Strawberry Cupcakes

I have been delaying this post for quite a while now.. Been so busy and tired.. There's so much more recipes that I have yet tried.. Aaarrgghhhhh~ Haha..

I made these Strawberry cupcakes a while back.. on the first day of raya when I was sooo free.. I've been wanting to make it for quite long but I always do not have enough strawberries or I am not sure whether I should waste my strawberries on this.. Strawberries in Singapore are so expensive and I am so picky about getting pretty ones.. Haha.. If only all these fruits are grown locally.. It would be heaven for me...

These cupcakes are nice but I think the strawberry taste is too mild.. Maybe you can add a lil' of strawberry flavouring if you prefer a stronger starwberry taste.. But the recipe would do it for me.. It's not so sweet.. maybe cos the strawberries aren't sweet either.. However, the strawberries, will make the cake a bit moist.. So if you're looking for those dry texture.. this is not it.. Cos the finely chopped strawberries will make the cake moist at some parts.. Unless you used lesser chopped strawberries and substitute with flavouring or whatever not.. :) Also, it produces a nice flat cupcakes.

The blog where I took it from used Strawberry Meringue Buttercream but I was to lazy to do it and no one in this house likes frosting anyway.. Hence, i just used what I have.. My Buttercream Drem Icing.. But very little cos I think nobody would eat it if I put a dollop of it.. haha.. But kids seems to love it though.. Haha.. Sweet tooth.. Anyway, my purpose of it was to try out the cupcake recipe mainly..

Strawberry Cupcakes (taken from http://www.tasteandtellblog.com/ - makes 40-44 cupcakes)

(adapted from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes) (my notes in red - i did half batch and made 28 cupcakes using my Reynold muffin disposable aluminium tray)

2 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup cake flour (not self raising)

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 1/4 cups sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

3 large whole eggs, plus 1 egg white (2 eggs plus ~1 egg white for half batch)

1 cup milk

2 cups finely chopped strawberries, plus more for garnish

Strawberry Meringue Buttercream (recipe follows)

1. Preheat oven to 350F (~180C). Line standard cup muffin tins with paper liners.

2. Sift together the flours, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

3. Put butter, sugar vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer. Cream on medium-high until pale and fluffy. Add the whole eggs and egg white, one at a time, beating until each is fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

4. Change the speed to low, add the flour mixture in 2 batches, alternating with the milk. Beat until well combined. Fold in the strawberries by hand.

5. Fill each paper liner with batter 3/4 full (the batter does not rise that much. So nothing lesser than 3/4 full). Bake, rotating the pans half way through, until golden and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, 20-30 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool for 15 minutes, then turn cupcakes out onto racks to let cool completely.

6. To finish, fill a pastry bag fitted with a large open star tip with the buttercream. Pipe the buttercream onto each cupcake, swirling tip and releasing as you pull up to form a peak. Just before serving top each cupcake with a thinly sliced strawberry. (I did mine with the open star tip and a small swirl and top it with a drop of strawberry jam to make it look pretty).

Strawberry Meringue Buttercream

from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes (my notes in red.. I haven't tried this but I made Swiss Meringue Buttercream before and here are my tips)

1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries (8 oz), rinsed, hulled and coarsely chopped

4 large eggs

1 1/4 cup sugar

1 1 /2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons, at room temperature (In our hot and humid weather in Singapore, please make sure the butter is not melting. I would put it a the fridge for a while after cutting it into small pcs.. melting butter or butter that is too soft would result in a failure!! I had to fail twice to learn that it is the butter's fault :(..was such a waste of food/ingredients... really)

1. Puree strawberries in a food processor.

2. Combine egg whites and sugar in the heatproof bowl of a standing electric mixer set over a pan of simmering water (My water is still boiling but at a very very low heat). Whisk constantly by hand until mixture is warm to the touch and sugar has dissolved (the mixture should feel completely smooth when rubbed between your fingerstips) (please test it with your fingertips, it may take a while to dissolve, approx. 3 min).

3. Attach the bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Starting on low and gradually increasing to medium-high speed, mix until stiff (but not dry) peaks form. Continue mixing until mixture if fluffy and glossy, and completely cool (test by touching the bottom of the bowl) about 10 min.

4. With mixer on medium-low speed (by this time, I would have change to the paddle attachment), add the butter a few tablespoon at a time, mixing well after each addition. Once all butter has been added, scrape down sides of bowl with a flaxible spatula and switch to paddle attachment (those with no standing mixture, just carry on with the same whisk attachment, it would still work, trust me.. ). Continue beating on low until all air bubbles are eliminated, about 2 minutes. Add strawberries and beat until combined.

5. Stir with a flexible spatula until frosting is smooth. Keep buttercream at room temperature if using on the same day, or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze up to one month. Before using, bring to room temperature and beat with paddle attachment on low speed until smooth again, about 5 min.

** For a better explaination on how to make a successful swiss meringue buttercream, I relied on How to Eat a Cupcake's website..

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Hingga nanti.. Kau kehilangan..

Maka jangan pernah tinggalkan aku..

Oh Kekasih..~