A simple Valentine's cupcake that brings out a subtle strawberry and lemon taste. Once you bite into it and get a taste of the filling, you will want seconds. If you have extra filling, buy some vanilla wafers and you have a second dessert!
Yield: 24 cupcakes
Time: 45 minutes
INGREDIENTS
Cupcakes
1 cup butter
2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp lemon zest
4 eggs
2 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp milk
2 Tbsp freshly-squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Filling
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, cold
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup chopped strawberries
Frosting
1 cup freeze-dried strawberries
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar
3–4 tbsp Bailey’s Strawberry and Cream
Fresh berries, for topping
INSTRUCTIONS
Cupcakes:
Preheat the oven to 350°F, and line a standard cupcake pan with paper liners.
In a small bowl, combine dry ingredients.
In a large bowl mix together butter, sugar, and lemon zest until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time till incorporated.
Add half the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix at medium speed. Then add sour cream, milk, and lemon juice and mix again.
Continue to add the rest of the dry ingredients. Scrape down the sides of the bowl after each new addition. Be careful to not over mix!
Evenly fill cupcake liners about ¾ full. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Filling:
Add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract to a large bowl.
Whip on high speed with the whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Don’t skimp on time, if you think it’s done go a touch longer. About 5 minutes.
Add the cream cheese and continue whipping until stiff peaks form.
Stir in the chopped strawberries.
Frosting:
Add the freeze-dried berries to a food processor, magic bullet, or anything on hand and grind into a powder. Try and make it as fine as possible, it’ll make piping it easier in the end. Set aside.
Add the butter to a large mixer bowl and mix until smooth.
Add about half of the powdered sugar, combine.
Add up to 3 tablespoons of Bailey’s Strawberry and Cream, mix until smooth.
Add the remaining powdered sugar, powdered berries and mix until well combined. Add additional Bailey’s Strawberry and Cream or milk, as needed to get the desired consistency.
To Assemble:
Once cupcakes are cooled, use a corer or a knife to cut out a hole in the middle of the cupcake.
Fill centers with the filling.
Pipe frosting onto cupcakes. Sprinkle additional freeze-dried strawberries on top or garnish with fresh strawberries… Enjoy!
