Martha Stewart's CUPCAKES: Strawberry Cupcakes

This is probably one of the ugliest pictures I've ever taken of food. Darn late night baking...oh well.

As I mentioned in my Barbie Birthday Cake post, I made Martha Stewart's Strawberry Cupcake recipe from her new CUPCAKES cookbook.

So far, I absolutely adore the book. (My only complaint is that a lot of recipes make like 34 cupcakes...I sometimes feel like they just took old three layer cake recipes and made them for cupcakes...) Either way, I wish I could bake a recipe out of it every week. But alas, my waistline, day job and other blogging commitments just don't allow me to do so.

PS: If you want to follow peeps who are baking their way through the cookbook at a regular rate, check out the Martha Stewart Cupcakes Club blog! I really wanted to join this group...but new I couldn't handle the extra deadlines.

Anyway, If I remember correctly I liked this cake. I love fresh strawberries and I happened to make it in June so it was perfect for summer. I can't say much about the strawberry buttercream recipe, because I didn't make it. I honestly can't remember what buttercream recipe I used! Eek.




Here's the recipe, but remember...I totally recommend buying the book!

Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream
from Martha Stewart's CUPCAKES
Ingredients

Makes 34

* 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
* 1 tablespoon baking powder
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
* 2 1/4 cups sugar
* 3 large eggs plus 1 large egg white
* 1 cup whole milk
* 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
* 2 cups finely chopped strawberries, plus small strawberries for garnish
* Strawberry Buttercream

Directions

1. Make cupcakes as directed in Basic Cupcake How-To, using milk and vanilla for wet ingredients. Stir chopped strawberries into batter. Once cupcakes are cool, frost tops with strawberry buttercream. Frosted cupcakes will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 2 days. Top with a strawberry just before serving.

Strawberry Buttercream

Ingredients

Makes about 5 cups

* 4 large egg whites, room temperature
* 1 1/4 cups sugar
* 3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, cut into small pieces
* 1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, pureed

Directions

1. Place whites and sugar in a heatproof mixer bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Whisk until sugar dissolves and mixture registers 160 degrees on a candy thermometer.
2. Remove from heat, and attach bowl to a mixer. Whisk on medium speed for 5 minutes. Increase speed to medium-high, and whisk until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 6 minutes. Reduce speed to medium, and add butter, 1 piece at a time, whisking well after each addition.
3. Switch to a paddle attachment. With mixer on low, add strawberry puree, and beat until smooth, 3 to 5 minutes. Use immediately, or cover, and refrigerate for up to 3 days. (Bring to room temperature, and beat on low speed until smooth before using.)