Recipe: Strawberry Surprise Cupcakes

Strawberry Surprise Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 1 stick (1⁄2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 2⁄3 cup sugar
• 11⁄2 tsp baking powder
• 1⁄4 tsp salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1⁄2 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 11⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1⁄2 cup seedless strawberry jam, chilled
• Strawberry Frosting
• 1⁄2 cup diced strawberries
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 3 oz chilled cream cheese
• 3⁄4 cup heavy (whipping) cream
• Garnish: 12 whole strawberries

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line 12 regular-size (21⁄2-in. diameter) muffin cups with paper liners. Have ready a large pastry bag fitted with a 1⁄4- to 1⁄2-in. round piping tip.

2. Beat butter, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl with mixer on high speed 1 minute, or until blended. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, until combined. On low speed, beat in milk and vanilla (batter will look curdled), then beat in flour just until blended. Spoon into lined cups.

3. Bake 20 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in centers of cupcakes comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 5 minutes before removing from pan to rack to cool completely.

4. Spoon jam into pastry bag. Insert pastry tip into top of each cupcake and carefully pipe as much jam into center of each as possible (tops of cupcakes will bulge slightly).

5. Frosting: Stir strawberries and sugar in a large bowl; let stand 2 minutes. Beat with mixer until mashed. Add cream cheese; beat 2 minutes until well blended. Add cream and beat until stiff peaks form when beaters are lifted.

6. Up to 2 hours before serving: Spoon Frosting into a pastry bag fitted with a 1⁄2-in. round piping tip. Pipe frosting on cupcakes. Garnish each with a berry and refrigerate.