23 Oct 2011 No Comments
Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream
I need to be open and honest about something; I’m not a great hostess. In truth it’s because I’ve never really hosted anything so I’m rusty, out of practice…those words imply I’d done it before and there had been a lapse since the last time. Let’s start over. I’m inadequate in the hosting department because I’ve never had the opportunity to host anything. This is the price I have paid for living in an apartment for the past ten years. Now that we’ve been blessed with huge new digs for a year, when the opportunity came up to host a baby shower for one of my favourite and funniest co-workers, I jumped at it.
It’s been awhile since my last post. My only excuse is that school is busy for teachers in September and October (not that it isn’t always) and I’ve been run-down. I’m sorry; It won’t happen again (until next September).
Since my entertaining chops were not where I wanted them to be, I decided to make up for my shortfalls by providing some kick-butt cupcakes for the crew to divulge in, hopefully erasing from their memories any semblance of “she’s clearly never done this before” and replacing those thoughts with “who cares if she’s never done this before, those cupcakes were flipping amazing!” I’m being over-dramatic as per usual but in all seriousness, I had high hopes for these Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream from the February 2009 issue of Martha Stewart Living. You can view the recipe in its entirety, HERE .
The worst part of baking cupcakes is without a doubt, waiting for them to cool so you can ice them. The icing was thick and luxurious while smooth with the exception of the small pieces of pureed strawberries. In an effort to make them really pretty I tried piping the icing onto the tops but failed miserably. The pieces of strawberry made it impossible to pass through the icing tip without air pockets and gaps in the icing. I guess Martha knew best when she (or her food stylists) dirty-iced theirs for the recipe photo shoot.
I used a large ice cream scoop to fill the muffin liners, and the recipe said it would yield 34 cupcakes but in reality made more like 42. We ate cupcakes for days; it was ludicrous. 
I’m from the east coast of Canada, where we know a little something about strawberry shortcake and hold it near and dear. The minute I started chopping strawberries for the batter, and pureeing strawberries for the icing, I started thinking about strawberry shortcake. As the Kitchen-Aid mixer did it’s thing, and the oven pre-heated, and I tried my best not to forget about the egg whites and sugar on the double-boiler, I had a thought; what if there was a cupcake that tasted exactly like strawberry shortcake, and wouldn’t that be the best thing since sliced bread?!
These cupcakes were a treat. Although time consuming to make which I did the day before the shower, they were absolutely delicious and tasted EXACTLY like the best strawberry shortcake; on a homemade biscuit, with a combination of pureed and chopped strawberries, and a scoop of whipped cream. I’d recommend this recipe to anyone looking to replicate the flavours and aromas of strawberry shortcake but looking for a more…shall we say, portable, alternative. Good on you, Martha! I’d make this one again.
Cheers,
Kristin
My name is Kristin and I've lived my entire life in Nova Scotia. I love to eat, especially when the food is local, organic and fresh. I believe that here on the East coast of Canada we have a multitude of delicious ingredients at our fingertips, and world-class chefs making incredible dishes with them, drawing from both local and international inspiration. That said, I like unpretentious eating that makes you lick your fingers and loosen your belt because that's the kind of food that makes me feel good. If you've got delicious eats, paired with a great Canadian craft beer and some good company then I'm there.