I always had my favorite chefs (Giada de Laurentis and Bobby Flay) but just recently my sister shared this video with me and I found my new favorite chef. He’s a new favorite for a reason different then you’d think. I’ve never even tried any of the food or recipes he’s ever made. It’s not even about the food he prepares, it’s about the heart of this guy. He is truly inspiring. This man is basically an angel. Please take a sec to check out this video…
With Valentines coming up tomorrow I hope we can remember to love those in need around us. With all the suffering around the world, we can all help each other out to alleviate some of that suffering. Whether it’s giving a helping hand, calling someone to let them know you care, providing a meal for someone in need, donating time at a local food bank or giving a donation to a good cause, there is something we can all do and no small deed will go unnoticed. Besides, you will receive far greater joy in giving rather than receiving. I know it is easy for us to get caught up in our own lives, in our own world or bubble shall we say, I’m guilty of such myself, but I hope we can spend some time looking outside the bubble, to those that are in need of help. To those that need love. Valentines and holidays have become so much about gifts that we forget the meaning behind them and we also don’t often look beyond our own families and friendships. If we each gave some of our time, imagine the difference we can make! Happy Valentines Day everyone =)!
Check out the tip below for a great way to wrap these amazingly delicious cupcakes.
Ingredients
- 1 cup + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature*
- 1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup whole milk, at room temperature*
- 1 recipe Strawberry Buttercream Frosting, recipe found here
- 12 small fresh strawberries or strawberry slices, for decoration (heart how-to here)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt for 30 seconds, set aside. In a separate large mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer set on medium-high speed, whip together eggs, sugar and vanilla until mixture is very pale, fluffy and thickened slightly, about 3 minutes. Mix in melted butter and vegetable oil. Working in three separate batches, beginning and ending with flour, add 1/3 of the flour mixture followed by 1/2 of the milk, blending until well combined after each addition. Pour batter into 12 paper lined muffin cups, filling each cup 2/3 full. Bake in preheated oven 19 - 22 minutes, until toothpick inserted into center of cupcake comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack, then frost with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting and top with a small whole fresh strawberry or fresh strawberry slices.
- *To bring the eggs to room temp quickly, simply submerge in a bowl of warm water for 5 - 10 minutes. To bring milk to room temperature quickly, simply heat in microwave on high powder in a microwave safe dish for 15 - 20 seconds until no longer cold.
- Recipe Source: cupcake base - Food and Wine, Strawberry Buttercream Frosting - Cooking Classy
This is a great way to wrap cupcakes for gifts. Someone in my daughters class brought them packaged like this and it was genius. You’ll need the shorter/wider clear plastic cups, cellophane bags and ribbon. Also, I wouldn’t recommend this if your cupcakes are wide enough they fall over the side of the cupcake liner or if you’ve frosted around the edges (simply because they may not fit or they’ll frosting will smudge along the cup). Just carefully drop the cupcake in and wrap.
Yammie @ Yammie’s Noshery: I love everything about these! Love the strawberry hearts, and what a great packaging idea! February 13, 2013 at 4:05pm
Jaclyn: Thanks Yammie! Isn’t the packaging genius? Whomever came up with it is awesome! Getting them in an out is tricky but its much better than putting them on a plate then wrapping them in plastic and smearing the frosting everywhere and it’s much cheaper than buy the cupcake packaging boxes at the store. I also love how they are wrapped individually. Happy Valentines Day to you! February 14, 2013 at 7:49pm
Julie @ Table for Two: what a powerful, powerful video. so inspiring and so much love to give. thank you for this post :) February 13, 2013 at 7:00pm
Jaclyn: You’re welcome Julie – thank you so much for your comment =)! Happy Valentines Day! February 14, 2013 at 9:08am
julia: beatiful!!!!! February 14, 2013 at 5:03am
Cecilia: A wonderful idea. I love all your recipes and photos. You inspired me. I’m following your blog. I invite you to visit ceciliaencasa.blogspot.com. y bubuabela.blogspot.com.
Happy Valentine´s day !
Cecilia February 14, 2013 at 10:31am
sally @ sallys baking addiction: So freaking cute Jaclyn! Do you know how many times I’ve tried to make strawberry buttercream before? Following recipes to the T and still having a running frosting come out. Videos are blocked at my office, so I can’t view it right now but will check back at home. I’m interested to see it! Perhaps I shouldn’t be on blogs at the office? Oh well! February 14, 2013 at 2:26pm
Jaclyn: You are seriously amazing girl that you blog as much as you do and work, how on earth do you do that =)? You are very talented and good at balancing you time =). I hope you do get a chance to watch the video it is seriously so incredible. I love that guy and hope to be more like him. Happy Valentines Day Sally! February 14, 2013 at 7:45pm
Rachel @ Bakerita: Such cute cupcakes! Love. Those strawberry hearts are too adorable, and these just sound so delicious. February 14, 2013 at 2:29pm
Jaclyn: Thanks so much Rachel =)! February 14, 2013 at 7:37pm
Maggie @ A Bitchin’ Kitchen: Wow, what a touching video. Thanks for sharing that! It’s so nice to see something positive in the news for a change!
