Super-Duper Strawberry Surprise Cupcakes

I came up with these creamy, dreamy, jam-filled, berry-licious treats because I wanted to make something NON-chocolate for Valentine's Day (crazy, I know!). Don't be frightened by the long directions; these cupcakes are quite easy to make. The batter is based on Kim D's Fresh Strawberry Cake. I hope you enjoy these as much as my BF and I did!

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 18

Ingredients

• FOR FROSTING

• 4  ounces cream cheese (light or regular)
• 2  tablespoons  softened butter
• 1  cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• FOR CUPCAKES

• 2  cups unbleached all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 2 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1⁄2 cup butter or 1⁄2 cup margarine, softened
• 1 1⁄2 cups sugar
• 2  eggs
• 1  teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3⁄4 cup  thawed and crushed frozen strawberries
• 1⁄2 cup  seedless strawberry jam

Directions

1. FROSTING:
2. Mix cream cheese, butter, and powdered sugar together with a hand-mixer on low speed until incorporated. Increase mixer speed to high and beat until light and fluffy (4-5 minutes) scraping down sides of bowl as necessary.
3. Lower mixer speed, add vanilla extract, then beat at high speed until fluffy. Refrigerate until somewhat stiff (can be made up to 3 days in advance).
4. CUPCAKES:
5. Preheat oven to 350F and prepare 18 muffin cups.
6. Sift flour, baking soda, and salt together.
7. In a separate large bowl, cream together butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract.
8. Beat for 3 minutes, frequently scraping the sides of the bowl.
9. Add the 1/3 of the dry mixture to the creamed mixture, then 1/3 of the strawberries; continue until all ingredients are mixed together.
10. Beat for 2 more minutes.
11. Fill each muffin cup 1/3 of the way with batter and spoon 1 tsp jam into each cup. Top with remaining batter.
12. Bake 20-25 minutes, until tester inserted into a cupcake comes out clean.
13. Turn out onto wire racks to cool.
14. When cooled completely, frost with cream cheese frosting.