Strawberry Shortcake Cupy-Cakes

Happy Birthday Gerard! This one was by request of a friend in the office. I got the recipe from Food & Wine. Honestly, strawberry shortcake is not my thing. I'll admit though, this is a tastey cupcake and the flavor is on point. The cake reminds me of a lighter poundcake and the frosting is pretty clever. If you're a strawberry shortcake fan, you will like this.

Cake:

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk, at room temperature

Frosting:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
Strawberry jam
Strawberries for decoration (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper or foil liners.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the cornstarch, baking powder and salt.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the sugar with the eggs and vanilla extract at medium-high speed until smooth and thickened slightly, about 3 minutes. Add the butter and oil and beat until incorporated, scraping the bottom and side of the bowl. Add the dry ingredients and milk in 3 alternating batches, beating well between additions. Pour the batter into the lined muffin tins, filling them about two-thirds full.

Bake the cupcakes in the center of the oven for 20 to 23 minutes, until springy.

In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the softened butter at medium speed until smooth. Add the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract and salt and beat the mixture at low speed just until combined. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat until smooth. Add the milk or heavy cream and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Mix the frosting with strawberry jam to taste. This is the fun part because you determine how much of a strawberry flavor you want. Just dont add too much jam or the frosting will lose some of its fluff. Spread the frosting on the cooled cupcakes and serve.

To increase the taste of the strawberry, I spread a little bit of the strawberry jam on top of the cupcakes before I frosted them.