Strawberry Cupcakes

This recipe originally came from Katie over at Good Things Catered. However, I followed Annie's adaptation for the frosting, since I didn't have strawberry liquor.

I had to make a birthday treat to bring into work for Monday (we sign up for a month and it was my turn). I saw this recipe reviewed and decided to give it a try. Strawberries are the best in the summer... how can you go wrong with strawberry cupcakes with strawberry cream cheese frosting?


Michael and I "tested" a couple of them on Sunday night. Delicious! If you like strawberries, definitely give these a try. They were also a big hit with my coworkers. Only one left at the end of the day.

The frosting consistency, in my opinion, should have been thicker. When I was piping it onto the cupcakes, I thought it was going to melt right off the tops. I had to get them back into the refrigerator quickly. At work yesterday, it was a delicate balance--in and out of the refrigerator and/or freezer. I need the frosting to stay cool enough to stay firm, but I didn't want the cupcakes themselves to be hard.

Next time, I will use either less strawberry puree or more powdered sugar to thicken it up a bit. It held up, but it would have been nice to be able to let them sit out at room temperature for a little while before serving.

Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:
For cupcakes:
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups chopped strawberries

For frosting:
1/2 cup strawberries
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.

Sift flour, salt, and baking soda into a medium bowl. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time until combined. Add buttermilk, oil, and vanilla and beat until combined. Add flour mixture and stir until just combined. Fold (don't use the mixer!) in chopped strawberries.

Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full with batter. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcakes comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.

For the frosting, puree strawberries in a food processor. Beat the cream cheese and butter in the bowl with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Add powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Add lemon juice, vanilla, and strawberry puree.

Adjust the amount of strawberry puree or powdered sugar to achieve desired frosting consistency.

Frost cupcakes when completely cool.