Strawberry Cupcakes from Scratch

CAKE
24oz fresh really ripe strawberries.
Hull strawberries and cut up in to pieces.  Add 1 to 2 tsp sugar and let sit in bowl at room temperature for a few hours.  Blend/puree in food processor to make strawberry puree

2 cubes butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 egg whites
3 cups flour sifted
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup strawberry puree (save leftover puree for frosting or to cook down for filling)
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla

Cream butter 1 to 2 minutes.  Slowly add sugar.  Add eggs and egg whites.  Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a sifter.  Add half of the dry mixture to the eggs/butter mixture.  Add milk and vanilla to strawberry puree.  Slowly add to mixture.  Add remaining dry ingredients.  Scrape down sides as you go.

Bake at 325 until cooked.  (For cupcakes I set the timer at 12 minutes and watch them until they are done.  For cake, start at 20 minutes and watch.)

FILLING
1 1/2 cups strawberry puree
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp corn starch

Whisk water and cornstarch together in saucepan.  Add strawberries and sugar.  Cook over medium heat until thick, about 10 minutes.  Cool completely.  I do this the night before and let sit in the frigde.  Then I add to the cupcakes center before frosting them.

FROSTING
I use this Cream Cheese frosting recipe.  Add strawberry puree to the frosting... start with 1/2 cup and add more if needed.

White Velvet Cake

This cake is really yummy and more dense so it's the perfect cake for stacking wedding/birthday cakes.  It's delicious and easy to make.

1 White Cake Mix (Betty Crocker is usually best)
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup + 2 Tbsp Cake Flour (If you don't have cake flour, sift all purpose flower 2 times and then measure out the amount.  Works great.)
1/8 tsp Salt
1 1/3 Cups Water
3 Eggs
1/2 Cup melted butter (salted butter)
1 Cup Sour Cream
1 tsp Vanilla

In large bowl mix water, vanilla, eggs, melted butter and sour cream.  Mix well with paddle attachment.

Add cake mix, sugar, cake flour and salt.
Mix on medium speed for 2 minutes.

Pour into greased and floured pan and bake at 325.  Time depends on the size of pans you are using.  This recipe makes enough for 2 8 or 9 inch rounds or a 13x9.  Judge your time off of the cake mix box, but set it a little under.  Watch it.  Once the top is completely done and toothpick comes out clean, take it out.  The key to a good cake is to never over bake it.  Let cake cool for 10 to 20 minutes and then dump out onto cooling rack.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Cream Cheese Frosting

8oz Cream Cheese (I use the kind in the tub, not the brick.  It's less lumpy.)
1 Cube Butter room temperature
4 - 6 Cups C&H powdered sugar (I just dump it in until it has the right consistency... )
2 tsp vanilla

Cream together the butter and cream cheese.  It needs to be pretty soft, but not too soft.
Add in powdered sugar and vanilla.  I dump in 3 cups and mix it and then keep adding more and more until it looks right.
(If you end up using too much sugar, it sounds really grainy and might be too thick... you can always add a tiny bit of milk to it to thin it out.

Butter Cream Frosting

2 Cubes Butter Margarine (works best if you actually use the cube)
2 lb Powdered C&H Confectioners Powdered Sugar
3-4 Tbls milk
2 tsp Vanilla

Cream your butter first.  Then add powdered sugar and vanilla a little at a time.  As you put in more sugar add a little milk a little at a time until you get the right consistency.

Makes enough to frost 1 Cake or 1 batch of Cupcakes.

Recipe courtesy of Ruth Lamb. BEST FROSTING EVER!