I made an All Strawberry Pink Cupcake for Valentines Day / Sister Lily's Birthday...
Her Birthday is very close to Valentines Day so i thought it would be perfect to make a Valentines theme cupcakes, so that way they would actually get eaten.
It seems that when i make a batch of cupcakes or anything sweet me and hubby would have one each and the rest go to waste {we are not big sweet people}.. So it was perfect to make them for Sisters Dinner party.
~ Strawberry Cupcakes ~
~ 2 dozen at 350°~
3 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups {3 sticks} unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup milk
8 large egg whites
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and 2 cups sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the flour; beat until just combined. Transfer mixture to a large bowl set aside.
In the clean bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites on low speed until foamy. With mixer running, gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar; beat on high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 4 minutes. Do not overbeat. Gently fold 1/3 of the egg-white mixture into the butter-flour mixture until combined. Gently fold in remaining egg-white mixture.
Divide batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling each with a heaping 1/4 cup batter. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until the cupcakes are golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack. Invert cupcakes onto rack; then reinvert and let cool completely, top sides up.
~ Strawberry Meringue Buttercream ~
4 large egg whites
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups {3 sticks} unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups strawberry jam, pureed in a food processor
In the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer set over a saucepan of simmering water, combine egg whites and sugar. Cook, whisking constantly, until sugar has dissolved and mixture is warm to the touch (about 160 degrees).
Attach the bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat the egg-white mixture on high speed until it holds stiff (but not dry) peaks. Continue beating until the mixture is fluffy and cooled, about 6 minutes.
Switch to the paddle attachment. With mixer on medium-low speed, add butter several tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition. (If frosting appears to separate after all the butter has been added, beat on medium-high speed until smooth again, 3 to 5 minutes more.) Beat in vanilla. Beat on lowest speed to eliminate any air bubbles, about 2 minutes. Stir in strawberry jam with a rubber spatula until frosting is smooth.
They came out of the oven smelling deliciously and a lil plumped on the top so i had to cut off the tops a bit so the cream would sit better...
After cutting off the tops and letting the cupcake cool completely i then put cream on top and a cut out a heart strawberry for each cupcake...
Also added a little candle for sisters birthday.
Hope you all enjoy &
Happy valentines Day to all of you!
♥
