Here is a really nice recipe to try. Take advantage of the fact that fresh strawberries are in season.
Ingredients for the cakes:
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cake flour, (not self-rising)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
- 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 1/4 cups sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 large egg white
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups finely chopped strawberries
- 12 small strawberries for garnish
Ingredients for the strawberry-butter cream:
- 5 large egg whites
- 210 g butter, softened
- 190 g sugar
- 100 g coarsely chopped fresh strawberries
To make the cakes:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line one standard 12-cup cupcake pan with paper liners. Set aside.
Into a medium bowl, sift flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, for 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl if needed.
Beat in the egg and then the vanilla extract. With the mixer on a low speed, add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the flour. Beat until combined after each addition. Fold in strawberries.
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cups so that each is about two-thirds full. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through, until the cupcakes are golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan and cool completely on wire racks.
To make strawberry-butter cream:
Pour egg whites and sugar into a clean and heat resistant bowl. Place the bowl in a water bath. The water should be boiling. Whisk the sugar and eggs constantly so they don't curdle. Try to maintain the temperature at about 140-150 degrees F. Your work is finished when all the sugar has melted.
Remove from heat, whip until white, fluffy and cool. This step can take up to 10 minutes. Start adding the butter, very slowly. Don't worry if the mixture looks curdled. This can be easily fixed. If the butter cream is too cold, just put the bowl into a water bath again for a minute or so and whip again. If it's too warm, just put it in the refrigerator for a few minutes and whip again when the temperature is right. Add strawberries to the butter cream and whip until smooth.
Use icing tube to decorate the cupcakes with strawberry cream. Garnish with sliced strawberries. Enjoy in good company!