Gourmet Chocolate Rhubarb Cupcakes - Recipe

for the rhubarb preserves:
1 cup rhubarb, chopped
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/8 tsp unsalted butter
3 tbsp liquid fruit pectin

1. Cut off the leafy parts of the rhubarb stalks, as well as the opposite tips. Then peel the rhubarb stalks and chop into small chunks. Chop the rhubarb in a food processor until it is chopped into a chunky paste. Put the fruit into a 6 or 8 quart saucepan and place on high heat. Stir the sugar in with the fruit then add the butter. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil and keep on high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in the pectin quickly and return to boil for exactly one minute stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and pour into a heavy duty container, cover and refrigerate.

for the cupcakes:
1 cup cake flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 ounce bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup buttermilk

2. Preheat the oven to 350F. Sift the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder into a medium bowl. Mix in the bittersweet chocolate. In an electric mixer or large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time until well blended then beat in the vanilla extract. Add the buttermilk to the butter mixture on low speed, blend well. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and blend until smooth. Spoon about 1/4 cup of batter into each well of a muffin tin lined with baking cups. Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotate pan then bake for an additional 10-12 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and allow cupcakes to cool completely.

Once the preserves are cool, fill a pastry or piping bag with the preserves. Using an apple or cupcake corer, make a well in the centre of each cupcake. Squeeze the preserves into the centre of each cupcake filling the hole completely.

for the frosting:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup trans fat free vegetable shortening
1 3/4 cups icing sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

3. In an electric mixer or large bowl, beat the butter and shortening on medium speed until creamy. In a separate bowl, sift the icing sugar and cocoa powder together. Add the icing sugar and cocoa powder to the butter mixture on low speed until it begins to incorporate. Add the vanilla extract and beat on medium to high speed until fully incorporate. Fit a piping bag with a large open round tip and fill the piping bag with frosting. Frost each cupcake with a large circular motion. Top with a strawberry slice, or chocolate dipped strawberry, if desired.

Makes approximately 12 cupcakes