Strawberry Cupcakes for Memo and Millie

Last month I had the pleasure of helping to host a baby shower for my best friend Memo and her baby Millie that is going to be born in May! Memo LOVES cupcakes, so I knew they were a must for her shower. There is a local bakery here called Edgar's that makes a strawberry cake that is AMAZING, quite possibly the best cake you will ever taste in your life in my humble opinion. I set out to make a copy cat version. Edgar's magic is in their delicious icing and I cannot claim to have recreated it, but I do think this comes in a close second. It took me three tries, but the third time's the charm! The pink color is perfect to celebrate the birth of a baby girl and the consistency is just right for piping into a nice swirl on top.


Strawberry Cupcakes
recipe from the book Cupcakes from the Cake Mix Doctor by Anne Byrn

24 paper cupcake liners
1 package plain white cake mix
1 package (3 oz) strawberry jello
1 cup finely chopped strawberries with juice
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs

1. Preheat oven to 350 F and place liners in pans.
2. Mix the cake mix, jello, strawberries, milk, oil and eggs with mixer on low (be sure and scrape sides and bottom of bowl) and then increase to medium for 2 minutes. Place about 1/3 cup of batter in each cupcake cup.
3. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, until lightly golden. Cool on wire rack before icing.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Icing
recipe from Glorioustreats.blogspot.com

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups powdered confectioners sugar
2 Tbsp strawberry preserves
red food coloring

1. Use mixer to blend butter and cream cheese.
2. Add vanilla extract and powdered sugar. Mix on medium speed til fluffy.
3. Mix in preserves and red food coloring with medium speed til it is the desired color.