Very Strawberry Cupcakes

I tried this recipe of Paula Dean's and was not disappointed.

This cake recipe was so delicious unlike the strawberry flavored cake mix that you can buy at the grocery store - who wants dried flecks of fake strawberry when you can have the real thing? The cake itself is pretty sweet so I used a homemade cream cheese frosting with less sugar than the recipe called for. The cupcakes were super moist and tasted even better a few days after baking. It's a really sturdy cupcake too - no crumbling. One of my favorites!




Recipe: by Paula Dean. Makes 24 regular-sized cupcakes

Strawberry Cake

1 box white cake mix
15 ounces of frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed and pureed
1 box strawberry flavored jello (3 ounce box)
4 eggs
1/2 cup oil (I used Canola)
1/2 cup water

Bring everything to room temperate - including eggs. Mix eggs, oil, water and strawberry puree until well blended and no egg strands remain. Sift in cake mix and jello and mix just until combined. Bake at 360 for about 17 minutes.

Cream Cheese Icing:

1 stick unsalted butter (room temperature)
6 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)
2 & 3/4 cup of confection sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
drop of red food coloring (optional)

This recipe makes enough icing for about 20 cupcakes. I leave a few un-iced for my little guy. Cream together butter, cream cheese and vanilla until no lumps exist then slowly add the sugar and whip until fluffy.