Very Strawberry Cupcakes

My baby turned two years old this week!

So I made her these cupcakes because she's my cupcake.  She loved them.  Girl doesn't get sugar very often, and you don't want to get in between her and sugar when she does get the opportunity.

Plus, she's used to being the little...and she's getting ready to be the middle.

Oh my.  Bless her heart.



So about these cupcakes.  If you like very moist, very strawberry-y, very yummy cupcakes topped with very creamy, very pink and very cream-cheesy icing, you should make these ASAP.

Here's how I did it.  I adapted it from Paula Deen's strawberry cake...very similar, but I changed a few things, like making them into cupcakes!  I know, how did I ever come up with such a great idea.

There's a couple of steps, but they're easy.  And the results are more than worth it.

Put the cake mix, gelatin, water, vegetable oil and eggs in the bowl of a mixer.

And then put the (thawed) strawberries in the food processor.

Puree them with the juice of a lemon!

And then reserve 1/4 cup of the strawberry puree, because we'll need it for the icing in a minute.

Just like that.

Now add the rest of the strawberry puree to the mixer and beat the cupcake ingredients together.

When the cake is ready, prep your cupcake tins with liners, and fill the tins about 2/3 full.

Bake them until they are perfectly moist.

Let them cool while you work on the icing.  Beat together the remaining 1/4 cup strawberry puree, cream cheese and butter.

When that is creamy, add the powdered sugar and blend again.

Now we're ready to ice!

Everyone's got at least one Spring birthday in their family.  Make someone the best birthday cupcakes ever!

Very Strawberry Cupcakes
Adapted from Paula Deen
makes about 20-24 cupcakes, depending on size

Strawberry Cupcakes:
18.5 oz. white cake mix
3 oz. box strawberry-flavored instant gelatin
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
16 oz. container frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed and divided
Juice of a lemon
1 tsp vanilla extract

Strawberry-Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 oz. block cream cheese, at room temperature
4 T (1/2 stick) butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup strawberry puree from the 16 oz. container you used for the cupcakes
1 lb. powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, puree the strawberries with the lemon juice.  Reserve 1/4 cup of strawberry puree for the icing.

Combine the cake mix, gelatin, water, oil, eggs, vanilla and the remaining pureed strawberry mixture in the bowl of your stand mixer.  Mix on low speed for 30 seconds.  Stop and scrape the bowl, especially the bottom, well.  Beat on medium-high for two minutes.

Scoop batter into a muffin tin lined with cupcake liners.  You want to fill the cups about 2/3 full.  Bake on 350 for 12-14 minutes, until just done.  Cool to room temperature before frosting.

For the icing, blend the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and strawberries together until smooth.  Add the powdered sugar and blend again until smooth.  Frost cupcakes generously.  I like to use a medium-sized scoop to put a scoop of icing on top of each cupcake, then spread it on top of the cupcake just a little bit.  It's the perfect amount of frosting.