Sweet Strawberry Cupcakes

Yummy white cake cupcakes with the tastiest strawberry frosting ever! This recipe is from the Cupcake Cookbook by Catherine Herman and Laurence Sombke. They are WONDERFUL cooks!

• Ready In: 50 mins
• Serves: 24
• Yields: 24 cupcakes

Ingredients

• 2  cups cake flour (remove 2 1/2 tbsp. if using regular flour)
• 2  teaspoons baking powder
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 lb butter
• 1 1⁄3 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2⁄3 cup milk
• 4  egg whites

• Frosting

• 4  tablespoons butter
• 2  cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 1⁄4 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1  teaspoon lemon juice (may be left out for a less tart taste)
• 1⁄3 cup  fresh pureed strawberry

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line 24 muffin cups/pans with cupcake liners.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. In a larger bowl, cream the butter until smooth and light wiith an electric mixer. Gradually add 1 cup of the sugar, mixing until fluffy.
5. Mix the vanilla and milk. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the milk beating until smooth after each addition.
6. Using clean beaters and a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff, then gradually beat in the remaining 1/3 cup of sugar. Fold the mixture into the cake batter. Scoop the batter in to the cupcake pan (about 1/4 cup of batter or fill the cup 2/3 full).
7. Bake 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clear and the cake springs back when pressed gently in the center. Remove from over and let cool for 5 minutes before removing cupcakes from pan.
8. Strawberry frosting:.
9. In a medium bowl cream the butter until soft with an electric mixer. Gradually add 1 cup of the sugar creaming until fluffy. Beat in the vanilla.
10. Then, add the lemon juice (can be left out).
11. Add the remaining sugar alternately with the strawberry puree beating after each addition until smooth.
12. Frost cupcakes once thoroughly cooled (if they are still a tad warm the frosting will melt).