There are six flavors of cake that I can make without any thought required at all. I've made them from scratch so many times that I just *know* what to do.
Strawberry is not on that list.
So, go ahead and guess what kind of cake Mila wanted for her birthday cupcakes! Strawberry, of course!
It took me a few tries to get this right, but I finally did. Alexis declared that they were "ZOMG SO GOOD!" so I guess that's all that needs to be said.
Strawberry Cupcakes
2 cups fresh strawberries - cleaned, hulled, and sliced
2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. You're making 24 cupcakes, so place liners in pans accordingly.
2. In a small saucepan, heat the strawberries over medium heat. Allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes. Smash them with a fork as they soften. They're done when you have a thick strawberry goop. Toss the goop in the fridge while you work on the rest of the stuff.
3. Dry ingredients, ahoy! Toss the flour, salt, and baking powder into a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
4. In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on low to medium speed. Add in the eggs and mix some more. Add the vanilla and mix even more.
5. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Mix away as you do it. You're going to end up with something that is too thick to be a cake batter, which is exactly as it should be because you still need to add the strawberries you cooked. So do that!
6. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
8. The obnoxious Trolls decor is optional, but Mila highly recommends it.
