The most deliciously simple vanilla cupcakes, topped with a vanilla buttercream frosting and beautiful fresh strawberries.
Do you know what I love? When strawberries come on sale! I swear I spend half of the year (at least) looking wistfully at the punnets of crazy expensive strawberries at the supermarket, and then as soon as they're on sale, I buy punnet after punnet... until we're all strawberried out!
For this recipe I used my very favourite, ultimate vanilla cupcake recipe. Yep, you've seen it before! Remember my chocolate chip cupcakes? Yep they use the same basic recipe too. Why go changing something that has served me so darn well for years!
This really is the simplest recipe, but the strawberries add a beautifully, fresh touch. This is the perfect recipe for an afternoon tea with some girlfriends, a baby shower or a birthday. Super easy, super yum and super cute. Clearly the 3 most important things ever when it comes to cupcakes!
One little tip is to make sure that you've washed and thoroughly dried your strawberries before sitting them in the frosting. You don't want red strawberry juice coming out!!
Now for this recipe, I went for a really basic vanilla buttercream... because as I said - I just totally and utterly love that simple vanilla and strawberry combination. BUT one other fun thing I've done before (and I really need to put on the blog!!), is to use a chocolate buttercream frosting and add chocolate dipped strawberries on top. It's a little bit more effort but a total showstopper (and perfect for all of the chocoholics out there).
Are you a strawberry lover too? For something a little lighter, check out my Healthy Strawberry Ice Cream... or for the perfect partner to your morning cuppa, you must, MUST try my Lemon Glazed Strawberry Loaf (amazing!!).
xxx
Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes with Fresh Strawberries
Ingredients
- 200 g unsalted butter softened
- 200 g caster sugar
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 eggs
- 200 g self raising flour
- 12 fresh strawberries
For the icing
- 185 g butter softened
- 2 ¼ cups icing sugar mixture
- 2 tbs milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Conventional Method
- Preheat oven to 175 degrees celsius (fan-forced). Place cupcake cases into the holes of two 12-hole muffin trays.
- Place the butter, caster sugar, salt and vanilla extract into a bowl.
- Beat together with a stand-mixer or hand-held beaters until pale and fluffy.
- Add the eggs to a separate bowl and beat together lightly.
- Slowly add the egg mixture to the butter mixture while continuing to beat.
- When all of the egg mixture has been completely combined with the butter mixture, sift in the self raising flour and stir with a spoon until just combined (don't over combine).
- Place the cupcake mixture into the cupcake cases - filling them to ⅔ full.
- Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until golden and when they spring back when touched in the centre (if you're making mini cupcakes, reduce the cooking time slightly).
- Leave cupcakes in the baking trays for 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the icing, beat the butter in a bowl until pale and fluffy (approximately 5 minutes).
- Slowly add the icing sugar mixture, milk and vanilla extract and continue to beat until smooth and creamy.
- Ice cupcakes when they have completely cooled and place a fresh strawberry into the frosting.
Thermomix Method
- Preheat oven to 175 degrees celsius (fan-forced). Place cupcake cases into the holes of two 12-hole muffin trays.
- Place sugar and butter into the TM bowl and and mix for 15 seconds, Speed 5.
- Add the eggs, salt, vanilla extract and self-raising flour and mix for 15 seconds, Speed 5. Scrape down sides of mixing bowl with spatula, then mix for a further 10 seconds, Speed 5.
- Place the cupcake mixture into the cupcake cases - filling them to ⅔ full. Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until golden and when they spring back when touched in the centre (if you're making mini cupcakes, they will need slightly less cooking time).
- Leave cupcakes in the baking trays for 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the icing, place the icing sugar into the TM bowl and mix for 10 seconds on Speed 9.
- Add the butter, milk and vanilla extract to the bowl. Mix for 30 seconds on Speed 4.
- Spread icing over cooled cupcakes and place a fresh strawberry into the frosting.
Sarah
Hey there! Just wanted to let you know how many compliments these cupcakes have gotten - both the cake and the frosting parts!
I baked them for my girls to take to school for their classmates for a birthday treat, and the kids AND the teachers raved about them! So well done! This recipe’s a keeper. 🙂
Lucy
Thank you SO much!! xx