Strawberry Red Velvet Cupcakes Recipe 445

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F and line pans with cupcake liners. Sift cake mix into a small bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, combine eggs, butter, strawberry puree, milk, sour cream, and vanilla extract. Add cake mix and stir. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake for 16 to 22 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean. CREAM CHEESE FROSTING: Beat butter and cream cheese for 2 minutes. Add vanilla and 3 cups powdered sugar. Beat well. Slowly add in more powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes and top with strawberries.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease two 9-inch cake pans and sprinkle with flour if pans don't have a smooth bottom.
• Whisk 3 cups flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl.
• Beat 1/2 cup butter in a bowl using an electric mixer until creamy and smooth. Add 1 1/2 cups sugar and beat until fairly creamy, about 2 minutes. Pour in vegetable oil and beat until combined, about 30 seconds more.
• Beat in egg yolks, vanilla extract, vinegar, and enough food coloring to reach desired color. Pour in flour mixture, alternating with buttermilk, on low speed until just incorporated, making sure to not overmix the batter.
• Beat egg whites until thick and frothy in a separate bowl; fold into the batter. Pour batter into the prepared cake pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Be careful not to overbake. Let cakes cool in the pans for 10 to 20 minutes before transferring to a wire rack or serving plate to cool completely.
• Whisk sugar, flour, and salt in a saucepan to combine. Whisk in milk gradually, making sure there are no lumps. Place saucepan over medium heat. Stir until thickened. Pour mixture into an airtight container and refrigerate until completely cool, about 1 hour.
• Place frosting in a mixing bowl. Add lemon juice and vanilla extract. Mix with an electric mixer on high speed to combine. Whip in cream cheese, 1 tablespoon at a time. Whip in butter and continue to mix until you have a really thick frosting. Place into an airtight container and refrigerate if not using immediately.
• Frost cooled cake and place sliced strawberries between the 2 layers.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 muffin pans with paper liners.
• In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder. In another large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar and vanilla.
• Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined and a smooth batter is formed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
• Scoop batter into muffin cups until they are about three-fourths of the way full, making sure not to overfill. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 18 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the oven. Let cool completely.
• As cupcakes cool, prepare the cream cheese frosting: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using a large bowl and a handheld electric mixer, mix the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and butter on low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to high, and mix until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula halfway through.
• Reduce mixer speed to low. Add the vanilla, increase the speed to high and mix briefly, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until fluffy.
• Once cupcakes are cool, frost, using a pastry bag with a large tip, or an offset spatula.