Strawberry Cupcakes

I want to celebrate this special day with strawberry cupcakes, and this cupcake contains strawberries all over. I am dedicating this post to all the mothers out there, specially to my own mom. So please bear with me, this post might be too cheeky. [If you can't bear cheekiness, you can skip that part and get to the recipe right away.] 

To all mothers out there, I want to great you all a...

Happy Mother's Day!

I want to thank my mom for being a very supportive mother. She was the one who started this cupcake craze of mine, I remembered the joy of having my first muffin tin, in which I cooked my very first cupcakes and thousands more after that. It was the best thing I could ever wish for. Thank you Mom for your support. I would not have done this without you. Thank you for loving me and my sisters, for everything you had given us and have done for us, and for being our mother.

I had many "moms" along the way too. Aunts and my grandmother who treated me like I am their own child. They are the ones who took care of me when my mother can't, when she is working hard in another country just so we can have a life she never had. Aunt Lita, Aunt Irene, Grandma Mitch. Thank you.

And before you go to the recipe, I want you to thank your mother. Send her a message, call her, visit her, or even make cupcakes for her, and in doing so, tell her you love her. Thank them for the unconditional love she is giving you. Thank them for all the sacrifices they had made for you. Thank them for being your SUPERMOM.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom. I love you, forever and ever. 

Berry Strawberry Cupcakes

Notes [ HEAD, HEART, and BASE: Strawberry ]

Ingredients

Cupcakes [makes 18-20 mini cupcakes, or 6-8 regular cupcakes]

3/4 c. all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

dash of salt

1/4 c. butter, room temperature [1/2 stick]

1/2 c. sugar

1 egg

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 c. strawberry puree
1 tsp. strawberry powder [optional; instructions]
1/4 c. milk 

Frosting

1/4 c. butter, room temperature [1/2 stick]

1/2 c. powdered confectioner's sugar

2 tbsp. strawberry jam

dried strawberry slices and strawberry jam for garnish

Directions

1. MAKE BATTER: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cupcake pan with liners. 
2. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl.

3. In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then add egg, vanilla extract, strawberry puree and powder. Mix well.

4. Add half of the flour mixture and milk to butter mixture, beat then add remaining flour mixture. 
5. BAKE CUPCAKES*: Fill liners with a tablespoonful of batter. Bake for about 12 minutes, do toothpick test. If they are not done, check at 1 minute intervals. Cool on wire rack.

6. MAKE FROSTING: Beat butter until light and fluffy, then add powdered sugar and strawberry jam. If it is too stiff, add a teaspoon of milk.

7. ASSEMBLE CUPCAKES: Frost the cupcakes. Add garnish if desired.

* FOR REGULAR CUPCAKES: Fill liners 2/3 full. Bake for about 16 minutes, do toothpick test. If they are not done, check at 1 minute intervals. Cool on wire rack.