Strawberry Filled Vanilla Cupcakes

So we decided to have a few friends over on Monday night for a cookout. They brought the steaks; we cooked the potatoes and corn. I know that they have a huge sweet tooth so I started rummaging around the kitchen looking for something to make for dessert. My eyes fell on a fresh quart of strawberries I had bought the day before. I had been thinking vanilla cupcakes but after seeing the strawberries I knew I wanted to incorporate them.

I decided to do a strawberry filled cupcake. I’ve never made a filled cupcake before but I had an idea of what I wanted to do. When I make baked goods, I like to substitute in applesauce for part of the oil/shortening to lighten up the recipe as well as to moisten the cakes. The end result was delicious! My husband said it was like eating mini strawberry shortcakes.

Strawberry Filling

8 oz. fresh strawberries, diced
4 T. sugar
1 T. lemon juice
2 t. cornstarch
1. Put all ingredients into a pan on the stove.

2. Bring to a boil over medium high heat.

3. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.

4. Remove from heat and cool in the refrigerator.

Vanilla Cupcakes

⅓ c. butter
⅓ c. applesauce
¾ c. sugar
1 egg
1 egg white
2 t. vanilla extract
1 ½ c. flour
½ t. baking powder
¼ t. salt
⅔ c. milk (I like to use 1% but use what you have in the kitchen)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake tin with papers.

2. In a medium bowl cream butter and sugar together. Add the egg and egg white and stir until well blended.

3. Stir in the applesauce and vanilla.

4. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Slowly pour into the butter mixture and mix well. Stir in milk.

5. Pour into cupcake tin until halfway full. Carefully drop in a heaping teaspoon of strawberry filling in the middle of the cupcake batter careful not to get any on the edge of the cupcake.

6. Slowly place another spoonful of batter on top of the filling making sure to completely cover the strawberry filling. Your cupcake tins should be three quarters of the way full.

7. Bake 22-24 minutes or until tops are just golden brown, or until a toothpick inserted into the cakes comes out clean.

8. Cool on a wire rack at least 15 minutes and then top with butter cream icing.

Butter Cream Icing

2 c. powdered sugar
6 T. butter
1 t. vanilla
1 t. meringue powder
3-4 T. milk
1. Stir together room temperature butter, vanilla, and meringue powder. Add powdered sugar a half cup at a time stirring after each addition.

2. Stir in milk 1 tablespoon at a time until your icing reaches desired consistency. Refrigerate until you are ready to use.
*Note-If your icing is too runny and won’t hold its shape, add powdered sugar until you achieve the desired consistency. *