Strawberry Red Velvet Cupcakes

Whether you love Valentine’s Day or dread it, you have to admit it’s a great day for food. One of my favorite V-day memories as a kid was waking up to a festive basket of candies, heart-shaped pancakes, and pink smoothies before school. I had no significant other and only a kind girlfriend to buy me one of those school fundraiser carnations, but I always felt excited to celebrate anyways. Whether you’re celebrating with a special person, a friend, or in quarantine on your own, I hope your Valentine’s Day is filled with lots of red, pink, and strawberry red velvet cupcakes. 

Strawberry Red Velvet Cupcakes

Makes 11 cupcakes

Cupcakes:

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temp.

• 1 Tbsp cocoa powder

• 3/4 cups granulated sugar

• 1 egg

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/2 Tbsp red gel food coloring

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 1-1/4 cups flour

• 1/2 cup whole buttermilk

• 1/2 Tbsp white vinegar

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 4 oz. cream cheese, room temp.

• 1/2 cup butter, room temp.

• 2-1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

• 1 tsp clear vanilla

• 2 Tbsp strawberry jam

• 1/2 cup freeze-dried strawberries, crushed

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.

• Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt and set aside.
  In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the egg and vanilla. Mix in the cocoa powder, followed by the food coloring. 

• Mix in half the dry ingredients until just combined, then mix in half the buttermilk. Add the rest of the dry ingredients, again mixing until just combined. Stir the vinegar into the remaining buttermilk and add to the batter. 

• Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake 20 min or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool completely.

• For the frosting, beat together the cream cheese and butter. Add the vanilla. While beating, slowly add the powdered sugar until combined. Mix in the jam and dried strawberries and pipe onto cupcakes.

http://ginachongblog.com/2016/02/02/strawberry-red-velvet-cupcakes/