Yield: 18 Cupcakes

Pretty in Pink… and also delicious!

My adorable 6 (and a half!) year old niece Lauren came over for a sleepover last night. In between singing ALL the ‘Frozen’ songs over and over again, just like she was on repeat, she decided we should make the most strawberry-ist of strawberry cupcakes! This was the resulting outcome:

The cupcakes are deliciously flavoured with strawberry puree and come out a lovely pink shade, very much like strawberry ice-cream. Adding macerated strawberries to the buttercream naturally colours it and also breaks down the strawberries so you get delightful flecks of red.

These cupcakes come with Lauren’s stamp of approval!

TIME:

Cupcakes

• 60mins Preparation – Plus overnight chilling for puree and softening of unsalted butter
• 40mins Baking: 20mins per cupcake pan

Buttercream

• 20mins Preparation – Plus overnight resting for macerated strawberries and softening of unsalted butter

 EQUIPMENT:

• Mixmaster w/ Paddle Beater Attachment
• Kitchen Scales
• Cupcake Pan’s x2
• Cupcake Paper’s / Lines x18
• Mixing Bowls
• Measuring Spoons / Measuring Cup
• Spatula / Rubber Scraper
• Small Cooking Pot
• Medium Ice-Cream Scoop
• Wire Rack
• Glad Wrap
• Pastry Bag
• Wilton 1A Round Tip

INGREDIENTS – Cupcake:

INGREDIENTS – Buttercream:

METHOD – Cupcakes: Completed Day Before:

1. Add the strawberries to a small cooking pot with ¼ cup of caster sugar
   • If using fresh strawberries wash, hull and roughly chop
2. Over a medium to low heat, simmer the strawberries gently until you get a very thick puree – You should end up with around ⅔ to ¾ of a cup
3. Once desired consistency is completed remove from heat to cool slightly then transfer into a small bowl, cover with glad wrap and refrigerate overnight

Strawberries ready to puree

Pureed Strawberries

METHOD – Buttercream: Completed Day Before:

1. Wash, hull and roughly chop the strawberries
2. Place strawberries in a small bowl with ¼ cup of caster sugar, cover with glad wrap and leave to macerate overnight

Strawberries starting to macerate

Macerated Strawberries

METHOD – Cupcakes:

1. Pre-heat oven to 180°C / 350°F
2. Line the cupcake pans with cupcake papers
3. Sift the flour and baking powder into a small bowl
4. Combine the buttermilk and vanilla extract into a small measuring cup
5. Add the unsalted butter into the bowl of a mixer with the remaining 1 cup of caster sugar and beat until creamed – Medium Speed
   • Scrap down the bowl down to ensure everything is mixed
6. Add the eggs one at a time until they are fully incorporated – Medium Speed
   • Scrap down the bowl down to ensure everything is mixed
7. Add a third of the flour mixture to the mixing bowl and beat until just combined – Low Speed
8. Add half of the buttermilk mixture to the mixing bowl and beat until just combined – Low Speed
9. Add a third of the flour mixture to the mixing bowl and beat until just combined – Low Speed
10. Add the remaining half of the buttermilk mixture to the mixing bowl and beat until just combined – Low Speed
11. Add the remaining third of the flour mixture to the mixing bowl and beat until everything is incorporated but no more that 2mins – Low Speed
    • During the above steps (7 to 11) make sure you scrap the bowl down to ensure that the mixture is fully incorporated
12. Add the strawberry puree to the batter and beat until fully incorporated – Medium Speed
    • Scrap down the bowl down to ensure everything is mixed
13. Using the icecream scoop, fill the cupcake pans & papers until they are ⅔ full
14. Bake each pan for 20 mins each
15. Leave to cool slightly before moving to a wire rack to cool completely

Butter and caster sugar creamed

Eggs added into creamed mixture

Flour and buttercream added to batter

Pureed strawberries added to cake batter

Ready to bake!

Beautiful!

METHOD – Buttercream:

1. Add the butter and 1 cup of icing sugar into the bowl of a mixer and beat on medium speed until creamed
   • Scrap down the bowl down to ensure everything is mixed
2. Add another 1 cup of icing sugar and spoon the macerated strawberries into the mixing bowl, you don’t want all the juice but a little is ok – beat on medium speed until sugar is combined
   • Scrap down the bowl down to ensure everything is mixed
3. Add the last cup of icing sugar and beat on high for 2-3 minutes until the strawberries have broken up and you don’t see any large chunks
   • Scrap down the bowl down to ensure everything is mixed
4. Fill the buttercream into the pastry bag
5. Using the 1A Wilton round tip, pipe a cupcake swirl onto each of the cupcakes

Strawberry Buttercream ready to frost cupcakes!

Strawberry heaven!

Aren’t they gorgeous

The cupcakes will keep in an air tight container in a cool place for 2-3 days

So delicious!

Heavenly!