Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line mini cupcake tins with paper liners (recipe makes roughly 36) and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, mix together the milk, vanilla and strawberry purée.

In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the butter until fluffy. Add the sugar and continue to mix. Add the egg and egg whites and blend until combined. Next, add half of the flour mixture and continue to mix. Add the strawberry mixture, and mix again. Finally, add the remaining flour mixture and combine, scraping the sides of the bowl to get all ingredients into the batter.

Fill each mini muffin tin 3/4 of the way full and bake for about 12 minutes or until a knife comes out clean when tested. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

While muffins are cooling, prepare the frosting. In a medium sized bowl beat all of the frosting ingredients together until light and fluffy. Top each cooled cupcake with frosting and a bit of the finely chopped strawberries. Enjoy.

Makes 36 mini cupcakes.

Cupcake recipe slightly adapted from Candace Nelson of Sprinkles Cupcakes.