Strawberry Cupcakes

You guys need to seriously prepare yourselves for this recipe! My friend Ashley with Peace Love & Eat Cake recently showed me this recipe and oh my goodness! I was not ready for the tastiness!

Ashley whipped up a batch of these Strawberry Cupcakes for my kids Valentine’s Day party. She had mentioned her recipe when we were planning and I knew you guys would LOVE it! I absolutely love strawberries- especially strawberry desserts: Strawberry Cheesecake, Strawberry Pie, Angel Food Cake with Strawberries….bring it on! But I had never had cupcakes with fresh strawberries, and oh boy was I missing out!
 

 
Ashley completely nails this recipe! The cupcakes are the perfect level of sweet and so amazing for a Valentine’s Day party. The strawberries make the cupcakes so fresh and yummy and the vanilla frosting sends them over the edge. It was honestly dangerous for me to be around them! At least they count as a serving of fruit right? ;) All of the kids at the party even gobbled them up and asked for more when they had all disappeared! I will definitely be asking her to make these for future parties!
 

STRAWBERRY CUPCAKE RECIPE 

Ingredients

2 1/4 cup all purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 cup butter, room temperature

1 1/3 cup sugar

3 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cup whole milk

1/2 cup diced strawberries pink food gel, optional

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees
2. In a small bowl mix flour, salt, and baking powder together; set aside
3. Dice strawberries and set aside in a small bowl
4. In a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light in color and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes on high
5. Add eggs one at a time, mixing on low for 10 seconds in between each addition
6. Add vanilla
7. Add half of the flour mixture and mixed until just combined. Add all of the milk and mix until just combined. Lastly, add the other half of the flour mixture, mixing on low speed until combined 8. Gently fold in the diced strawberries
9. Add pink food gel, if desired
10. Fill cupcakes 2/3 of the way full into your prepared cupcake pans
11. Bake cupcakes for 18-20 min, rotating halfway through baking and pulling out of the oven when a toothpick comes out clean
12. Let cupcakes cool halfway still in pan before transferring to a wire rack. Let cupcakes cool completely before frosting

VANILLA FROSTING RECIPE 

Ingredients
2 sticks butter, room temperature 6 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup whole milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt food color (if desired)

Instructions
1. In a stand mixer with paddle attachment, add butter and beat on high for 2-3 minutes, scraping the bowl once light and fluffy
2. Add half the powdered sugar and salt to mixer and mix on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase speed to high until frosting is smooth
3. Add rest of powdered sugar and mix until smooth
4. Add milk and vanilla and mix on low speed until combined, then increase speed to high until frosting is smooth