Preheat oven to 350°F and line a muffin pan with cupcake liners
Make the Chocolate Cupcakes
Sieve all the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl
Add the eggs, oil, milk and vanilla and beat for a couple of minutes until combined
Add hot water and mix together. The batter will be fairly liquid
Spoon the batter into the cupcake liners and bake for 18 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean
Make the Chocolate Dipped Strawberries
Wash the strawberries and then put them back in the fridge to chill
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
Melt ⅔ of the chocolate in the microwave in 30 second increments
Once melted, put the remaining third of the chocolate in and stir vigorously until it has all melted. For perfect shiny chocolate, check my guide on tempering chocolate
Holding the stalk, dip the strawberries into the chocolate and gently shake to remove excess chocolate, then lay down gently on the parchment paper to set
If the chocolate has been tempered properly, it should set fairly quickly. Once set, melt down the white chocolate in 30 second increments, then use a piping bag or teaspoon to make thin lines across the chocolate dipped strawberries. Leave to set
Make the Strawberry Italian Meringue Buttercream
Make a strawberry reduction by putting the strawberries, sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan over a medium heat and bringing to the boil
Once the strawberries start to break down, use a potato masher to break them down completely
Boil until the bubbles are thick and spitting a little, then remove from the heat and pass the reduction through a sieve to remove any seeds. Allow to cool while you make the buttercream