Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes

Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes

A little bit about me, I'm a natural red head who had a love of strawberries from the time i was fourteen months old.  In fact, I was often caught in the strawberry patch in our backyard smearing strawberries in my mouth anytime I managed to crawl away from my Mom. So with my love of strawberries, my strawberry hair, and my obsession with Strawberry Shortcake the cartoon at the time, naturally I was given the nickname Strawberry Shortcake.  So in honor of this nickname every year on my Birthday my Grandmother or Mother would make me a Strawberry Shortcake. You can only imagine my delight when everyone started making this into a trendy cupcake!

My version is a knock off from The Sweet Tooth Fairy. Thats the first place I ever experienced this cupcake and immediately fell in love. However, the cake recipe that I found on  Annie Eats is a lot tastier and more moist, and my frosting is a little less sugary which I prefer.  The frosting recipe is my own, sometimes you do have to tweak it depending on how much liquid the strawberry puree makes, so just add powdered sugar until it becomes a good spreadable frosting.  Of course, I always pipe my frosting so I make it a bit stiffer making the frosting a little more sugary then I like.

Vanilla Bean Cupcakes

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Ingredients:
3 cups cake flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
16 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
5 large eggs, at room temperature
1¼ cups buttermilk, at room temperature
1 tbsp. vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350° F.  Line two cupcake pans with paper liners.  Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the cake flour, baking powder and salt.  Whisk together and set aside.  Add the butter to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Scrape the vanilla bean seeds into the bowl of the mixer with the butter and discard the pod (or reserve for another use.)  Beat on medium-high speed for 3 minutes, until light and creamy in color.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat for one more minute.

Add the sugar to the butter mixture, ¼ cup at a time, beating 1 minute after each addition.  Mix in the eggs one at a time until incorporated.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition.  Combine the buttermilk and the vanilla extract in a liquid measuring cup.  With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients alternately with the wet ingredients, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients and mixing just until incorporated.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for 15 seconds longer.

Divide the batter between the prepared paper liners, filling each about 2/3 of the way full (you will likely have batter left over after filling 24 wells.)  Bake 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Allow to cool in the pans 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.  Replace paper liners and bake remaining batter if desired.  Frost cooled cupcakes as desired.

Yield: approximately 30 cupcakes

Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes

Strawberry Vanilla Bean Frosting

2 T. Strawberry Puree (Just blend 2-4 Strawberries in a blender)

1 pkg Cream Cheese at room temperature

1 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature

Pinch of salt

1 T Vanilla Bean paste

2 T Whipping Cream

4 C. Powder Sugar

In a mixer blend butter and cream cheese until mixed together.  Add salt, vanilla bean paste (or scrape one vanilla bean and add 1 T madagascar vanilla) and strawberry puree and mix until incorporated. The strawberries do kinda make your butter into a clump or two, dont worry once u add the powder sugar it will fix that problem.  Add the powder sugar 1 cup at a time mixing it well.  When the frosting is starting to look dry add whipping cream a little at a time.  You might not need 2 T, it all depends on your constancy.  Once you have added all your powder sugar blend on medium high until frosting gets light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.  Frost cupcakes and enjoy!

To do the chocolate dipped strawberries on top, I cut the strawberries in half and then dipped them.  I have done it before where the entire strawberry was dipped.  It slipped all over the place when I was transporting them to the event that I made them for. So there great if your not bringing them anywhere.  However, strawberries do tend to bleed so if you plan on using them later on or the next day, do not cut in half before using.