Strawberry Fluffy Cupcakes (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

→ Strawberry Paste

01 - 200g fresh strawberries, washed and halved (use 400g if you're making frosting too)

→ Cupcake Batter

02 - 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
03 - 160g of plain flour (all-purpose flour)
04 - A pinch (1/2 tsp) of salt
05 - Two large eggs (around 55g each), at room temp
06 - 160g superfine sugar (also called caster sugar)
07 - 135g whole milk (full cream milk)
08 - 40g unsalted butter, sliced into cubes
09 - 25g vegetable oil (canola oil works too)
10 - A dash (14g) of vanilla extract
11 - Optional: 2 drops of red food coloring gel

→ For Topping

12 - Half a batch of strawberry-flavored buttercream
13 - Fresh strawberries, halved after washing and drying

# Instructions:

01 - Cut the tops off your strawberries and chop them in half. Use a food processor to blend them completely until there are no chunks left.
02 - Pour the smooth strawberry mix into a big saucepan that doesn’t stick. Heat it on medium and stir constantly for about 5-10 minutes. It should get thicker, darker, and look a bit like jam. Let it cool in a bowl covered with cling film.
03 - Turn your oven to 120°C (250°F) and put the fan on, or set it to 140°C (285°F) without the fan. Pop white cupcake liners into the tray and put the rack in the middle.
04 - Stir together salt, flour, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Set the mix aside.
05 - Grab a big mixing bowl and use an electric mixer on medium-high to whisk the eggs for 1 minute. Slowly pour in the sugar while you keep mixing (about a minute). Beat it all for 6 minutes more until the mixture turns thick, light-colored, and looks three times bigger.
06 - Pour in half the dry mix and all the strawberry paste into the egg-sugar blend. Mix it gently on low speed until you can’t see the dry mix. Add the rest and mix again. A few lumps here and there are fine.
07 - Stir together milk and butter in a pan over medium heat until small bubbles show up around the edges or it reaches 60°C (140°F). Don’t let it boil!
08 - Pour half of the warmed-up milk mix into the batter along with the oil, vanilla, and food gel (if using). Mix gently, then add the rest of the milk and stir until it’s all smooth. Don’t worry, the batter will be runny.
09 - Scoop the batter into cupcake liners, leaving a bit of space at the top (filling about three-quarters full). Bake for 25 minutes, and press the tops lightly — they should bounce back. Put them on a cooling rack.
10 - While the cupcakes cool, whip up your strawberry buttercream using your favorite way.
11 - Use a piping bag with an open star nozzle to swirl frosting on top of each cupcake. Place a halved strawberry on each one for a cute finishing touch.

# Notes:

01 - You can make the strawberry paste a day or two early and keep it in the fridge.
02 - Turning the fan off while baking makes flatter cupcake tops.
03 - For an extra twist, pair this with some creamy Ermine frosting.
04 - Store cupcakes in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

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