Hey guys!  Today I’ve got a  guest post over on Little Bitty Bakes!  Check it out. 

Meanwhile, enjoy this guest post and great recipe from Lisa, below!

Hi, everyone! My name is Lisa, and I blog over at The Dishes of Mrs. Fish . My blog is filled with my favorite recipes, restaurant reviews, and the occasional school story from my third grade class. Because really, what teacher doesn’t have stories? I am so excited to be doing a post for Liz here at Blog is the New Black. I love her humor, her Lloyd stories, and oh yeah…her recipes.

I got married six months ago. Go ahead, and cue the “ahhhhhs.”

Minor detail, my husband is stuck in far away place called Georgia for work training for the next few months. Meaning, I was alone on my first married Valentine’s Day.

Go ahead, and cue the “ohhhhhs.”

Rather than be a Debbie Downer, I decided to recreate one of my favorite parts of our wedding for Valentine’s Day, strawberry cupcakes!

Because, really who wants to be friends with someone named Debbie Downer? Nobody.

But who wants to be friends with someone who makes strawberry cupcakes with homemade buttercream icing?

Everybody.

Strawberry Cupcakes

Recipe Source: Pennies on a Platter

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups diced strawberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.

2. Sift cake flour, salt, and baking soda in a medium sized bowl. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, or bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

4. Add eggs, one a time, until fully incorporated.

5. Beat in buttermilk, oil, and vanilla.

6. Add flour mixture small portions at a time, stirring well each time to combine.

7. Fold in diced strawberries.

8. Fill cupcake wells half full with batter.

9. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

10. Cool completely on a wire rack.

I was able to make 36 mini cupcakes and six regular sized cupcakes with my batter. The original recipe states it yields 2dozen cupcakes.

The original recipe calls for a strawberry icing, which sounded delicious. But the strawberry cupcakes at our wedding had buttercream icing. So buttercream it was.

Vanilla Buttercream Icing

Adapted From: The Food Network

Ingredients:

• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 to 2 tablespoons milk – The original recipe calls for heaving whipping cream. I only had milk on hand, and my icing still came out great.

Directions:

1. In a stand mixer, fitted with a whisk, OR a large bowl with an electric mixer, mix together sugar and butter on low speed until well blended.

2. Increase speed to medium, and beat for another three minutes. Five minutes if not using a stand mixer.

3. Add vanilla and milk, one tablespoon at a time. Continue to beat on medium speed for another minute, adding more cream if needed for desired consistency/ taste.

These cupcakes were mighty tasty. My third graders certainly ate their fair share at our Valentine’s Day party.

In fact, I’m pretty sure I just scored about 80 coffee mugs inscribed with “World’s Best Teacher” after feeding my little darlings these.

Oh wait, I already have 80 of those. What’s 80 more?

What’s your favorite cupcake flavor?

Mine is strawberry. Although, I love some Funfetti too.