Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

By now you might be tired of seeing cupcake recipes on this little site – but I only make them cuz they’re delicious, and I only post them cuz they are worth YOUR time to make!

This one is no exception, and since we’re in the thick of outdoor celebrations and get-togethers, now you know what to bring!

The cake recipe is adapted from Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes and the sauce and frosting are from the lovely Sarah at Milk + Honey Cafe.

Make immediately friends – and enjoy!

Ingredients
Strawberry Sauce
2 cups of fresh strawberries, cut in half and stem removed
2 tbl sugar

Cupcakes
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 c cake flour (not self rising)
1 tbl baking powder
1 t salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 t vanilla extract
3 large whole eggs, plus 1 egg white
1 c milk
1/2 c strawberry sauce
1 c finely chopped strawberries, plus more for garnish

Frosting
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 stick butter
4 cups sifted powdered sugar
1/8 c of strawberry sauce

Directions
Strawberry Sauce

Soak strawberries in sugar for 15 minutes. Put strawberries in a small saucepan and heat under medium heat with lid on. Cook strawberries for approximately 15 minutes till strawberries cook down and become soft and saucy. Adjust sweetness with sugar until you get the desired sweetness. With a blender, puree until smooth. Cool before using in recipe.

Cupcakes
Preheat the oven to 350F. Line standard muffin tins with paper lines.

Sift together the flours, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Put butter, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer. Cream on medium-high until pale and fluffy. Add the whole eggs and egg white, one at a time, beating until each is fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Change the speed to low, add the flour mixture in 2 batches, alternating with the milk.  Add the strawberry sauce. Beat until well combined. Fold in the chopped strawberries by hand.

Fill each paper liner with batter 3/4 full. Bake, rotating the pans half way through, until golden and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, 20 – 30 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool for 15 minutes, then turn cupcakes out onto rack to let cool completely.

Frosting
Sift powdered sugar into a bowl. Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed until creamy. Add half of the sugar and beat until combined. Add strawberry sauce until you achieve the right color and flavor, don’t add too much or the frosting will be too soft. Gradually add remaining sugar.

Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large open-star tip with the frosting. Just before serving, top each cupcake with a thinly sliced strawberry.