½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1½ cups sugar
2 large eggs
¼ cup milk (any kind)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon strawberry extract (if available)
Fresh Strawberry Frosting:
2 oz hulled fresh strawberries, coarsely chopped (about ⅓ cup chopped strawberries, lightly packed)
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla bean paste (or pure vanilla extract)
½ teaspoon strawberry extract (if available)
⅛ teaspoon coarse sea salt
1¼ lbs powdered (confectioner’s) sugar
1-3 teaspoons milk (any kind)
Instructions
For the cupcakes, preheat oven to 350F and line cupcake tins with paper liners.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl and set aside. Puree the strawberries in a blender or food processor (you will get about 1¼ cups of strawberry liquid); set aside.
Cream together the butter and sugar, then cream in the eggs. Mix in the milk, vanilla extract, strawberry extract, and pureed strawberries. Use a wooden spoon to stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients all at once, stirring just enough to combine and being careful not to over-mix.
Pour the batter into the prepared cupcake wells (filling each about ½ to ⅔ of the way full) and bake until a toothpick inserted inside comes out clean, about 20 to 24 minutes. Cool completely before frosting with Fresh Strawberry Frosting.
For the frosting, puree the strawberries in a blender or food processor (you will get about 6 tablespoons of strawberry liquid). Use a handheld electric mixer to beat together the strawberry puree, butter, vanilla bean paste, strawberry extract, and sea salt. Gradually beat in the sugar until it’s all incorporated, adding 1 teaspoon of milk at a time as necessary (you may not need all the milk).
Frost the cupcakes once they're cooled.
Recipe by An Edible Mosaic™ at https://www.anediblemosaic.com/fresh-strawberry-cupcakes-with-fresh-strawberry-frosting/