strawberry vanilla surprise cupcakes
Take a bite and SURPRISE! MORE strawberry!
Ingredients
- 2 sticks butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1 cup high-quality strawberry preserves
strawberry buttercream
- 1 cup freeze-dried strawberries, ground into powder (about 1/4 cup of powder)
- 1 stick butter, softened
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 1/2-5 cups powdered sugar
- 1/3-1/2 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 12-cup muffin tins with parchment liners.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. Whip in the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla and yogurt. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer running, stream in the buttermilk until the batter is just combined. Do not overmix.
- Fill each cupcake tin 2/3 of the way with batter. Depending on what your heart says 2/3 of the way full is, you will get 22-24 cupcakes. Bake for 25-30 minutes until an inserted toothpick emerges with just a few moist crumbs. Cool 10 minutes in the pans, then transfer the cupcakes to wire racks. Cool completely.
- Using a spoon, remove about 1 teaspoon of cake from the center of each cupcake. Scoop 1 teaspoon of preserves into the gap.
- Make the frosting. Whip the butter, strawberry powder, and vanilla until combined, then add the powdered sugar and 1/3 cup of cream. Crank the mixer to high, and beat until very light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. You may need an extra tablespoon of two of cream to achieve the desired texture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, as needed, to properly incorporate all the ingredients.
- Pipe or frost each cupcake with the buttercream. Finish with a fresh strawberry, as desired.
Notes
*To store: Baked, unfrosted cupcakes will keep up to 3 days in the fridge, after which I would decorate and serve within 2 days. Finished cupcakes, then, will keep for up to 5 days.