Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

And a chocolate drizzle for your added eating and viewing pleasure 🙂

We had some strawberries sitting around lonely in our fridge, and I thought – there has to be something tasty I can make with these.  So I started poking around the internets and came across a really yummy sounding Strawberry Cupcake recipe.  And then my mind went to one of my daughter’s lunches last week, which happened to be a strawberry and cream cheese sandwich (one of her favorite things, and the reason for the lonely strawberries).  So what did I do with all that brain power (or lack thereof depending on the day)?  I made a Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting, of course!   And then as I sat there looking at that pink decadence, I thought, the only thing that could top this would be some chocolate.  So I added that too for good measure 🙂

The cake is super tasty, not overly strawberry-laden, just enough to get that hint.  But then the frosting hits your taste buds and there’s no going back.  Definitely worth a try if you’re a strawberry lover.

The Recipe (adapted from here):

• 2/3 cup whole fresh or frozen strawberries, thawed
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/4 cup whole milk, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 2 large egg whites, room temperature

Frosting:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup cream cheese
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 tablespoons strawberry puree
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1- 1/4 to 1 -1/2 cups powdered sugar

Chocolate Sauce:

• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips (I used a combination of both and it came out stellar)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

The Process:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners; set aside.
2. Place strawberries in a small food processor; process until pureed. You should have about 1/3 cup of puree, add a few more strawberries if necessary or save any extra puree for frosting; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a small bowl, mix together milk, vanilla, and strawberry puree; set aside.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar and continue to beat until well combined and fluffy. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and slowly add egg and egg whites until just blended.
5. With the mixer on low, slowly add half the flour mixture; mix until just blended. Add the milk mixture; mix until just blended. Slowly add remaining flour mixture, scraping down sides of the bowl with a spatula, as necessary, until just blended.
6. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Transfer muffin tin to oven and bake until tops are just dry to the touch, 22 to 25 minutes. Transfer muffin tin to a wire rack and let cupcakes cool completely in tin before icing.
7. Make the Frosting:
8. Cream the butter, confectioners’ sugar, and cream cheese in your mixing bowl at medium speed.
9. Add the strawberry puree and vanilla, and beat for 1 minute, cleaning sides as needed.
10. Add the milk and a little red food coloring (if you’d like a deeper pink color) and beat until completely blended, about 1 minute more.  If the consistency is still slightly runny, add a little more powdered sugar.  Frost the cupcakes using a knife or pastry bag with star tip.
11. For that added extra finishing touch, make the chocolate sauce:
12. Place the chocolate chips, heavy cream and butter in a double boiler.  Stir until melted.  Add in vanilla and stir until glossy and smooth.  Drizzle over frosting.

Peach Crisp

I’ll admit right off the bat, I’m not the biggest fan of peaches.  Let’s call it a texture thing.  I have an even bigger issue with bananas (don’t even get me started on that one!)  Strange part is, I love the flavor of these fruits, but you’d be hard pressed to get me to eat either of them in their raw form.  Add them to a muffin, cake, etc. though and you have a deal.  My husband thinks I’m a weirdo with my texture issues, but, hey, not everyone can be perfect, right? 🙂  I used fresh peaches (tis the season) in this recipe, but you can used canned if you really feel the urge.

The recipe can be made in a cast iron skillet, which would have been great…if I owned one…I, myself, opted for a square baking dish in defeat.  Don’t let me forget to a skillet one to my ever-growing baking wish list 🙂

The Recipe:

5 fresh peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced (or 1 can unsweetened peach slices)

2 tablespoons tapioca

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cloves

2-3 tablespoons white sugar (my addition to the original recipe, it was entirely too tart without it, in my opinion)

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter

2 tablespoons brown sugar

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups quick cooking oatmeal

The Process:

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 F (325 F if using a dark or glass baking pan in shame, like me)

2.  Place the peach slices, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and tapioca in a bowl.  Gently stir to coat the peaches.  Scrape the peaches into the skillet (or pan…sigh…)

3.  Place the butter in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat.  Heat the butter until it’s mostly melted.  Remove the pan from the heat and transfer to a heatproof surface.

4.  Add the brown sugar to the butter and stir until smooth.  Add the flour, oatmeal, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and stir together.  Spoon the topping over the peaches and press it lightly with your hands to even it out.

5.  Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned.

6.  Allow to cool slightly before serving.  Makes for a great weekend brunch idea!