• Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a standard muffin tin with cupcake liners.

Cupcakes

• Sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
  ¾ cup all-purpose flour, ¾ cup granulated sugar, ⅓ cup dutch-processed cocoa powder, ¾ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, sour cream, vegetable oil, and vanilla until combined.
  1 large egg, ⅓ cup sour cream, ⅓ cup vegetable oil, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix together with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Add the hot coffee or water and carefully stir to combine.
  ½ cup coffee or water
• Fill each cupcake liner halfway full, and bake for 13-15 minutes. The top of the cupcake will spring back when touched. A toothpick inserted into the center will come out clean with a few moist crumbs.

Chocolate Ganache

• While the cupcakes bake, prepare the ganache. Place the chocolate in a heat proof bowl and heat the heavy cream until it almost simmers. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let stand fo 1 minute.
  ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate, ½ cup heavy whipping cream
• Using a rubber spatula or spoon, stir the mixture from the center, slowly moving outwards until the mixture comes together completely. Let cool to room temperature until it thickens. To pipe into the cupcakes, it will need to be similar to the consistency of peanut butter. Not runny, but not hard.

Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream

• Separate the eggs and reserve the yolks for another time. Add the eggs, sugar, and salt to a heatproof bowl. Add 1 inch of water to a saucepan over medium heat and place the bowl on top.
  2 large egg whites, ½ cup granulated sugar, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• Whisk the sugar and egg whites to combine, then whisk every 15 seconds or so. The mixture will start to turn opaque and will look similar in consistency to a powdered sugar glaze. Heat the mixture until the sugar is completely absorbed.
• Note: This will be about 160℉ on a thermometer. You can also check by rubbing your thumb and finger together in the mixture. If you can still feel sugar granules, continue heating and whisking. The mixture should feel rather warm, but not burning hot.
• Transfer the mixture to a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment mix on high speed for until stiff peaks form. Feel the sides of the bowl - if it's still quite warm, wait until it is room temperature before adding the butter.
• With the mixer running on low or medium low, add one piece of butter at a time. Wait to incorporate a new piece until the first is fully incorporated. After about half of the butter goes in, the buttercream may look curdled or split. This is normal - continue adding the butter until it’s gone, then increase the speed to medium high and whisk until smooth.
  10 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Pulverize the freeze-dried strawberries into a powder then add it to the buttercream along with the vanilla and mix until combined. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom, and give it one more mix.
  ¼ cup powdered freeze-dried strawberries, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Assembly

• Using a round tool that is about ½” in diameter, push down in the middle of each cupcake to create a hole (don't go the entire way to the bottom). I use the bottom of one of my wooden spoons.
• Transfer the ganache to a piping bag and cut the tip so the opening is slightly smaller than the hole in the cupcake. Squeeze ganache into each cupcake until it's flush with the top of the cupcake.
• Transfer the strawberry buttercream to a piping bag pre-fitted with a star tip. Pipe swirls onto the top of each cupcake.
• Slice 6 large strawberries in half and place one piece into the top of each frosting swirl before serving.
  Fresh strawberries