Also, gorgeous cupcakes! I love the heart shaped strawberries! February 14, 2013 at 2:51pm
Jaclyn: So true – it is nice to see something good in the news for a change. Why can’t they focus on the positive more? Thanks so much for your comment Maggie! Happy Valentines Day! February 14, 2013 at 7:39pm
Jessica @ Desserts with Benefits: Wow, these cupcakes are perfect(ly adorable)! I love the strawberry hearts… and the frosting… and your pictures :) I want a batch of these in front of my face right now! February 14, 2013 at 4:03pm
Kate Ashbaker: wonderful.. I am going to try this. They look so yummy!!! I admire the talent and compassion shown in this post and video February 14, 2013 at 4:55pm
Jaclyn: Thanks so much Kate! February 14, 2013 at 7:42pm
Curry and Comfort: Amazing man and video. Lovely cupcakes and I also enjoyed your tutorial yesterday to make the heart strawberries. I hope you are having a marvelous Valentine’s Day. :) February 14, 2013 at 5:32pm
Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes: [...] via Cooking Classy [...] February 14, 2013 at 5:36pm
Amanda: These are gorgeous! I’ve wanted to try a strawberry treat for a while. I also like the cupcake packaging idea. February 14, 2013 at 9:07pm
Julia {The Roasted Root}: I’ve never thought to make little hearts out of strawberries! These are just precious! Your cupcakes look great and I love the technique you use for making valentines out of them! February 14, 2013 at 10:07pm
Nicolette: Is this just your basic vanilla cake? I am looking for a great vanilla cupcake recipe I can add cream cheese frosting to.
Thanks,
Nicolette February 15, 2013 at 2:48pm
Jaclyn: Nicolette – I’ve adapted these vanilla cupcakes from Food and Wine but yes they are really delicious. I don’t think I’ve posted a personal recipe for Vanilla cupcakes yet just a few I’ve adapted from other places but this is probably my favorite vanilla that I’ve yet posted and they would be delicious with cream cheese frosting. I like how it uses two kinds of oils (vegetable/canola oil makes moister cupcakes but I like the flavor butter gives so I love recipes that use both). Hope you give it a try! February 18, 2013 at 10:22pm
the recipe box. | my so-called modern life: [...] Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes – Rich hates strawberries. I’m sure I can find some event this summer to bring these to though. [...] February 22, 2013 at 5:32am
Christy: Just made these..super sweet and delicious! The buttercream is definitely what makes it! Ill be saving this recipe. I topped mine with strawberries and blueberries February 23, 2013 at 5:12pm
Jaclyn: Christy – so glad you enjoyed these, thanks so much for returning to leave a comment =)! The blueberry addition sounds delicious, blueberries are one of my favorite foods, yum. February 23, 2013 at 10:52pm
Audra hawkins: Yummmmmm i want to et al of thr food u put on here (this website) can u come to my house to cook?? February 27, 2013 at 5:57am
Jaclyn: Audra – I would love to if you lived close by =)! February 27, 2013 at 10:34am
Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes Recipe | Delicious Recipes: [...] Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes Recipe [...] March 11, 2013 at 8:53am
Liz: Hey! I love this recipe, looks delicious. I was just wondering if I could use cake flour instead of mixing the flour with the cornstarch? Thanks! March 19, 2013 at 2:51am
Jaclyn: It would probably work but I can’t guarantee it since I haven’t tried it =). I was surprised that they used the flour/cornstarch combo rather than cake flour but maybe there’s a reason behind it. March 23, 2013 at 11:34pm
To Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes | insatiably: [...] Cupcake Batter (adapted slightly from Cooking Classy) 1 cup + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour 2 Tbsp cornstarch 1 1/4 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp salt 3/4 cup [...] May 3, 2013 at 6:13pm
Tania: Thanks for the wonderful recipe!! The frosting is amazing!! I have a question as to what the milk gets added to. Doest the milk get added to the wet mixture of eggs and sugar and then in thirds to the flour mix? or does the milk get added into the flour mix by itself and then that mik get added to the wet mix? thanks May 12, 2013 at 8:17am
Jaclyn: Tania – the milk is added in between the 3 additions of flour, just half each time. Many cupcake recipes call for this method and I think it works really well this way. So you add 1/3 of the flour mixture and mix just until combined, then 1/2 the milk and mix just to combined, then 1/3 flour, then remaining 1/2 milk, then end with last 1/3 of flour. I’m glad you liked the recipe :)! May 12, 2013 at 9:40am
Laura: In the recipe directions you say “milk mixture.”
But I don’t see what you are adding to the milk to make a mixture? Am I the only one missing that? Do I add it to the oil/butter? May 18, 2013 at 11:25am
Jaclyn: Thanks for pointing that out Laura I don’t know why I added the word “mixture” after milk because it is just plain milk and that was confusing. Changed in the directions. Thanks! May 18, 2013 at 2:05pm
Laura: Thank you for clarifying. Just had to let you know I made these cupcakes for dessert tonight! They were delicious. That frosting is pretty addictive. Pretty color, nice and fluffy, and so tasty. Easy too! Thanks May 18, 2013 at 8:10pm
Jaclyn: I’m so glad you liked them Laura :)!! Thanks for leaving another comment! May 19, 2013 at 8:22pm