One Year Old

I used to be a nanny for one of the sweetest little girls I have ever met. This little peach just stole my heart. Well this sweet little girl just turned one year old and her mama asked me to bake some sweets for her party. I asked her what the theme was and she told me "Strawberry Shortcake!”

I decided to make strawberry cupcakes with strawberry frosting. I’m not going to lie, when I was a young lass my choice for birthday treat was always strawberry shortcake, so perhaps I was being a little selfish here. Just a little.

I found a recipe for vanilla cake and strawberry frosting, tested it out (my husband’s coworkers are always happy for “tests” or “rejects”), made some adjustments and decided on a recipe that I was happy with.

I found that they don’t really stay well though. They are definitely best the day they’re baked. They get dense otherwise.

Makes 12 cupcakes
Ingredients

FOR THE CUPCAKES

2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder 
3/4 teaspoons salt 
1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla 
1/4 cups whole milk
1/3 cup pureed fresh strawberries

FOR THE FROSTING

6 Tablespoons pureed fresh strawberries (approximately 1/2 cup whole strawberries)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, firm and slightly cold 
3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
Pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preparation Instructions

For Cupcakes:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.

With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar on high until light and fluffy. Scrape sides of bowl and mix for a few more seconds.

Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla. Mix to combine. Add strawberry puree and mix to combine.

Alternate adding dry ingredients and milk, mixing for a few seconds after each addition.

Scrape sides of bowl, then mix one final time.

Fill paper-lined muffin tins 3/4 full with batter.

Bake for 20 to 22 minutes. Cool completely before icing.

For the Frosting:

Place strawberries in the bowl of a food processor. Process until pureed.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy.

Reduce mixer speed and slowly add confectioners' sugar. Beat until well combined.

Add vanilla and strawberry puree. I like a light and airy frosting, I let the mixer go for a good 2 or 3 minutes. I like it fluffy, if you don’t, don’t mix it as long.

Frost the cupcakes when they have fully cooled. If you like to pipe, pipe! If not, don’t! I used these little pearls I found to add a little glam.

The frosting was the winner at the party. Everyone loved the intense strawberry flavor!

For my sweet little Cosette, happy birthday. I hope your first year has been a happy one. Please, for me, stop growing up so fast.