Blushing Strawberry Cupcakes

By á-174535

These beautiful strawberry cupcakes are so simple to make! They're the perfect choice for Valentine's Day, Easter, July 4th, or any other special occasion shared with friends and family.

Ingredients

• FROSTING:
• 1 pound strawberries, washed and hulled
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 (18.25-ounce) box white cake mix
• 3 egg whites
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 2 egg whites
• 1 cup sugar
• Reserved strawberry puree
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Red food coloring

Preparation

Step 1

CUPCAKES:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 (24-count) mini muffin tins with paper liners.

Reserve about 12 small strawberries for garnish, slicing each into 4 slices. In a blender, combine the remaining strawberries with 1/4 cup water and puree until smooth. Puree should equal about 1 3/4 cups, if not add more water. Set aside 1/4 cup of the puree for frosting.

In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together the cake mix, egg whites, vegetable oil, and 1 1/2 cups of pureed strawberries for 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure all the batter is well incorporated. Using a mini ice-cream scoop, fill the muffin tins about 3/4 of the way to the top. Bake until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the tins from the oven and cool slightly before removing the cupcakes. Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

FROSTING:
Rest a heat-safe mixing bowl over a pot of boiling water. In the bowl, combine all of the frosting ingredients except the vanilla and food coloring. Beat with hand mixer on medium speed, while mixture cooks, until peaks are formed when the beaters are lifted out of the bowl, about 7 minutes. Remove the bowl from the heat and add vanilla and red food coloring to the desired pink shade. Frost the cooled cupcakes with the colored frosting and garnish each with a strawberry slice.