Strawberries and Cream Cupcakes
These Cupcakes are bursting with the zing of strawberries with the smooth and subtle taste of cream.
Recipe at the bottom of the page
Ingredients
Cupcakes
185g Plain Flour
185g Unsalted Butter
175g Caster Sugar
35g Freeze Dried (Crushed into crumb, us a rolling pin & ziplock) Strawberries
3 LG Eggs
Pinch Salt
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
2 tsp Milk Powder ( the kind you put in your coffee)
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 Tbsp Milk
Filling
1 Tbsp Jam (we like Wexford Home Preserves in Ireland BUY HERE)
2 Tbsp Icing Sugar
1 tsp Milk Powder
Buttercream
250g Butter (we recommend half salted and half unsalted)
500g Icing Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
20g Crushed Freeze Dried Strawberries
2 tsp Milk Powder
1-2 Tbsp Milk depending on consistency
Makes 12 Cupcakes
Method
Begin by filling your cupcake tray with liners and pre heating your oven to:
150C/170CFan/325F/Gas 3
Cupcakes
With room temp butter add this with the sugar/milk powder/colouring (optional) and dusted freeze dried strawberries to the mixer. Whip for around 2 mins until light and fluffy, scraping down half way.
If you struggle with your butter sticking to the sides, pour boiling water into the mixing bowl first, then pour is straight out. This will slightly heat the sides, preventing the butter from sticking.
Then add ALL the remaining cupcake ingredients and mix together, on LOW for 30 seconds, scrape down ensuring you get right to the bottom of the bowl, and then a final 30 second mix.
To pour into the cupcake tins I put my batter into a piping bag, this allows me to be able to control the amount in each case. I count 1,2,3 on each so that they are equal.
Make sure your hole in the bag around an inch thick, or the batter will need to be pushed out and this will affect the air you have produced to make a light sponge.
Bake these for 19-20 mins so that a skewer comes out clean. Crumbs are ok, sticky batter isn't .
If you struggle like I do with uniformly baked cupcakes, change your setting, turn off the fan and use the 170C, try it I do it all the time now.
Filling
Spoon your jam into a bowl, give it a mix and try to remove any large bits as they will affect your piping. Now pour in over the icing sugar and milk powder. Once it is all mixed together pop it into the microwave and heat this mixture slightly and give it a final stir. Cover with cling and pop it to one side.
You only need to heat it, this helps it to all come together better and dissolves the powders. So 20 to 30 secs is fine.
Connors Buttercream
Chop the butter into cubes. You can do this from the fridge or room temp.
Straight from the fridge and hard butter.Place the butter into the microwave for 30 Seconds then remove it from the microwave and stir for around 30 seconds. Now place it back in for 10 second bursts until the temperature is around 28C DO NOT allow the butter to go above 30C/86F.
Room Temperature Butter. Place the butter into themicrowave for 15 seconds and the remove it and stir for around 30 seconds. Continue to place it back into the microwave in 5 second bursts until it reaches around 28C. DO NOT allow the butter to above 30C/86F.
See video below if you are unsure, I explain all of this fully.
Once the buttercream has reached the desired temperature, its time to add the icing sugar, you can do this in one go or in parts ( like I do, I do 3 stages as I am not strong with my wrists!!!!)
Once all combined add the vanilla, milk powder and crumbed freeze dried strawberries. Stir all of these in then add in the amount of milk you need. Cover with cling and set to one side.
Assembly
Using the nozzle below ideally, pipe the filling into the cupcakes. You want to distribute it, not just have a lump in the middle. I make 4/5 holes. Don’t add too much the amount you have will fill 12 cupcakes.
Pipe on the Buttercream, I used a 1M and then I added an additional freeze dries strawberry into the top of each.
The main nozzle picture is the American Amazon
You are now done xxxxx
ENJOY