Real Strawberry Cupcakes

Description

Most strawberry cake recipes ask you to use artificially flavored gelatin. This one uses only uses fresh ingredients. Also makes a great cake!

Ingredients

  • 8 large fresh strawberries, or as needed
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • ⅓ cup vegetable oil
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons instant vanilla pudding mix (Optional)
  • 1 drop red food coloring, or as needed (Optional)
  • ¾ cup cream cheese, softened
  • 2 tablespoons butter, softened
  • ½ cup confectioners’ sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 large fresh strawberries, sliced

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Spray cupcake cups with cooking spray
  2. or line with cupcake liners.
  3. Place 8 strawberries into a blender
  4. and blend until smooth. Pour the puree through a strainer to remove seeds. Puree should equal about 3/4 cup. Set the puree aside.
  5. In a large bowl
  6. beat together the eggs
  7. white sugar
  8. vegetable oil
  9. 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  10. lemon zest
  11. and strawberry puree until well combined. Stir in the flour
  12. baking powder
  13. salt
  14. vanilla pudding mix (for a moister cupcake)
  15. and red food coloring to reach a desired shade of pink. Spoon the batter into the prepared cupcake cups
  16. filling each about 2/3 full.
  17. Bake in the preheated oven until the cupcakes have risen and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean
  18. about 23 minutes. Allow the cupcakes to cool at least 10 minutes before frosting.
  19. To make frosting
  20. beat cream cheese and butter together in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer until smooth
  21. and mix in confectioners’ sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract to make a lump-free icing. Frost each cupcake with about 2 tablespoons of icing
  22. and top each cupcake with a strawberry slice.

Prep Time: 40 mins

Cook Time: 25 mins

Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins

Servings: 12

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