Back in the Day Monday

Summertime is here ya'll! Still not back in my routine yet but I'm loving all of this freedom. So what better way to pass the time than to bake? Strawberries are in season here in NC and I've tried to eat as many as possible. Gotta get them while the gettin's good! I've been eyeing a Strawberry Cupcake recipe from the Back in the Day Bakery in Savannah, GA, so when my big sister Lauren brought me a quart of strawberries Sunday, I knew it was time to try these babies out. I made a Wal-Mart trip beforehand to get some things I was out of and stopped by the Kitchen Gadgets isle - BIG mistake. I've always seen on other baking blogs where they use an ice cream scooper for the batter to make it easier to pour and more even cupcakes. So I picked on up, along with another 12 cup cupcake pan and a citrus zester.

Once I began to bake these, I was sure to follow the directions to a tee (Don't want another baking disaster) and was very disappointed when an extra half an egg yolk slipped in while I was separating my egg whites. But, these guys still turned out great! They came out of the oven just right but a few were still uneven (haven't mastered that ice cream scoop trick yet). I took it way back in the day and just greased my pan instead of using tins. While they were cooling, I made the frosting. The bits of fresh strawberries made it taste so good and my Mama really loved how light and fluffy the frosting was. By the time Mikey got a hold of one, he was in heaven. He raved all night about how great they were and how these "are going to make me famous." And he was sent home with 8 of them to share (or eat all by himself). This recipe is great for Spring/Summer and the fresh strawberries make them so tasty. Mikey really liked the cake consistency as it is more of a muffin texture than cake.

Another side note, I am really appreciative of everyone that has been so supportive in this venture and has encouraged me to actually do it - my sisters especially. While sitting at work Saturday, my sister Lindsay texts me a picture of Ah-Dorable Cheetah tins at Michael's and picked me up a few packs until I can get to a store (Kind of secluded from those types of places in the ol'BC....You're not in Orange County anymore). And she has began to pick the brain of her expert baker friend, Leanne (SHOUT OUT!) who has been so kind as to send me some of her favorite blogs & baking tips. Sunday night when I finally get home from a long weekend at the golf course, I have a package from my sister Ashely with the cutest Journal (pictured right) and a sweet note encouraging my blogging. And without Lauren's strawberries, these cupcakes would not have went down. I'm really excited to continue baking and sharing my cupcakes with others. If anyone else would like to have some the next few times I bake, please let me know. Mikey doesn't need 10 cupcakes every week ;)

Here's the recipe & Happy Baking Ya'll!

P.S. - Promise I'm working on getting a new camera soon. Cell Phone pics are NO GOOD.

Strawberry Cupcakes with Fresh Strawberry Frosting
from The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook
Adapted from Eat, Live, Run.
makes about 24 cupcakes
Ingredients:
for cupcakes—
3 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/3 cups pureed fresh strawberries (from about 2 cups whole strawberries—puree in a blender until smooth)
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp lemon zest
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
4 egg whites
for fresh strawberry frosting—
4 sticks unsalted butter, softened (1 pound)
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp sea salt (original recipe calls for fleur de sel, which you can find at specialty shops)
8 cups powdered sugar (from two 1-lb boxes)
1/2 cup pureed strawberries (about 1 cup whole strawberries)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line or grease 24 cupcake tins.
Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
Whisk together the pureed strawberries, lemon zest, milk and vanilla in another bowl. Also set aside.
Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and egg whites gradually, beating after each, until combined. Alternate between adding the dry ingredients and the wet strawberry ingredients to the butter mixture, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
Scoop batter into prepared cupcake tins, filling up 2/3 to 3/4 the way full.  Bake cupcakes for 25 minutes or until golden. Be sure to test using a toothpick to make sure they are completely done in the center. Let cool.
While the cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting! Beat the butter until creamy then add the powdered sugar, lemon juice, sea salt and pureed strawberries. Continue beating (ideally with an electric mixer but you can do this by hand if need be) until very light and fluffy.
Pipe or spread frosting on each cupcake. Enjoy!
Time:
2 hours (includes time to cool)