Impossibly moist strawberry cupcakes with an extra creamy, cream cheese frosting. These “pull-apart” cupcakes are the perfect canvas for your festive Memorial Day embellishments!
Red and blue beries will make this an IG worthy dessert. You GO, you rad baker!
Wait a second, you think you’re NOT a baker?
I hear it ALL the time. Truth is, EVERYONE can bake. No exceptions!
A few simple rules to follow make all the difference.
Perfectly risen, perfectly moist cupcakes (or muffins, cakes, you name it!)…
With a perfect “crumb” – that’s baker’s speak for the texture of the baked good.
See what just happened there? We’re talking CRUMB!
When you can talk the talk, you can walk the walk!
Exuding BAKING CONFIDENCE… you’re halfway there! ?
The other half is following a few simple guidelines. Check out these tips below, and watch my Key Lime Kids video with Lucy!
Rules to good baking:
- Start with room temperature ingredients. If your butter is too cold it will never cream properly, and if you add cold eggs to your softened room temperature butter, it will seize up (getting cold again) and not mix properly.
- Measure correctly. Spoon your flour into the cups and level with a knife. Too much flour = dry baked goods! Then whisk your dry ingredients to ensure even distribution of the leavening.
- Scrape your bowl often to ensure the batter gets mixed evenly.
- Don’t overmix after you add the flour. The gluten will develop and result in a tough instead of tender crumb.
Want an incredible way to put your skills to practice? These Strawberry Cupcakes are one of my favorites! I’ve had these beauties in my back pocket for almost two years, just waiting for the absolute right time to post.
And here it IS, Memorial Day weekend, the kick off to summer! So easy, so pretty, so festive!
Pull-Aparts are super fun! The frosting here is so thick that when you place the cupcakes close together, you can frost them like one big cake. And the icing won’t push through the cracks.
Now you can layer the berries to look like the stars and stripes! What a great way to show our patriotic colors for Mem. Day, the 4th of July, Labor Day, or any day!
Have a happy holiday weekend!
We’ve got so much more fun in store. If you are new to Key Lime Lexi and don’t yet receive my emails with new recipes and ideas for better living, scroll to the bottom of this page and SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss out.
Baker’s Note:
I also make these as stand-alone cupcakes. They’re just the thing for birthdays, baby showers, or any ol’ day that you’ve got the need for cupcakes ?.
To add a pretty pink hue to the cream cheese icing, I’ll mix in some leftover strawberry puree to the frosting for extra berry blast, and frost them individually.
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Who’s ready for some fun?
So as a reminder, here’s how it works. Watch this short 6 min. video ? where one of my kids helps me demonstrate a kitchen technique, then we use it to make a YUMMY recipe!
VIDEO WILL BE ENJOYED BY KIDS AND ADULTS, ALIKE.
** This is part of the special Key Lime KIDS series, designed to help families during these challenging times by providing entertaining and engaging activities to do at home.
Subscribe to the full Key Lime Kids series on YouTube.
Our goal is to help as many families as possible with our Key Lime KIDS project, so please share this with a friend.
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Pull-Apart Strawberry Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 6-8 strawberries hulled and halved if large
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- ¼ cup whole milk at room temperature
For the Frosting:
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature (1 ½ sticks)
- 12 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
- 3 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- pinch of salt
- Blueberries and strawberries for decorating
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with cupcake liners and set aside.
- Make the strawberry puree. Place the strawberries in a blender or processor and puree until liquified. You should have between ⅓ and ½ cup puree and will need ⅓ cup for the cake.
- In a stand mixer, combine the softened butter and the sugar and beat with the paddle attachment until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides to make sure they are fully incorporated. Mix in the vanilla.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the milk and ⅓ cup strawberry puree. Alternate adding the flour and milk mixture to the mixer, starting and ending with the flour. Be careful not to over mix, but ensure that the batter is well combined.
- Scoop into the muffin tins and bake about 15-20 minutes until springy to the touch (a toothpick will come out clean). Cool completely on racks before frosting.
For the frosting:
- In a stand mixer, or using hand held beaters, cream the butter and cream cheese together with the salt until light and fluffy. Add the powder sugar ½ cup at a time, then beat in the vanilla.
To decorate the cupcakes:
- Place the cupcakes as close as possible on a serving platter in a rectangular shape (3X4 cupcakes). Dollop large spoonfuls of the frosting around the top of the cupcakes, and using an offset spatula or large butter knife, spread the frosting in a thick layer over the cupcakes. Use the side of the spatula or knife along the edges to make sure it looks like a rectangular shape.
- Top the upper left corner with blueberries, and then lay sliced strawberries in rows to resemble the stripes on a flag.
Tips & Tricks
- If making these ahead, keep refrigerated. These are best served at room temperature. The cupcakes will taste dry if they are cold, so be sure to take them out 2-3 hours before serving.
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