Real Strawberry Cupcakes {Sweet Treat Tuesday}

If you've been following my blog for awhile, you know two things about my family. We love sweets and we celebrate half birthdays. Well, this past week, we celebrated my middle baby's half birthday. He requested strawberry cupcakes, so that's what I made. This recipe is easy, and you can use frozen or fresh strawberries. I used frozen strawberries since it's winter and fresh ones are so expensive this time of year. They were a hit with all three of my kids and hubby!

Real Strawberry Cupcakes

Ingredients:
cake
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup hot water
1 egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup pureed strawberries
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups cake flour (substitute here)

icing
1/2 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened
1-1/2-2 cups powdered sugar, SIFTED
1/8 teaspoon table salt
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
1-2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream

Directions:
cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line cupcake pan with cupcake liners.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Once butter and sugar are mixed well, add in egg. Then add remaining wet ingredients individually, then dry mixing well after each addition until smooth. Scoop batter into lined cupcake pan. Fill each muffin cup almost to the top.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely. Since the strawberries make this a more dense cupcake, they will settle and not be as rounded as a typical cupcake. and then frost with buttercream icing below.

icing
In a mixing bowl, beat butter for a few minutes with a mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed. Add 1-1/2 cups of powdered sugar and turn your mixer on the lowest speed until the sugar has been incorporated with the butter. Increase mixer speed to medium and add vanilla extract, salt, and 2 tablespoons of milk/cream and beat for 3 minutes. If your frosting needs a more stiff consistency, add remaining sugar. If your frosting needs to be thinned out, add remaining milk 1 tablespoons at a time.