I was asked by a customer to make some strawberry flavoured cupcakes and came up with the idea of strawberries and cream (especially with Wimbledon around the corner).
I was wary of making the strawberry milkshake flavour too intense as it can be quite sickly sweet, so it's quite a subtle ingredient in this recipe. If you want a more in-your-face strawberry flavour, just up the amount and take away the equivalent weight of sugar.
I frosted these with white chocolate frosting for the 'cream' element.
Strawberry Milkshake Cupcakes
Makes 24 cupcakes or an 8-inch round sandwich cake
Ingredients:
7.5oz caster sugar
0.5oz strawberry milkshake powder
8oz soft spread
1/4 tsp salt
4 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
8.5 oz self-raising flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1tbsp milk at room temperature
Method:
1) Fill your cupcake pans with cases or grease and flour your cake tins.
2) Turn the oven on to 180 degrees Celsius.
3) In a large mixing bowl, using an electric whisk or stand mixer, cream the sugar, milkshake powder, soft spread and salt for a few minutes until light and fluffy.
4) In a separate bowl, sift the flour and baking powder.
5) Beat the eggs with a mixer or electric whisk into the sugar mixture one at a time, adding a tablespoon of flour with each addition to stop the mixture from splitting. Add the vanilla with the last egg and beat until combined.
6) Using a large metal spoon, add the flour and baking powder mix and carefully fold in until just combined.
7) Fold milk in until a dropping consistency.
8) Spoon into cupcake cases or tins evenly and give the tins a rap on the counter to get rid of big air bubbles.
9) Bake cupcakes for 17 minutes and 8-inch cakes for 25 mins or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
10) Remove cupcakes immediately onto a wire cooling rack. If baking a sandwich cake leave to cool in the tin before turning out onto a cooling rack.
Frost and eat!