Strawberries and cream cupcakes

These cupcakes are light and fluffy, topped with sweet cream and strawberries – so yummy! Give them a try!

Makes 12 cupcakes.

Ingredients for the strawberries and cream cupcakes :

• 225 g butter
• 160 g caster sugar
• 225 g plain flour
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp baking powder

All ingredients should be at room temperature.

In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Sift in the flour and baking powder, add the vanilla extract, and gently mix with a spatula until just combined.

Line a muffin tin with cupcake cases. Fill the cases to about three-quarters full. Bake at 170°C for about 25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

Ingredients for the cream:

• 400 ml whipping cream, chilled
• 1 Tbsp mascarpone
• 1 Tbsp icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 250 g small strawberries
• 4 Tbsp strawberry jelly
• 1 Tbsp hot water

In a mixing bowl, combine the double cream and mascarpone. Add the icing sugar and vanilla extract, then beat until light and fluffy. Transfer the cream to a piping bag fitted with a decorating tip and pipe onto the cupcakes. Top with sliced strawberries.

Add the hot water to the strawberry jelly and stir until dissolved (you can add a little more water if needed). Spoon the jelly over the strawberries and chill until set.

Enjoy!

Recipe source: ‘500 cupcakes & muffins’.