Ingredients
Strawberry Paste
- 200 g strawberries (cleaned and halved)
Cupcake Batter
- 160 g all-purpose flour (plain flour)
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 large eggs (55g each, room temperature)
- 160 g caster sugar / superfine sugar
- 135 g milk (full fat)
- 40 g unsalted butter (cubed)
- 25 g vegetable oil (canola oil recommended)
- 14 g vanilla extract
- 2 drops red food gel (optional)
Decoration
- 1/2 batch strawberry buttercream (recipe referenced separately)
- Strawberries (cleaned, dried and halved, for decorating)
Instructions
- Prepare Strawberry Paste: Clean the strawberries, remove tops, and slice in half. Add them to a food processor and puree until completely smooth with no lumps. Pour the puree into a non-stick saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for 5 to 10 minutes until it thickens, darkens in color, and reduces from 200g to about 50g. Cool to room temperature or refrigerate for up to 2 days before using.
- Preheat Oven and Prep Pan: Preheat your oven to 150°C (300°F) with the fan off, or 130°C (265°F) if your oven uses a fan. Use cupcake liners in a cupcake tray and place the oven rack in the middle position for even baking.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt until well combined. Set aside.
- Beat Eggs and Sugar: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer on medium-high speed to beat the eggs for 1 minute until frothy. Gradually add the sugar over about 1 minute while continuing to beat. Continue beating for an additional 6 minutes until the mixture is pale, thick, and has tripled in size.
- Add Dry Ingredients and Strawberry Paste: Add half of the dry mixture and the strawberry paste to the egg mixture, mixing on low speed just until combined. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix again gently. The batter will be thick and may have small lumps; avoid overmixing.
- Heat Milk and Butter: In a saucepan over medium heat, warm the milk and butter, stirring constantly until it reaches about 60°C (140°F) or small bubbles appear at the edges. Do not let it boil.
- Add Wet Ingredients to Batter: Pour half of the warm milk and butter mixture into the batter along with the vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and optional red food gel. Mix on low speed until combined. Add the rest of the milk mixture and mix again until smooth. The batter should be thin enough to flow in a thin ribbon when poured into the cupcake liners.
- Bake Cupcakes: Fill cupcake liners just above 3/4 full using an ice cream scoop or two spoons. Bake for 25 to 27 minutes until the tops bounce back when lightly pressed. Remove from oven and transfer cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make Frosting and Decorate: While cupcakes cool, prepare strawberry buttercream frosting as desired. Using a piping bag fitted with an open star tip, frost each cupcake with a swirl of strawberry buttercream. Garnish each with a halved strawberry on top for a fresh finish.
Notes
- If making strawberry frosting, double the strawberries to 400g for the paste and cook longer until thick jam consistency is achieved.
- Using fan off in the oven helps cupcakes bake flatter without cracks.
- Ensure strawberry paste is fully cooled before adding to batter to avoid affecting egg mixture consistency.
- Avoid overmixing batter to maintain cupcake lightness and prevent toughness.
- Milk and butter must be warm but not boiling when added to batter to incorporate smoothly.
- Strawberries should be thoroughly cleaned and dried before decorating to prevent sogginess.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert > Cupcakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
