People always ask me where I get the inspiration for the recipes I'm on the blog. Usually it is either something that I was dying, or a version of something I saw in a magazine, cookbook or blog. But these cupcakes were 100% inspired by something totally different ...
Cupcake liners.
Yup- it right my friend Rebecca thoughtfully gave me a packet of these liners cute strawberries few months ago and I am dying of desire to use them for. (I know these pictures do not really show it off model, but there is little bays and cute flowers. I die!)
Since the season rhubarb seems to come to an end, and since I happened to have a lot of strawberry compote of rhubarb remains, I thought it would be the perfect thing to cook in a cupcake.
I started with a small cake soft and tasty strawberry that had chopped berries swirled into the frothy batter. Once cooked, I hollowed out a little of each cake and filled with a spoonful of applesauce. More compote was swirled in frosting, and were topped with slices of juicy strawberries.
I brought this to my friend Natalie's birthday party and everyone went crazy for them. I liked that nobody expected them to have a filling so there was a lot of "Oohs" and "Ahs" as they took the first bite. (Do not other people who love the things you cook best?)
As complex as this recipe may seem, it is really not at all . Since the sauce is used for cakes and icing, it makes everything much easier. Cake batter meets in a short time, and after rapid cooling in the freezer, they are ready to core and filling. A simple butter cream is easy to fry, mix a few tablespoons of stewed soup and you're ready to go!
Print
Strawberry Rhubarb Cupcakes
Ingredients
2¾ cups all purpose
½ cup cake flour (not self-rising)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2¼ cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 large egg white
1 cup milk
1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups finely chopped strawberries, and more for garnish
1 lot strawberry rhubarb Compote
3 sticks unsalted butter. (16 oz). Ambient temperature
6-8 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
for small cakes, preheat oven to 350? F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners
In a medium bowl, combine all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder and salt .; mix well.
In a large bowl, combine the butter, sugar and vanilla. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Beat eggs and white of an egg at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
with the mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in two additions, alternating with the milk, mixing each addition just until incorporated. Gently stir in chopped strawberries with a spatula.
Divide batter between paper cups, filling each about ¾ full. Bake until light golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 25-28 minutes, turning halfway through cooking pans if they are browning unevenly.
Cool in pans a few minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. (Or just put the whole pan in the freezer as I do!)
Once the cupcakes have cooled, with a paring knife use the "cone method" based on a piece of cake conically. Angle knife, and carve a circle in the top of the cupcake.
Remove the cone slice on top and fill the cupcake with a tablespoon of applesauce. Put the top back on the cake and repeat with the other
For the icing :.
Put the butter in a medium bowl and using an electric mixer, beat at medium-high speed until fluffy. Gradually add powdered sugar until thick. (Mixture may be dry at this point.)
Add one tablespoon at a time compote until frosting reaches a good pipe / spreading consistency. (I think 2-3 tablespoons is perfect.)
Spread or pipe frosting on the cupcakes and cookies garnish with a slice of fresh strawberry.
notes
If rhubarb is not your thing. (Or you can not find it,) let it out and do everything strawberry compote. Just adjust the level of sugar you will not need nearly as much without tangy rhubarb. I think ¼ cup would be much less than your berries are very sure!
