• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Line a 12-hole cupcake tin with cupcake liners.
• In a large bowl add the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, salt and butter.
• Use a handheld electric mixer or the paddle attachment fitted to a stand mixer to thoroughly mix together. The mixture should have a sandy consistency.
• In a separate bowl, beat together the milk, eggs and vanilla extract.
• Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Beat on high speed and beat well for a couple of minutes or until the cupcake batter is smooth.
• Divide the cupcake batter between the 12 cupcake liners.
• Bake in the center of the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes or until the cupcakes bounce back when touched with a finger.
• Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely on a cooling rack.

Chocolate covered strawberries

• Wash and thoroughly dry the strawberries.
• Melt the semi-sweet chocolate chips in the microwave in very short bursts.
• Then poke a toothpick into the stalk end and use it to dip the strawberries into the melted chocolate. Set aside on a sheet of baking parchment to dry.
• When all the strawberries have been coated in the semi-sweet chocolate, melt the white chocolate chips in the microwave in very short bursts as before.
• Add the white chocolate to a piping bag then make a small incision by snipping the end of the bag with scissors. Drizzle the white chocolate on top of the coated strawberries. Leave to set.

Strawberry buttercream

• Add the powdered sugar, butter and freeze dried strawberries to a large mixing bowl.
• Use a handheld electric mixer or the paddle attachment fitted to a stand mixer to beat the ingredients together. The mixture should have a sandy consistency.
• Add the milk or heavy cream slowly then increase the speed to high and beat for 5 minutes. The buttercream should be very light, fluffy and smooth.
• Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1M piping nozzle.
• Pipe swirls of strawberry buttercream on top of the cupcakes.
• Add a chocolate covered strawberry to decorate.