Strawberry Cuppy Cakes

When strawberry season comes, I like to make preserves but I also like to bake with strawberries and make other things as well. For me its a matter of freshness. The below recipe will have lift from the baking powder. You will also want to go full fat for everything in the recipe. Obviously not a healthy cupcake but cupcakes shouldn't be healthy! They should be delish!

Food coloring may be replaced the freeze-dried strawberry powder for coloring as well. That's my preference. Start with 1/8 tsp until you reach the desired color.

1 ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar 
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
¾ cup butter unsalted, room temperature or melted
¼ cup whole milk warm
¼ cup strawberry preserves strained, warm
½ cup sour cream
1 tbsp vanilla extract
3 egg whites
3/5 cup fresh strawberries 70g chopped 
1 tbsp lemon zest
small drops of pink food coloring

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Add cupcake papers to your muffin tin.
2. Warm and strain the strawberry preserves. 
3. Some will be used for the buttercream. 
4. Wash, dry, hull and chop the strawberries into small pieces.
5. Sift the sugar, flour, baking powder, and baking soda into a large bowl then whisk to combine and set aside.
6. In another bowl, whisk together the milk, egg whites, sour cream, butter, strawberry preserves, vanilla, and lemon zest. 
7. Mix in a few drops of pink food coloring until the desired consistency is reached.
8. Combine wet and dry mixtures. 
9. Whisk until just combined. 
10. If the batter is a bit lumpy, it’s okay!
11. Fold in fresh strawberry chunks then transfer batter to cupcake papers, filling each about 3/4 the way up.
12. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the centers are set and springy to the touch or a toothpick comes out clean.

TWIST: fill with Strawberry preserves.

The frosting:

• 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 c. unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 c. strawberry jelly
• 1 tsp. strawberry extract
• 5 1/2 c. confectioners' sugar
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• a few drops pink or red food coloring (optional) 

1. Combine cream cheese and butter in a mixing bowl; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth, about 1 minute.
2. Add strawberry jelly, strawberry extract, and salt. 
3. Beat for a few seconds until just combined.
4. Add confectioners sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating on low speed for a few seconds between each addition. 
5. If using pink or red food coloring, add it with the last cup of confectioners sugar.
6. Once all confectioners sugar has been added, increase mixer speed to medium and beat for about 30 seconds until smooth (do not overbeat).

Use to frost one cake or about 18 cupcakes.