Strawberry cupcake 03

With fresh strawberry cream cheese frosting. cake was moist and light, frosting tasted like Häagen-Dazs strawberry ice cream.

INGREDIENTS

Cupcakes:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup strawberry sauce
1/4 cup milk

strawberry sauce:

2 cups of fresh strawberries, cut in half and stem removed
sugar to taste

cream cheese frosting:

8 ounces or 1 package of cream cheese
1/2 stick butter
4 cups sifted powdered sugar
approximately 1/4 cup of strawberry sauce

INSTRUCTIONS

Cupcakes:

1. Beat butter on high until soft, about 30 seconds. Add sugar. Beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

2. Add eggs one at a time, beat for 30 seconds between each. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.

3. Measure out milk and strawberry sauce together. Add about a fourth of the flour to the butter/sugar mixture and beat to combine.

4. Add about one third the milk/strawberry sauce mixture and beat until combined. Repeat above, alternating flour and milk and ending with the flour mixture. Scoop into cupcake papers about half to three-quarters full (depending on whether you want flat or domed cupcakes).

5. Bake for 20-22 minutes at 350F until a cake tester comes out clean.

Strawberry sauce:

6. Macerate strawberries with about 1-2 tbs sugar for 15 minutes. Put strawberries in a small saucepan and heat under medium heat with lid on.

7. Cook strawberries for approximately 15 minutes till strawberries cook down and become soft and saucy. Adjust sweetness with sugar until you get the desired sweetness.

8. Using a hand blender, puree until you get the desired smoothness or chunkiness. Cool before using in recipe.

Cream cheese frosting:

9. Bring cheese and butter to room temperature by letting it sit out for 1 or 2 hours. Sift powdered sugar into a bowl. Beat butter and cheese at medium speed until creamy.

10. Add half of the sugar, beat until combined. Add strawberry sauce until you achieve the right color and flavor, making sure not to add too much or the frosting will be too soft.

11. Gradually add remaining sugar (more if you have to) until you get to the consistency and sweetness you like.

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