Almond Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream
Makes 2 dozen cupcakes
1
hourButtery almond cake reminiscent of a wedding cake topped with sweet strawberry frosting. What a dream! Both the cake and frosting come together quickly, and cupcakes bake up in half that time of a cake. Dreamy!
This frosting gives big flavor from a tag team of extracts: Strawberry Extract and Raspberry Extract. Strawberries are known for being tough customers when it comes to big flavor. Raspberry Extract is your secret sauce when it comes to coaxing out all the berry goodness.
Ingredients
For the Cake:
2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 cup whole milk, room temp
6 large egg whites, room temp
1 Tbl Almond extract
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp Baker’s Salt
1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
For the Buttercream:
1 cup chopped strawberries
2 sticks softened butter
6 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 tsp Strawberry Extract
2 tsp Raspberry Extract
1 Tbl whole milk
pinch Baker’s Salt
Instructions
- Set oven rack in middle position. Heat oven to 350°F. Place cupcake liners in cupcake pan and spray the liners with nonstick spray.
- Pour milk, egg whites and extracts into 2-cup glass measure, and mix with fork until blended.
- Mix cake flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in bowl of electric mixer at slow speed. Add butter. Continue beating at slow speed until mixture resembles moist crumbs, with no powdery streaks.
- Add all but 1/2 cup of milk mixture to crumbs and beat at medium speed for 1 1/2 minutes. Add remaining 1/2 cup of milk mixture and beat 30 seconds more. Stop mixer and scrape sides of bowl. Return mixer to medium speed and beat 20 seconds longer.
- Divide batter evenly among cupcakes and smooth tops. Bake until thin skewer or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 15 to 22 minutes.
- For the frosting: Beat butter, powdered sugar, Strawberry Extract, Raspberry Extract, milk and salt in bowl of electric mixer at slow speed until sugar is moistened.
- Increase speed to medium and beat, stopping twice to scrape down bowl, until creamy and fluffy, about 1 min. Fold in the fresh Strawberries. Avoid overbeating, or frosting will be too soft to pipe. Add additional powdered sugar as needed to adjust the frosting.
- When the cupcakes are completely cool, frost the cupcakes with the buttercream.
