Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup butter or shortening (I uses 1/4 cup of each)
- 1 1/2 cup sugar (I decreased significantly from Mom’s original recipe)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (use good quality vanilla!)
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/3 cup sour milk (1 1/3 tablespoon vinegar + enough 1% milk to make 1 1/3 cups)
- 30 small-medium fresh strawberries washed and dried
- FROSTING
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 ounces 1/3-reduced fat cream cheese
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon beet juice for pink color
Instructions
- Place 30 paper cupcake liners in muffin pans.
- Stir together flour, powder, soda and salt; set aside.
- In large mixing bowl beat shortening/butter with electric mixer for 30 seconds. Add sugar and vanilla; beat till well combined. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each.
- Add dry ingredients, alternately with sour milk, beating on low speed after each addition just till combined (I often use a wooden spoon because it gets less spatters around my kitchen.)
- Place 1 tablespoon batter in bottom of cupcake liner; place 1 strawberry on top. Top with 1-1 1/2 batter.
- Bake in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Do not overbake! Cool in pans for 10 minutes.
- For FROSTING: Using an electric mixer, cream together butter and cream cheese for 2 minutes. Mix in powdered sugar and vanilla and beet juice. Lightly frost completely cooled cupcakes