Strawberry Cupcakes with Simple Frosting

The cupcakes blogged here (adopted from catesworldkitchen) were first tried without frosting. The outcome looked very porous but I felt the sugar was little less than usual in taste. Second time, I tried with extra sugar, but I wasn't sure what went wrong, they didn't come out well.



At last, blindly followed her recipe and did frosting. It came out well and the less sugar in cakes are compensated by the frosting. Over all, It is awesome.



Basic Information:
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 20-25 minutes
Makes: 6 cup cakes

Ingredients:



For Cupcakes:



Strawberry puree - 3 tablespoons

All Purpose flour - 3/4 cup

Baking powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Salt - 1/8 teaspoon

Whole milk - 2 tablespoon

Vanilla extract - 1/2 teaspoon

Unsalted Butter - 1/4 cup

Sugar - 1/2 cup

Egg - 1 no



For Frosting:



Butter - 1/4 cup

Powdered Sugar - 1/2 cup

Strawberry - 3-6 nos

Vanilla extract - 1/8 teaspoon



Method:



For Cupcakes:



1) Bring all the ingredients to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 180C(350F). Line the Cupcake trays with cupcake liners and keep aside.

2) Sift flour, baking powder and salt. Keep it aside.

3) Blend 8 strawberries to get puree. Mix blended puree with milk and vanilla extract. Keep it aside.

4) Take butter in a mixing bowl and whisk for a minute.

5) Add sugar and continue whisking till you get creamy texture.

6) Add the egg and continue whisking till the egg is well incorporated with creamy butter.

7) Add half of the flour first and mix gently.

8) Add the strawberry mix(as said in step 3) and mix slowly just until incorporated.

9) Now, add the remaining flour and mix slowly to get a smooth batter. Do not overmix.

10) Pour the batter generously into 6 cupcake liners.

11) Bake them for 20-25 minutes or until cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

12) Once done, cool down for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wiring rock to cool completely.



For Frosting:

1) Beat butter in a bowl for a minute.

2) Add sugar and vanilla extract in the same bowl and continue beating till you get smooth frosting.

3) If required, add additional sugar according to your frosting consistency.

4) Top the cupcakes with frosting and place the strawberry in center of it.

5) Strawberry cupcakes are ready and serve it.

I am sending this recipe to Anu's Berries- Strawberry-Dessert/Sweet event.

Five Favourites Of Sri Krishna For Janmaashtami - Carrot Rawa Laddu - Carrot And Semolina Sweet Balls

  

CARROT RAWA LADDU

 

Children like all types of laddus. It is easy for them  to hold the laddus in their tiny cupped palms and relish the sweet bite by bite. Rawa laddu is a traditional sweet prepared in all South Indian homes.

Carrot Rawa Laddus are slightly different from the traditional ones.

                                                 

INGREDIENTS

Carrots - 2

Semolina - 1 cup

Sugar - 1 cup

Ghee - 2 tsps
Cashew nuts - a few

Raisins - a few

Cardamom powder - 1 pinch

Warm milk - 1/4 cup

METHOD

1, Peel, dice and grind carrots with little water into a coarse paste.
2. Add water if necessary to make one cup and keep aside.
3.Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pan and fry the cashew nuts and raisins till they become golden in colour.

4.Add rawa and continue to roast till it gives out a pleasant aroma.

5. Remove the roasted ingredients to a plate.

6. Add the carrot paste and sugar to the same pan and cook till it reaches the soft ball stage.

                                                 

7. When the carrot syrup is sticky enough to bind the rawa, add the fried rawa and mix well.

8.Add cardamom powder, switch off flame and allow it to cool for a few minutes.

                                                 

9. Grease your palm with little ghee, sprinkle a teaspoon of warm milk to a small portion of the crumbly mixture and make a laddu.

10 . Continue sprinkling warm milk and make the laddus portion by portion while the mixture is still warm.

                        

Offer the Carrot Rawa Laddu to baby Krishna on His happy birthday and distribute the prasaadam to all the children.

Black and White Wednesday - Curried Curry Leaves

Washed and air dried curry leaves, ready to be pounded to make spice powder..
Sending this to Susan's Black and White Wednesdays!