Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes

Birthdays are a big deal in our house.  Last month, we celebrated my husband's birthday with some friends at a baseball game.  It was a lot of fun but not the most practical place to take a cake.  (Not to mention that it was 108 degrees that day.)  I decided instead to send birthday cupcakes to work with him so that his coworkers could join in the birthday celebration instead of trying to get cupcakes to a baseball game.  

One of his favorite desserts in strawberry shortcake but that is also not a very practical dessert to send to the office.  I came up with my own cupcake version of strawberry shortcake that would be easier to transport and to share with friends - a strawberry shortcake cupcake.  A white cake with a fresh strawberry center and whipped cream frosting. 

I adapted the white cake recipe from one that I had seen on sugarandsnapshots.com.  I loved the idea of adding lemon flavor to the cake to highlight the fresh strawberries. 

White Cake Cupcakes

Yield: Makes 25 to 30 cupcakes

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 c Cake Flour


• 1 tbsp Baking Powder


• 1/2 tsp Salt


• 1 1/2 c Sugar


• 1/2 c (1 stick) Unsalted Butter, room temperature


• 4 egg whites


• 1 1/4 c buttermilk


• 2 tsp lemon zest 


• 1/2 tsp lemon juice

Prepare two cupcake pans with liners and preheat oven to 350F. Sift
the cake flour, baking powder, and salt, into a small bowl. In the bowl
of your stand mixer combine the sugar and butter and whisk until pale
and fluffy.

 

While the butter mixture is whisking in a 2 cup glass measuring cup
combine the egg whites, milk, and lemon flavoring and whisk
with a fork to combine.

Once the butter sugar mixture is fluffy and pale turn down to medium
speed. Add the flour and milk mixture in two parts alternating wet and
dry, ending with dry.  Once the mixtures are added turn off and scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for one minute on medium speed.

By the way - there is absolutely NO monkey business in my kitchen!  It was all seriousness as we made dad's birthday cupcakes. 

Divide the cake mix into the prepared pans filling each 2/3 full. 

Bake each pan for 15-18 minutes. Cool completely before decorating.

Once the cupcakes are cool, use a small pairing knife to cut the center out of each cupcake.

Cut the top off of a fresh strawberry and push it into the center. 

Top with fresh whipped cream and half of a fresh strawberry.

Not your typical birthday cake and not very manly - but definitely delicious.  
Ciao!

White Cake

Yield: Makes 25 to 30 cupcakes

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 c Cake Flour


• 1 tbsp Baking Powder


• 1/2 tsp Salt


• 1 1/2 c Sugar


• 1/2 c (1 stick) Unsalted Butter, room temperature


• 4 egg whites


• 1 1/4 c buttermilk


• 2 tsp lemon zest 


• 1/2 tsp lemon juice

Instructions

1. Prepare two cupcake pans with liners and preheat oven to 350F. Sift
   the cake flour, baking powder, and salt, into a small bowl. In the bowl
   of your stand mixer combine the sugar and butter and whisk until pale
   and fluffy.


2. While the butter mixture is whisking in a 2 cup glass measuring cup
   combine the egg whites, milk and lemon flavoring and whisk
   with a fork to combine.


3. Once the butter sugar mixture is fluffy and pale turn down to medium
   speed. Add the flour and milk mixture in two parts alternating wet and
   dry, ending with dry.


4. Once the mixtures are added turn off and scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for one minute on medium speed.


5. Divide the cake mix into the prepared pans filling each 2/3 full.
   Bake each pan for 15-18 minutes. Cool completely before decorating.