the dark is pretty tricky, but I tried:-) This recipe starts with moist decadent chocolate cupcakes and rich chocolate butter cream frosting, but what puts this over the top is the flaming strawberries.   Chocolate and boozy berries. Now doesn't that sound like fun? LOL

You have to use a strong liquor to get the berries to flame up. And it can't be just any liquor, you need some high octane stuff. I used overproof rum, which to put it delicately, is over 100 proof. Now thats some powerful stuff.  If you are a nondrinker or a lightweight drinker like me, you can simply discard the strawberries after the flame burns out.  Or you can consume the strawberry and that special little bonus on the inside:-)

To get this party started, you need some juicy plump strawberries

Once you have cleaned your strawberries. Take a knife and delicately hollow out the inside leaving a deep enough hole to fill with the liquor of your choice. Remember, that the higher the proof, the better it will flame. Make sure that you don't have any holes in your strawberries or the liquor will leak out when you fill them.

Hershey's Cocoa makes a delicious one bowl chocolate cupcake that is to die for!

Here are the cupcakes before I put the strawberries on top. Doesn't that look tempting?

You can achieve this swirl with a pastry bag and a star tip

I turned out the lights and it got fun...

So how fun did it get?

Flames, Chocolate, Berries and Boney James playing the sax...It got real fun.

A small flicker and then a vibrant flame. Sounds a lot like love...

And when it is ablaze...you can't stop it. Are you ready for this love experience?

Cupcake Ingredients

• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two nine inch round pans.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla, mix for 2 minutes on medium speed of mixer. Stir in the boiling water last. Batter will be thin. Pour evenly into the prepared pans.
3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until the cake tests done with a toothpick. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

 Chocolate Butter cream Frosting (courtesy of Joy the Baker)

1 1/2 cup (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup cocoa powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

4 cups powdered sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/4 cup milk

1 cup heavy cream

2/3 cup Ovaltine

Cream together butter, cocoa powder and salt. Butter mixture will be very thick. Turn off the mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add powdered sugar. Turn mixer on low and mix in powdered sugar while adding milk and vanilla extract. As the sugar incorporates, raise the speed of the mixer to beat the frosting. Beat until smooth. In a 2 cup measuring glass, stir together heavy cream and Ovaltine. Turn mixer speed to medium and pour cream mixture into frosting in a slow, steady stream, until you’ve reached your desired consistency.  You may not need the full amount of Ovaltine and cream.