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Valentine’s Day Cupcakes

Delicious and festive cupcakes featuring a tender vanilla sponge infused with real strawberry puree, topped with creamy frosting perfect for celebrating love.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 22 minutes
Total Time 32 minutes
Servings: 12 cupcakes
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 280
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cupcake batter
  • 1.5 cups 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 0.75 cups 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1.5 teaspoons 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 0.25 teaspoons 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 0.5 cups 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened 1 stick
  • 2 large 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 0.5 cups 1/2 cup milk, room temperature
  • 0.5 cups 1/2 cup fresh strawberries, pureed and strained
Cream cheese frosting
  • 8 oz 8 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 0.25 cups 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 cups 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 0.5 teaspoon 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt
  • Optional: a few drops of pink gel food coloring and heart sprinkles

Method
 

Preparation
  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
Making the Batter
  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt until evenly mixed.
  2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar with a mixer on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
  3. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, and mix in vanilla extract until smooth.
  4. With the mixer on low, alternate adding flour and milk: add one-third of the dry mixture, half the milk, another third of dry, remaining milk, and finish with the last dry ingredients. Mix only until combined, do not overmix.
  5. Gently fold in strawberry puree until streaks of pink are evenly distributed.
Baking
  1. Fill muffin liners two-thirds full and bake at 350°F for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Frosting
  1. Transfer cupcakes to a cooling rack and let cool completely before frosting.
  2. While cooling, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth, then add powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Optionally, add pink gel food coloring.
  3. Pipe or spread frosting on cooled cupcakes and decorate.

Notes

Use room-temperature ingredients for even mixing. Don't overmix once flour is added; overworking the batter makes cupcakes dense. For a deeper strawberry flavor, fold in 1/4 cup finely chopped strawberries along with the puree. Freeze fresh strawberries for puree if out of season.