Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes

September is a busy birthday month for me, because all of my siblings celebrate their birthdays during this month! Hooray for birthdays--and hooray for birthday cupcakes!

My brother, Daniel, kicks off the month with a birthday on the 4th, followed by his wife Mattie, my sister-in-law, whose birthday is ten days later on the 14th! My youngest brother, Joe, celebrates HIS birthday next, on the 15th, and my sister Lydia rounds out the month with a birthday on the 18th. There were some big birthdays, too--Mattie is 25, Lydia is 21, and Joe is 18!!

Whew! So busy! Because Daniel and Mattie don't live in Texas anymore, I could only celebrate their birthdays with them over the phone and by text message; but I can always bake and blog about it so that they know they are loved, remembered, and appreciated on their special days. Love you guys! :)

As for the siblings who DO still live in Texas, well--they received these Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes last night--and they were quite thrilled. As I was making these cupcakes for a young, healthy, non-diabetic audience, I followed the recipe as posted; so be forewarned: this is not a healthy cupcake! It's delicious, though :) Cupcakes adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction; strawberry whipped cream from Cupcake Project.

Ingredients:

Cupcakes:

• 1 and 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 2 egg whites
• 1/4 cup yogurt 
• 3/4 cup milk 
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Strawberry Filling

• 2 cups diced strawberries (about 10 medium strawberries finely diced)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 Tablespoons cornstarch 

Strawberry Whipped Cream

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 4 tablespoons strawberry puree

Directions:

Make the strawberry filling first. Place the strawberries in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly for about 4 full minutes until the strawberry juices have been released. Add the sugar and cornstarch and continue to stir for another 2 minutes. The mixture will be much thicker. Remove from heat and allow to cool as you prepare the cupcakes. 

Make the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350. Line muffin tin with cupcake liners (recipe will yield 12-15 cupcakes). Set aside. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt butter in the microwave. Stir in sugar, then add egg whites, yogurt, milk, and vanilla extract until combined.

Slowly mix dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until no lumps remain. Batter will be thick. Divide batter among cupcake liners and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before filling and frosting. 

Fill the cupcakes: Using a sharp knife, cut a circle/hole into the center of the cupcake to create a little pocket about 1/2 inch deep. Place 1 teaspoon of strawberry filling inside and top with the piece of cupcake you removed to seal. See photos above. Repeat with all cupcakes.

For the strawberry whipped cream: whip cream until it forms soft peaks, but is not stiff. (Basically, until it looks like whipped cream--about 5 or so minutes) Mix in sugar. Fold in strawberries until just combined. Be sure to frost your cupcakes before you eat all of the strawberry whipped cream... :)

Nutrition Facts-- Servings: 15 • Size: 1 cupcake • Calories: 251 • Fat: 9.5 g • Cholesterol: 28 mg • Carbs: 38.7 g • Fiber: .7 g  • Protein: 2.9 g • Sugars: 26.5 g