Strawberry Red Velvet Cupcakes

Ingredients
Strawberry Red Velvet Cake:
1 box red velvet cake
3 eggs
1/2 C. melted butter, cooled
1/2 C. strawberries, pureed in the blender
1/4 C. milk
2/3 C. sour cream or plain yogurt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting:
1/2 C. butter, softened
8 oz. cream cheese
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3-4 1/2 C. powered sugar
Extra strawberries for decoration
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line pans with cupcake liners.
2. Sift cake mix into a small bowl and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine eggs, butter, strawberry puree, milk, sour cream and vanilla extract.
4. Add cake mix and stir.
5. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake for 16-22 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean.
6. Cream Cheese Frosting: Beat butter and cream cheese for 2 minutes. Add vanilla and 3 cups powdered sugar.
Beat well. Slowly add in more powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency.
7. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes and top with strawberries.

Lemon Poppy Seed Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting

Ingredients
Lemon Poppy Seed Cake:
1 box white cake mix
zest of 2 large lemons
3 eggs
1/3 C. oil
1/2 C. milk
1 C. sour cream or plain yogurt
2 Tbsp. Poppy Seeds
Strawberry Frosting:
1 C. butter, softened
1.2 oz. freeze dried strawberries, finely crushed in bender and sifted (I get mine from Trader Joe's)
3-4 C. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 Tbsp. milk, if needed
Fresh Berries for decoration
Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line pans with cupcakes liners.
2. Sift cake mix into a small bowl and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine lemon zest, eggs, oil, milk and sour cream until smooth.
4. Add cake mix and stir until smooth.
5. Add in poppy seeds and stir again. (NOTE: You can replace milk for fresh lemon juice, but it will effect how
the cupcakes rise)
6. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake for 15-20 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean.
7. Let cool.
8. Strawberry Frosting: Beat butter for 2 minutes. Add in crushed freeze-dried strawberries and slowly add in
powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency. Add in vanilla extract. If it becomes too thick, add
milk to thin out!
9. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes and top with a fresh strawberry!

Lemon Poppy Seed Cupcakes with Quick Lemon Mousse

Ingredients
Lemon Poppy Seed Cake:
1 box white cake mix
3 eggs
1/3 C. oil
1/2 C. lemon juice, fresh
lemon zest of 2 lemons
1/2 C. sour cream or plain yogurt
1 1/2 Tbsp. Poppy Seeds
Lemon Quick Mousse:
1 Box Instant Lemon Pudding Mix
2 C. heavy whipping cream
Sprinkles for decoration
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line pans with cupcakes liners.
2. Sift cake mix into a small bowl and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine eggs, oil, lemon juice. lemon zest and sour cream until smooth.
4. Stir in cake mix and poppy seeds.
5. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake for 15-20 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean.
6. Let cool.
7. Lemon Quick Mousse: Using a whisk attachment (I use my KitchenAid mixer) beat instant pudding mix and
heavy whipping cream until thick. (If you want to make extra mousse you can add an extra cup of whipping
cream!)
8. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes and top with sprinkles.

M&M Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

Yield: 20-24 cupcakes

Ingredients

M&M Cake:
1 box white or yellow cake mix
3 eggs
1/3 C. oil
1 C. milk or buttermilk
1/2 C. sour cream or plain yogurt
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1 C. mini M&M's
Peanut Butter Frosting:
1/2 C. smooth peanut butter
1/2 C. butter, softened
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3-4 C. powdered sugar
2-4 Tbsp. milk
Extra M&M's to decorate
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line pans with cupcake liners.
2. Sift cake mix into a small bowl and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine eggs, oil, milk, sour cream and vanilla extract.
4. Stir in cake mix until smooth.
5. Fold in M&M's. Don't overmix because the coloring from the candies will dye the cake.
6. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake for 17-22 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean.
7. Peanut Butter Frosting: Beat peanut butter and butter until smooth. Add vanilla extract and slowly add
powdered sugar. The frosting will become chunky. With the mixer on low add milk 1 Tbsp at a time until the
frosting becomes "fluffy" and smooth. Add more powdered sugar if needed or more milk.
8. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes an top with extra candies.

Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 12 cupcakes
Ingredients

1 cup + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature*
1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled slightly
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup whole milk, at room temperature*
1 recipe Strawberry Buttercream Frosting, recipe found here
12 small fresh strawberries or strawberry slices, for decoration (heart how-to here)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt for 30 seconds, set
aside. In a separate large mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer set on medium-high speed, whip together eggs, sugar and vanilla
until mixture is very pale, fluffy and thickened slightly, about 3 minutes. Mix in melted butter and vegetable oil. Working in three separate
batches, beginning and ending with flour, add 1/3 of the flour mixture followed by 1/2 of the milk, blending until well combined after each
addition. Pour batter into 12 paper lined muffin cups, filling each cup 2/3 full. Bake in preheated oven 19 - 22 minutes, until toothpick
inserted into center of cupcake comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack, then frost with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting and top
with a small whole fresh strawberry or fresh strawberry slices.
*To bring the eggs to room temp quickly, simply submerge in a bowl of warm water for 5 - 10 minutes. To bring milk to room
temperature quickly, simply heat in microwave on high powder in a microwave safe dish for 15 - 20 seconds until no longer cold.
Recipe Source: cupcake base - Food and Wine, Strawberry Buttercream Frosting - Cooking Classy

Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours
Yield: 12 cupcakes
Ingredients

1 2/3 cup cake flour

3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 large egg whites
1/3 cup fresh strawberry puree*
1/4 cup buttermilk**
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
5 drops red food coloring (optional)
3/4 cup diced strawberries (dice into about 1/4-inch pieces)
Diced and whole strawberries for topping (about 1 lb small strawberries)
Frosting (double recipe if making for a double layer cake)

1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp strawberry puree

1/2 cup unsalted butter, nearly at room temperature
1/4 cup salted butter, nearly at room temperature
2 1/2 - 2 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
4 drops red food coloring (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift cake flour into a mixing bowl then add baking powder, baking soda and salt, whisk 20
seconds, set aside.
In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip butter and granluated sugar until pale and fluffy
(occasionally stop and scrape down bowl throughout entire mixing process if not using a paddle attachment that constantly scrapes
bowl). Mix in egg then mix in egg whites one at a time. In liquid measuring cup used to measure buttermilk, whisk together the
buttermilk, 1/3 cup strawberry puree and the vanilla extract. Working in three separate batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture,
add 1/3 of the flour mixture (to the butter mixture) alternating with half of the buttermilk mixture and mixing just until combined after
each addition. Fold in the 3/4 cup diced strawberries. Divide batter among 12 paper lined muffin cups, filling each 3/4 full (nearly 1/3 cup
in each). Bake in preheated oven 20 - 23 minutes until toothpick inserted into center of cupcake comes out clean. Allow to cool in muffin
tin several minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
For the Strawberry Buttercream Frosting:
Add 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp strawberry puree to a small saucepan. Heat mixture over medium-low heat, and simmer, stirring
occasionally until reduced by about 2/3 to 3 Tbsp, about 10 - 14 minutes (measure and if it isn't quite 3 Tbsp then return and continue to
simmer, if it's not reduced to correct amount it will make frosting runny). Pour reduced puree into a small bowl, then freeze until cool (stir
occasionally for even chilling, it will chill quickly in the freezer since it's such a small amount).
In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip unsalted and salted butter until very pale and
fluffy (nearly white. Stop and scrape down bowl occasionally throughout entire mixing process if not using the paddle attachment that
constantly scrapes bowl). Mix in 1 cup powdered sugar, then blend in 3 Tbsp reduced strawberry puree, vanilla extract, and optional red
food coloring. Add remaining 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar and continue to mix until frosting is pale and fluffy, adding in an additional 1/4
cup powdered sugar if needed to reach desired consistency.
To assemble cupcakes:
Place a small mound of small diced strawberries on top center of cupcakes. Pipe frosting around and over berries then
decorate with a whole small strawberry. Store cupcakes in an airtight container.
*To get the strawberry puree, puree strawberries in a food processor then measure out amount needed. For both the puree for
cupcakes and frosting it was about 10 medium strawberries but that amount will vary just depending on the size of your strawberries.
**I just used the buttermilk substitute, so if you don't have buttermilk on hand simply add a scant 1 tsp lemon juice or white
vinegar to a liquid measuring cup, then add in enough milk to reach 1/4 cup. Whisk and let rest 3 minutes.
Recipe Source: Cooking Classy