We celebrated National Cupcake Day here at NorthPointe Woods with Fresh Baked Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting. They tasted exactly like strawberry shortcake! Enjoy the recipe below!
Strawberry
Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
1 2/3 c. cake flour
¾ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
½ cup unsalted butter,
softened
¾ cup +2 tbsp granulated
sugar
1 large egg
2 large egg whites
1/3 c. fresh strawberry
puree
¼ cup buttermilk
½ tsp vanilla extract
5 drops of red food coloring
(optional)
¾ cup diced strawberries
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift cake flour into a mixing bowl
then add baking powder, baking soda and salt, whisk 20 seconds, set aside.
In the
bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip butter
and granulated sugar until pale and fluffy (occasionally stop and scrape down
bowl throughout entire mixing process if not using a paddle attachment that
constantly scrapes bowl). Mix in egg then mix in egg whites one at a time. In
liquid measuring cup used to measure buttermilk, whisk together the buttermilk,
1/3 cup strawberry puree and the vanilla extract. Working in three separate
batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture, add 1/3 of the flour mixture
(to the butter mixture) alternating with half of the buttermilk mixture and
mixing just until combined after each addition. Fold in the 3/4 cup diced
strawberries. Divide batter among 12 paper lined muffin cups, filling each 3/4
full (nearly 1/3 cup in each). Bake in preheated oven 20 - 23 minutes until
toothpick inserted into center of cupcake comes out clean. Allow to cool in
muffin tin several minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely
before frosting.
For
Buttercream Frosting:
Add 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp strawberry puree to a small saucepan. Heat
mixture over medium-low heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally until reduced
by about 2/3 to 3 Tbsp, about 10 - 14 minutes (measure and if it isn't quite 3
Tbsp then return and continue to simmer, if it's not reduced to correct amount
it will make frosting runny). Pour reduced puree into a small bowl, then freeze
until cool (stir occasionally for even chilling, it will chill quickly in the
freezer since it's such a small amount).
In the
bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip
unsalted and salted butter until very pale and fluffy (nearly white. Stop and
scrape down bowl occasionally throughout entire mixing process if not using the
paddle attachment that constantly scrapes bowl). Mix in 1 cup powdered sugar,
then blend in 3 Tbsp reduced strawberry puree, vanilla extract, and optional
red food coloring. Add remaining 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar and continue to mix
until frosting is pale and fluffy, adding in an additional 1/4 cup powdered
sugar if needed to reach desired consistency.