I think I'm addicted...to cupcakes!

I think my love of cupcakes has gone too far!  I made the chocolate cream ones the other day, and yesterday I came up with a creative concoction all my own!  I had some strawberries that were needing to be used, and thought a strawberry cream filled cupcake would be delicious!  Let's just say my first attempt at a filling was a disaster.  I thought I would use strawberry Jello as a base, and add cream cheese and cream. I tried that, and ended up with congealed putty!  So back to the kitchen I went and dreamed up my next try.

I love vanilla pudding, and it would be a great consistency and not turn to putty.  Strawberries would blend with the vanilla for a delicious filling. Ding, Ding, Ding...we have a winner!  Pickles asked for the leftover filling to eat for her dessert!  This was delicious on it's own, but even better when filled in a tender, moist, delicate cupcake.  So, I will call this a Strawberry Shortcake Cupcake!

Don't be intimidated by the fact that everything is made from scratch.  This recipe went together easily and would make a great introduction to scratch baking. I didn't have all the sour cream the original recipe called for, and substituted half of the sour cream with real mayonnaise.  I know, weird.  This turned out to be a fabulous surprise ingredient that yielded a wonderfully tender and moist cupcake! 

If you try this cupcake, please let me know how it turns out!

Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes

Cake:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick of butter, softened
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1.  Adjust oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 12 cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.

2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Mix well.  Beat in the butter, sour cream, mayonnaise, eggs and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium speed until sooth and satiny, about 30 seconds.  Scrape bowl with a rubber spatula to make sure batter is well combined.

3.  Using an ice cream scoop, portion the batter into each muffin cup.  Bake  until the tops are pale golden yellow and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool thoroughly before filling.  While the cupcake are baking, make the filling.

4.  When the cupcakes are cool, remove a core from the cupcakes. See illustration below.  Add 1 tablespoon of filling and replace the top.  Frost the cupcake with buttercream frosting and garnish with strawberry pieces.

Filling:
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon corn starch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup strawberries finely chopped

1.  In a small saucepan whisk together sugar, corn starch and salt.  Add milk and cook over medium heat until mixture thickens.  Whisk egg yolk, and add a small amount of hot milk mixture, whisking constantly.  Return egg mixture to the remainder of milk mixture in the pan and return to a boil.  Boil over medium heat for 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla.  Stir well, and refrigerate to cool to room temperature.  Stir in strawberries and return to refrigerator until ready to use.

Buttercream Frosting:

1/4 cup butter, softened

3 cups powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 to 3 tablespoons milk

Cream together butter and powdered sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed.  Add vanilla and milk.  Continue mixing until creamy and smooth.  You might want to adjust the milk if necessary to reach a spreadable consistency.

How to fill the cupcakes:1. Insert the tip of a paring knife at a 45-degree angle about 1/4 inch from the edge of the cupcake. Cut out and remove the cake cone.

2. Cut off all but the top 1/4 inch of the cone, leaving a circular disc of cake. Discard—better yet, eat!—the bottom of the cone.

3. Using a spoon, fill each cupcake with the marshmallow mixture and then top with the reserved cake "plug."

4. Spread the cooled glaze over the cupcake, concealing the cut-out top. Once the glaze has set, pipe on a curlicue using the reserved marshmallow filling.