Food with JP Passion: Sensational Strawberries & Cream Cup Cakes
By JP Kennedy
Strawberries and Cream always summon up the greatest summer memories and with strawberries now readily available all year round, to me, they are the quintessential summer fruit for delicious summer desserts.
Also perfect for this time of year with Wimbledon just around the corner – I’m a huge tennis fan and these cupcakes are going to feature a lot this summer for many family celebrations. I made them over the weekend for my brother’s birthday and they went down a storm.
The cupcakes are light and fluffy and the icing – well what can I say - is simply out of this world.
Really quick and easy to make but incredibly delicious I guarantee if you make these for family and friends this summer you will get rave reviews!
Ingredients: (Makes 9 generous cupcakes)
Cupcakes
- 175 self-raising flour
- 1 teaspoon good vanilla extract
- 110 castor sugar
- 110 softened unsalted butter
- 2 large eggs
- 50 ml milk
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Icing
- 275 castor sugar
- 150g softened unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons good strawberry Jam
- 200g fresh strawberries halved
Method:
1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees / 350F / Gas Mark 4 and line your baking tray with cupcake cases.
2. In a large mixing bowl add all the dry ingredients; make a well in the centre, break in the eggs and add the butter.
3. Use an electric mixer to combine all the ingredients to make a smooth batter. Then add in milk and combine everything together.
4. Divide evenly between the cupcake cases and pop into the oven and bake for 15 – 20 minutes until firm and light brown on top.
5. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before applying the icing. To make the icing beat the butter and vanilla extract together then gradually add the icing sugar until the mixture is nice and smooth.
6. Finally add the strawberry jam and mix together to get a rippled effect.
7. You can pipe on top of the cupcakes or use a spatula to lather each cup cake with the icing and pop half a fresh strawberry on top – Serve and enjoy!
My family who road tested these cupcakes over the weekend said they are the best they ever tasted, and I have ever made so that’s a real compliment!
I know for sure that I will be returning to this recipe over and over again especially during the summer months when strawberries are at their very best.
I promise if you give this delicious recipe a go your family and friends will love you all the more for it! Combination of strawberries and vanilla cream frosting are a match made in heaven – Enjoy y’all!
