Princess Baker: 'Naked' Strawberry Cupcakes with Vanilla Frosting

It was a given that I would bake something special for Valentine's Day. So last night I finally had the chance to make some cupcakes that I've never made before- strawberry cupcakes with vanilla frosting! I got this recipe from a cute little recipe box that I got from my boyfriend's family's Christmas gift exchange. It was definitely hard to narrow down which combination of cupcake and frosting to make, but I chose the strawberry cupcake since it had a 'Valentine's Day feel' to it. Overall they turned out great and I think for the first time in history, the cupcake itself was my favorite part!

Naked Strawberry Cupcakes (12 cupcakes)

- 2/3 cup fresh strawberries (unsurprisingly the grocery store was completely out of fresh strawberries, so I opted for the frozen ones...so those will work too. Just thaw them.)

- 1 1/2 cups flower

- 1 teaspoon baking powder

- 1/4 teaspoon salt

- 1/4 cup whole milk

- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

- 1/2 cup butter

- 1 cup sugar

- 1 egg

- 2 egg whites

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin tin. Blend strawberries (2/3 cup) in a blender or food processor until pureed. Pulse in milk (1/4 cup) and vanilla (1 tsp).

2. In a small bowl, mix in the dry ingredients: flour (1 1/2 cups), baking powder (1 tsp), salt (1/4 tsp).

3. In a big mixing bowl, cream butter (1/2 cup) and sugar (1 cup) until fluffy, then slowly add egg and both egg whites.

4. Add half the flour mixture, then the strawberry mixture, then the rest of the flower mixture, until just blended.

5. Divide batter evenly in muffin tin and bake for 22-25 minutes. **Stick a knife in one of the center cupcakes, if it comes out clean, then it's done!**

Simply Vanilla Frosting (frosts 12 cupcakes...maybe more)

- 3 egg whites

- 2 teaspoons corn syrup

- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

- 1/3 cup cold water

- 1 1/2 cups sugar

- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a large metal (or glass) mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients.

2. Place bowl over a medium saucepan filled with 2 inches of water over medium high heat (bowl shouldn't touch the water). With a handheld mixer, beat on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 5-6 minutes.