Description
Sweet strawberry cupcakes bring summer’s essence right to your plate, perfectly balancing delicate fruit notes with light, fluffy cake. Delightful homemade treats will transport dessert lovers straight to berry-filled bliss with each delectable bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Strawberry Cupcakes Ingredients:
Fruits:
- 200 grams (7.05 ounces) strawberries, cleaned and halved
- Fresh strawberries for decoration, cleaned, dried and halved
Dry Ingredients:
- 160 grams (5.64 ounces) all-purpose flour
- 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
- 0.5 teaspoons salt
- 160 grams (5.64 ounces) caster sugar
Wet and Binding Ingredients:
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 135 grams (4.76 ounces) full fat milk
- 40 grams (1.41 ounces) unsalted butter, cubed
- 25 grams (0.88 ounces) vegetable oil
- 14 grams (0.49 ounces) vanilla extract
- 2 drops red food gel (optional)
- 1/2 batch strawberry buttercream
Instructions
- Prepare strawberry puree by thoroughly washing strawberries, removing stems, and blending in a food processor until completely smooth and lump-free.
- Transfer puree to a non-stick saucepan and simmer over medium heat for 5-10 minutes, stirring continuously until it thickens and darkens to a rich red color. Cool to room temperature after covering with plastic wrap.
- Position oven rack in the middle and preheat to 120C (250F) with fan on, or 140C (285F) with fan off. Line cupcake tray with white liners.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside.
- Using an electric mixer, beat eggs on medium-high speed for 1 minute until frothy. Gradually incorporate sugar while mixing for approximately 1 minute. Continue beating for 6 more minutes until mixture becomes pale, voluminous, and tripled in size.
- Gently fold half the dry ingredients and strawberry paste into egg mixture on low speed. Add remaining dry ingredients and mix until just combined, allowing small lumps to remain.
- Heat milk and butter in a saucepan until temperature reaches 60C (140F) or small bubbles form around edges. Avoid boiling.
- Incorporate half the hot milk mixture into batter, then add oil, vanilla, and optional red food gel. Mix on low speed. Add remaining milk and blend until smooth, creating a thin batter consistency.
- Fill cupcake liners slightly above 3/4 full using an ice cream scoop. Bake for 25 minutes or until tops bounce back when lightly pressed. Transfer to cooling rack.
- Prepare strawberry buttercream frosting while cupcakes cool completely.
- Use a piping bag with an open star tip to create elegant frosting swirls. Garnish each cupcake with a fresh strawberry half for an elegant finishing touch.
Notes
- Preserve Strawberry Flavor Concentrate the strawberry puree by cooking it down, which intensifies the natural sweetness and creates a more robust fruit flavor in the cupcakes.
- Prevent Overmixing Gently fold dry ingredients into the egg mixture to maintain the delicate, airy texture and avoid deflating the batter, which could result in dense cupcakes.
- Ingredient Temperature Matters Ensure eggs are at room temperature for better volume and incorporation, and use warm milk to help create a smoother, more consistent batter.
- Dietary Adaptations Swap all-purpose flour with gluten-free flour blend for a celiac-friendly version, or use dairy-free milk and butter alternatives for a vegan-friendly adaptation.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 246
- Sugar: 21g
- Sodium: 138mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 36g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 70mg