Easter Love

Psst! Hey guys, can you keep a secret?
I'm in love.
With my camera. And these cupcakes.

These are strawberry cupcakes with incredible marshmallow frosting. With a peep on top!

Delicious. I don't think I'll ever make another frosting. This is THE ONE. And one of the best parts is no butter required!

And this camera? No words. I love it.

Strawberry Cupcakes
Adapted from Krissy's Creations
I doubled the original recipe, which turned out: 2 dozen regular cupcakes, 1 dozen mini cupcakes, and one 2-layer 6" cake (which would probably be 3 dozen cupcakes if I'd stuck with reg size)
Ingredients:
Strawberries- 2 cups, pureed into 1 cup (frozen is fine, but thaw them first!)
Milk- 2/3 c
Vanilla extract- 1 tbsp+1 tsp
All-purpose flour- 3 c
Baking powder- 2 tsp
Salt- 1/2 tsp
Unsalted butter- 1 c (2 sticks), room temp
Sugar- 2 c
Eggs- 4
Pink food coloring (optional)
Directions:
1. Puree the strawberries using a food processor. Pour into a bowl, then add milk and vanilla. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl (stand mixer is best), beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time until incorporated.
4. Gradually add 1/2 flour mix with mixer on low speed. Once combined, beat in milk mixture, then remaining flour. Add pink food coloring if you'd like :)
5. Fill cupcake liners about 3/4 full (they don't rise very much).
6. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, or until the tester comes out clean. If making a 6" cake, you'll need to leave it in for around 45 minutes (but keep a close eye on it!).
Cool completely before frosting.

This little piggy spatula went wee-wee-wee all the way home!

Fluffy Cloud Marshmallow Frosting
Courtesy of Bless this Mess
I doubled the recipe, but I had a lot left over. You'd most likely be fine with one batch.
Ingredients:
Egg whites- 2, at room temp
Salt- 1/4 tsp
Sugar- 1/4 c
Light corn syrup- 3/4 c
Vanilla extract- 1 tsp (I used Wilton's clear extract because I wanted pure white frosting)
Directions:
1. Prep your stand mixer bowl- pour a little lemon juice on a paper towel and wipe down.
2. Whisk egg whites and salt on high speed until foamy. Slowly add the sugar while keeping it at high speed.
3. Bring corn syrup to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Keep mixer going at high speed, and sloowwwly pour in corn syrup.
4. Beat until stiff peaks form, ~5 minutes. Add vanilla and mix to combine.

ASSEMBLY!
Use the frosting IMMEDIATELY. I used an extra large round frosting tip, then topped each regular-sized cupcake with a Peep. For the mini cupcakes, I sprinkled sanding sugar on top.

Happy, Happy Easter!

There will be more Easter treat fun coming soon :)