Enough for Me to Share: Part 2

So the family (including Ariel and the Cormacks) got to enjoy a bountiful of delicious cupcakes. These delightful treats, say summer to me.

Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes & Strawberry Meringue Buttercream

Cupcakes

Ingredients:

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cake flour (not self rising)

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 1/4 cups sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

3 large whole eggs plus one egg white
1 cup milk
2 cups finely chopped fresh strawberries (about 20), plus 10 more for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Sift together both flours, baking powder and salt.

2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter, sugar and vanilla until pale and fluffy. And 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. Add flour mixture in two batches alternating with the milk, and beating until well combined. Fold in chopped strawberries by hand.

3. Divide batter evenly among lined cups filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until golden and a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to 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.

4. To finish fill a pastry bag fitted with a large open-star tip (Ateco #826 or Wilton #8B) with butter cream. Pipe buttercream. Pipe buttercream onto each cupcake, swirling tip and releasing as you pull up to form a peak. Just before serving, thinly slice remaining strawberries, and tuck a few pieces into buttercream.

Strawberry Meringue Buttercream
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries (8 ounces), rinsed hulled, and coarsely chopped
4 large egg whites
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups ( 3 sticks) unsalted butter cup into tablespoons room temperature

1. Puree strawberries in a good processor. Combine eggs whites and sugar in the heatproof bowl of a sanding electric mixer set over a pan of simmering water. 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).

2. 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. Continue mixing until the mixture is fluffy and glossy, and completely cool (test by touching the bottom of the bowl), about 10 minutes.

3.With mixer on medium-low speed, add the butter a few tablespoons at a time, mixing well after each edition. Once all 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. Add strawberries and beat until combined. Stir with a flexible spatula until frosting is smooth. 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.

Enjoy! They are like heaven in your mouth.

Brought to you by Audrey via Martha the Marvelous!