Summer's bounty of fresh local strawberries has us thinking about one thing: cupcakes. In this recipe, we combine fresh strawberries with our strawberry and raspberry extracts to make a delicious buttercream frosting to top golden brown white almond cupcakes. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
Makes 2 dozen cupcakes
Nonstick cooking spray
2 1/4 cups cake flour (9 ounces)
1 cup whole milk, at room temperature
6 large egg whites (3/4 cup), at room temperature
1 Tbl Almond extract
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar (12 1/4 ounces)
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp Murray River Salt
1 1/2 sticks softened butter
Directions:
Set oven rack in middle position. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place cupcake liners in cupcake pan and spray the liners with nonstick spray.
Pour milk, egg whites, and extracts into 2-cup glass measure, and mix with fork until blended.
Mix cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in bowl of electric mixer at slow speed. Add butter; continue beating at slow speed until mixture resembles moist crumbs, with no powdery streaks remaining.
Add all but 1/2 cup of milk mixture to crumbs and beat at medium speed (or high speed if using handheld mixer) for 1 1/2 minutes. Add remaining 1/2 cup of milk mixture and beat 30 seconds more. Stop mixer and scrape sides of bowl. Return mixer to medium (or high) speed and beat 20 seconds longer.
5. Divide batter evenly among cupcakes and spread batter to pan walls and smooth tops. Bake until thin skewer or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 15 to 22 minutes.
6. Let cakes rest in pans for 3 minutes then invert onto wire racks. Reinvert onto additional wire racks. Let cool completely.
Butter Frosting Ingredients:
2 sticks softened butter
6 cups confectioners' sugar (1 pound)
2 tsp Strawberry Extract
2 tsp Raspberry Extract
1 Tbl whole milk
pinch Murray River Salt
1 cup chopped strawberries
Directions:
Beat butter, confectioners’ sugar, Strawberry Extract, Raspberry Extract, milk, and salt in bowl of electric mixer at slow speed until sugar is moistened. Increase speed to medium-high (high if using handheld mixer); beat, stopping twice to scrape down bowl, until creamy and fluffy, about 1 1/2 minutes. Fold in the fresh Strawberries. Avoid overbeating, or frosting will be too soft to pipe. Add additional confectioners' sugar as needed to increase smoothness of frosting.
A tip from a Pastry Chef: Fresh Strawberries are a difficult fruit from which to coax full, sweet flavor. The sugar and butter in this buttercream are rich and sweet which makes it difficult for a flavor to shine through. The Strawberry Extract will heighten the flavor of the fresh strawberries, while the Raspberry Extract will boost the sweetness.
What are your favorite summer flavors to bake with? Let us know in the comments!