Even with my own wedding anniversary coming up at the end of the month and so many of my friends getting engaged or married, the whole getting older thing is something that hasn't really sunk in very much. With each passing month, it something that gets harder and harder to ignore. After most of your friends graduate from college (even the stragglers) the next big milestone that screams "YOU'RE ALL GETTING OLDER," is getting married. It's a slap in the face for all of those (who am I kidding--all of us) Peter Pans out there who don't want to grow up. I've hit the age where singles are dropping like flies and weddings feel like they're every other weekend. Every wedding that passes makes you stop and think about life and what you're doing. They force you to think about the future and what it might look like, but the best part is that they make you celebrate the present. Weddings celebrate the very best parts of life--family and friends and love. Once you realize that you're surrounded by some very cool people who will be there for you no matter what, getting older doesn't seem like such a bad prospect.

One of my dearest friends from high school is getting married next month and a while back I offered to bake for them if they had a need for any of the numerous parties that always seem to go hand in hand with weddings. His lovely fiance asked if I could do some fruity cupcakes for a lingerie party, and I jumped on the opportunity to whip up something utterly delicious! I figured you can never go wrong with something pink at these events, but I still wanted to keep it simple and classy, I went with Martha Stewart's strawberry cupcakes and strawberry buttercream. Definitely one of my new favorites.

This cupcake is not overly sweet and the moist, dense batter balanced well with fresh strawberries chunks  and gave them a great burst of flavor. The strawberry buttercream was just devine and complimented the cupcakes perfectly. Made with fresh strawberries, it was just the right balance of sweet, creamy, strawberry goodness with out being too sweet or packed with artificial flavors. For a topper, I melted some chocolate and made little white chocolate coins and piped A's on them. Easy and quick for just a little flair of decoration.

Martha Stewart's Strawberry Cupcakes from  Martha Stewart's Cupcakes: 175 Inspired Ideas for Everyone's Favorite Treat

Ingredients
makes about 25 jumbo cupcakes or 36 standard cupcakes
2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup cake flour (not self-rising)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 ¼ cups sugar
1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 large whole eggs plus 1 egg white
1 cup milk
2 cups finely chopped fresh strawberries (about 20)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line standard muffin pans with paper liners. In a large bowl, sift together both flours, baking powder, and salt.
2. With an electric mixer, cream butter, sugar and vanilla until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of milk. Beat until just combined after each. Fold in chopped strawberries by hand.
3. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each about three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until golden brown and toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks and cool 15 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto rack and let cool completely.
4. To finish, fill a pastry bag fitted with a large open-star with buttercream. Pipe buttercream onto each cupcake, swirling tip and releasing as you pull up to form peak.

Strawberry Meringue Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients
makes about 5 cups
1 ½ cups fresh strawberries (8 ounces), rinsed, hulled, and coarsely chopped.
4 large egg whites
1 ¼ cups sugar
1 ½ cups (three sticks) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons, room temperature

Instructions

1. Puree strawberries in a food processor. Combine egg whites and sugar in the heatproof bowl of a standing electric mixer set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk constantly by hand until mixture is warm to the touch and sugar has dissolved (the mixture should feel completely smooth when rubbed between your fingertips).
2. Attach the bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Starting on low and gradually increasing to medium-high speed, mix until stiff peaks form. Continue mixing until the mixture is fluffy and glossy, and the bottom of the bowl is completely cool, about 10 minutes.
3. With mixer in medium-low speed, add the butter a few tablespoons at a time, mixing well after each addition. Once all the butter has been added, scrape down sides of bowl with a flexible spatula and switch to the paddle attachment; continue beating on low speed until all air bubbles are eliminated, about 2 minutes. Add strawberries and beat until well combined. Stir with a flexible spatula until the frosting is smooth.

Crumby Notes:

• Keep buttercream at room temperature if using the same day, or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze up to 1 month. Before using, bring to room temperature and beat with paddle attachment on low speed until smooth again, about 5 minutes.
• My buttercream did not set well once I added the butter and strawberries because with the oven on, it was too warm in the room. After putting it in the freezer for a few minutes to cool and then whipping it again, the consistency was perfect.

Overall, I am very impressed with this recipe. With the fresh fruit in the cake, it won't last as long at room temperature as some other cupcakes. Martha says one day. I think two is not unreasonable, but they will freeze well if you need to make them any further in advance. Just wrap up the cupcakes individually and store the buttercream as directed and then frost them as needed and serve at room temperature.

Crumby Update: I made these for Mia's first birthday and made some butterfly toppers from melted chocolate. They looked really great and Mia LOVED them.


~Happy Baking!