Monday, June 24, 2013

I'm Back!! {&Strawberry White Chocolate Cupcakes!}


I am finally back after being gone for WAY longer then I thought I would. We are officially all moved into our new home and things have settled down...a little. We still have plenty of unpacking, organizing and decorating to do!


In the quick 3 weeks we've been in this house we have had a lot happen. We celebrated our first anniversary and Father's day, decided to really get our businesses started and I've managed to sneak in lots of baking!! A few batches of cupcakes, a banana cake, and a rhubarb pie! Today I am going to share my favorite cupcake recipe from the few I tried.




Strawberry White Chocolate. Just the name makes my mouth water. I heard from a few people that they tasted exactly like strawberry ice cream and I definitely agree with it! They were absolutely delish! This recipe is also perfect for this time of year because strawberries are in season! They are available in every stand at the farmer's market or you can go pick-your-own at one of the many farms in the area. The pick-your-own is my favorite, they always seem to taste so much better when you do all the work! We will be heading to one of these farms this week to do some picking and I am so looking forward to making some freezer jam too.

Now go get some of those fresh local strawberries and whip up this recipe now! You won't be disappointed,  I promise!



recipe adapted from yourcupofcake.com

Vanilla Cake:
1 box white cake mix
4 egg whites
1/3 cup oil
3/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon vanilla
 
 
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line pans with cupcake liners.  
2. In a large bowl, gently whisk eggs whites, oil, buttermilk, sour cream and vanilla extract.
3. Add cake mix and stir until combined.
4. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until and inserted knife comes out clean.


 
 
White Chocolate Ganache:
1/2-1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips
1/4 cup heavy cream
 
1. Place chocolate chips is a heat proof bowl and set aside.
2. On the stove top, heat heavy cream just until bubbles form around the edges (don't let it boil)
3. Pour it over the chocolate chips and whisk until smooth. (Depending on your brand of chocolate chips, you may need to add a couple more if it's too thin.)


Strawberry Buttercream:
(This is not the recipe that was used with the recipe above, I used my own!)

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature (no preference between salted or unsalted)
3 Tablespoons strawberry puree
1 teaspoon vanilla
3-5 cups powdered sugar

1. Beat butter for 2 minutes.
2. Add vanilla extract and pureed strawberries.
3. Slowly add powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency.

To assemble cupcakes dip completely cooled cupcakes in white chocolate ganache. Set the cupcakes aside and let the ganache set for a few minutes then pipe on your strawberry buttercream. Top with thinly sliced strawberries and enjoy!