Thursday, June 5, 2014

Strawberry Cupcakes

Don't you just love that one glorious month of the year when you can get real strawberries, grown on this side of the continent, that actually taste as good as they look? I buy strawberries all year long, but when May rolls around I go just a little crazy with the berry buying. I can't help it if my local farm only sells them in 5 pound buckets!

Since they go bad so darn fast, I'm always hustling to find ways to use 'em before I lose 'em. My hubby would be happy to have nothing but strawberry shortcake, but I get tired of that. Now cupcakes, those I never get tired of!

This recipe is great for those about-to-turn berries that are a little bruised and funky-looking but not yet ready to dump. This would probably be okay for off-season, sour berries too, since there's plenty of sugar to compensate. 

These cupcakes are a little more dense than a normal cupcake, sort of more like a muffin, because of the fresh fruit puree in them.  My friend's husband Mike ingeniously dubbed them "muffcakes" and, although he claimed he took out the patent on that word, I thought it was too good not to share!




Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream
Prep time: 30 min  Bake time: 18 min 
makes 18 cupcakes

3/4 cup cake flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs

1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup strawberries, pureed (divided)


Preheat oven to 350F. Line cupcake pan with 12 paper liners.

In medium bowl combine flours, baking powder and salt.


In bowl of electric mixer beat butter and sugar on medium speed until creamy. Add 1 egg and beat until combined.


Combine milk, vanilla and 1/3 cup strawberry puree in small bowl.
 

Gradually add flour mixture and strawberry mixture alternately into butter mixture, scraping down bowl after each addition.

In a small bowl beat 2 egg whites on medium speed until stiff peaks form. Gently fold egg whites into cupcake batter.


Spoon batter evenly into prepared pans about 2/3 full. Bake for 16-18 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.


Allow to cool on wire racks. Frost with strawberry buttercream.

Strawberry Buttercream:
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
4 cups confectioners' sugar
3 Tbsp strawberry puree
1/2 tsp strawberry extract

In bowl of electric mixer, beat butter until creamy. Gradually add confectioners' sugar and continue to mix. Add strawberry puree and strawberry extract and mix well.


Transfer icing to piping bag fitted with French decorating tip and swirl onto cupcakes.

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