Summer time means strawberries! Whether fresh or frozen, strawberries are appreciated around the world for their juicy sweet flavor and bright red color. They are also loaded with vitamines and antioxidants making them a healthy part of any meal. I love using strawberries in salads, jams, over cereal and in baking. In my Strawberry Delights cupcakes I’ve used frozen strawberries because they are full of flavor, filled the cupcakes with a strawberry cream, then garnished with fresh strawberries or chocolate dipped strawberries.
Strawberry Delights is a recipe that can be used for fillable cupcakes, regular cupcakes and regular or mini bread loaves. You can freeze the cupcakes (or loaves) and fill or frost them later. Having mini loaves on hand for when unexpected company drops by is also a good option. Defrost the loaves, add a dusting of powdered sugar and you’ve got the perfect accompaniment to a latte. You can also cut thin slices, slather some Strawberry Whipped Cream Cheese on the slices and make a strawberry delight “sandwich”, perfect for picnics or travel.
Don’t these look delicious! They are bursting with strawberry flavor and creem cheese filling. Of course everything tastes better with a heaping amount whipped cream!
Happy baking. Happy summer! Bake. Share. Love.
Strawberry Delights
Ingredients
- 3 cups flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 10 ounce packages of sliced frozen strawberries, thawed
- 4 eggs
- 1¼ cups of vegetable oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter and flour your chosen baking pans, using high quality butter. Sift together the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add eggs, oil and strawberries. Mix thoroughly. Pour into the baking pans and bake as noted below or until toothpick or cake tester comes out clean when inserted into the bread.
- For Fillable Cupcakes:
- Butter and flour Pipka’s Fillable Cupcake pan, inside and around the top edges. Fill the cavities almost to the top.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes. Set on a cooling rack for 8 minutes, then rap the pan on the counter and turn out the cupcakes onto the cooling rack. When completely cool, fill with strawberry cream cheese spread which can be purchased at the grocery store. You can also add fresh diced strawberries to the whipped strawberry cream cheese. Store in the fridge for about an hour or more. Just before serving top with whipped cream and a fanned strawberry.
- For Regular Loaves or Mini Loaves:
- Butter and flour the baking pans.
- Bake for 1 hour. Let cool in the pan(s) 8 minutes, rap the pan on the counter, then turn out on a cooling rack to finish cooling. Serve with whipped cream cheese, whipped strawberry cream cheese or whipped butter. Loaves freeze well wrapped in plastic wrap.
- For Regular Cupcakes:
- Butter and flour the pan or use cupcake liners.
- Depending on the size of the cupcakes you make, baking time may vary, perhaps 15-18 minutes. Let cool in the pan 8 minutes, rap the pan on the counter, then turn out on a cooling rack to cool. Serve with a Cream Cheese Frosting or Strawberry Butter Cream Frosting. Top with a fanned strawberry or a chocolate dipped strawberry.
- 1 cup unsalted Land O Lakes butter, room temperature
- 5–6 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup Strawberry jam
- Pinch of red food coloring ( to make a light pink color)
- Instructions
- Place butter and jam in a mixing bowl or an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and cream until well incorporated, about 2 minutes.
- Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, until you reach desired consistency. If frosting gets too thick you can add a little milk to thin it out. Put on your favorite cupcake. Makes enough to cover 2 dozen cupcakes.
- Easy Cream Cheese Frostiing
- 1/2 cup unsalted Land O Lakes butter, room temperature
- 8 oz package cream cheese, room temperature
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons Pipka’s Vanilla Extract.
- With an electric mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese until thoroughly blended.
- Slowly add the powdered sugar and vanilla, beating until creamy.
- Add frosting to a pastry bag outfitted with a large star tip. Frost the cupcakes. Store in fridge.
