Strawberry Cupcakes
Jul 26th, 2009 by prissycook
Have you heard of Christmas in July? I think that sums it up. It’s a Christmas themed party in July. I thought it would be a great way to welcome my new Alaskan roomies.
Don’t let these polished looks fool you people! We busted our booties in the kitchen all day cranking out some serious cake. And if you wanted a product endorsement, we had the the Kitchen Aid turned on for at least three hours mixing cake, whipping cream and making frosting.
And the praises were totally worth it! Up first Martha Stewart’s Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Meringue Buttercream.
To add a second product endorsement, Martha’s new cupcake book is totally worth it. I have an extensive collection of cupcake cookbooks. Some are cute, some are are easy and some have good pictures. This book combines great photography, great recipes and a nice reference section for techniques and decorating ideas. This my fifth cupcake from the book and I will say that 4 out of 5 made more than the recipe indicated (but who cares if you end up with extra cupcakes).
Here’s the frosting recipe:
Strawberry Meringue Buttercream
Makes about 5 cups
4 large egg whites, room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, cut into small pieces
1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, pureed
Place whites and sugar in a heatproof mixer bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Whisk until sugar dissolves and mixture registers 160 degrees on a candy thermometer.
Remove from heat, and attach bowl to a mixer. Whisk on medium speed for 5 minutes. Increase speed to medium-high, and whisk until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 6 minutes. Reduce speed to medium, and add butter, 1 piece at a time, whisking well after each addition.
Switch to a paddle attachment. With mixer on low, add strawberry puree, and beat until smooth, 3 to 5 minutes. Use immediately, or cover, and refrigerate for up to 3 days. (Bring to room temperature, and beat on low speed until smooth before using.)
Martha Stewart Cupcake Challenge: 2/175
Keesha oversees recruiting and training programs for GoDaddy.com. She is responsible for building programs that attract and retain amazing employees.
Keesha loves food and photography and is passionate about community volunteering. She sat on the board of directors for the Junior League of Phoenix and is on the Children's Museum of Phoenix committee. She attended Blinn College and Texas A&M University. Her most private cupcake confession? She doesn't like frosting!
Hello. I found you via Twitter and am a daily visitor at AfricanKelli. Thought I’d stop by. These cupcakes you create are simply beautiful. The above strawberry variety looks heavenly. Seriously, that’s probably the prettiest cupcake I’ve ever seen.