…a berry happy birthday treat
What better way to celebrate Jessica and Nicole’s birthday than to do it with Martha Stewart’s Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Meringue Buttercream? These pretty-in-pink treats are perfect for birthdays, Valentines, or even Mother’s Day. The light, fluffy batter is naturally sweetened by the fresh strawberries, creating a melt-in-your-mouth texture. Although, the best part about these charming creations is of course, the strawberry buttercream. The cool, creamy and delightfully sweet frosting closely resembles strawberry ice cream, perfectly complementing the delicate cake. There are no artificial colorings in this recipe, for the fresh strawberries replace any additives or dyes needed to make such a lovely shade of pink. What a splendid idea, Martha! I hope you all enjoy these wondrous cupcakes, especially the birthday girls, Jess & Nicole! :)
Strawberry Cupcakes
Recipe by Martha Stewart
Makes ≈ 34 cupcakes
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 Meringue Buttercream
Recipe by Martha Stewart
Makes ≈ 5 cups
1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, rinsed, hulled, and coarsely chopped
4 large egg whites
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons, room temperature
Strawberry Cupcakes
(1) Preheat oven to 350°F
(2) Line standard muffin pans with paper liners
(3) Sift together both flours, baking powder, and salt
(4) With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter, sugar, and vanilla until pale and fluffy
(5) Add whole eggs and the white, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed; Reduce speed to low
(6) Add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the milk, and beating until well combined
(7) Fold in chopped strawberries by hand
(8) Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each about three-quarters full
(9) Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until golden brown and toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.
(10) Transfer tins to wire racks and cool 15 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto rack and let cool completely.
(*) Cupcakes can be stored up to 1 day at room temperature in airtight containers.
(11) To finish, fill a pastry bag fitted with a large open-star (Ateco #826 or Wilton #8B) with buttercream (Recipe shown below)
(12) Pipe buttercream onto each cupcake, swirling tip and releasing as you pull up to form peak.
(13) Just before serving, thinly slice strawberries, and tuck a few pieces into the buttercream; Enjoy! :)
Strawberry Meringue Buttercream
(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
(3) 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 fingertips)
(4) 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
(5) Continue mixing until the mixture is fluffy and glossy, and completely cool (test by touching the bottom of the bowl), about 10 minutes
(6) With mixer in medium-low speed, add the butter a few tablespoons at a time, mixing well after each addition
(7) Once all the butter has been added, scrape down sides of bowl with a flexible spatula and switch to the paddle attachment; continue beating on low speed until all air bubbles are eliminated, about 2 minutes
(8) Add strawberries and beat until well combined; Stir with a flexible spatula until the frosting is smooth
(9) Keep buttercream at room temperature if using the same day, or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze up to 1 month
(*) Before using, bring to room temperature and beat with paddle attachment on low speed until smooth again, about 5 minutes
Tips…*
(*) After researching this frosting on other blogs, I have found that many readers have had troubles with the frosting, stating that it was too liquidy. I too struggled with this and have decided that it was because I added too much of the strawberry puree.
(*) To solve this, simply add the puree gradually until the frosting has a well-balanced flavor and texture, without going overboard. My frosting turned out fine after I handed a few scoops of powdered sugar to soak up the added moisture.
(*) Also, it is important to know that this frosting is a very time-intensive process. It can take a very long period of beating but it will thicken up eventually—so don’t give up! :)
(*) One last note of advice: If strawberries are too expensive, opt to buy a jar of strawberry jam and add a few tablespoons at a time until the flavor is up to par with your taste buds!