Cupcake Experiments: Strawberry & Basil Cupcakes w/ Balsamic Buttercream

After the success of the Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes, I was back in my baking mode... Eager to create, but already burnt out on the super sweet and the bacon-y savory, I was ready to try something that very much so skirted the boarder of the two lands. Noming on some strawberries with the bf, I started thinking about some other good strawberry combinations, since I've already done the very decadent Chocolate Dipped Strawberry Cupcake. Curious, I thought about my other love with strawberries... Balsamic! A risky move, but one with potential, a Balsamic buttercream perhaps?

And thus the Strawberry & Basil Cupcake with Balsamic Buttercream was born!

Starting with the same base as the Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes... (but doubled for double the fun)

3.5 cups flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
3 sticks of butter, softened
2 cups of sugar
3 eggs
3 tsp. vanilla extract
1.5 cups milk

mix together well.

in a blender, blend half a package of strawberries with a half cup of basil. the mixture will look kind of gross, but will smell amazing, and taste even better. pour the mixture into the batter & hand mix together. fill cupcake tins 2/3 of the way full.

pre-heat oven to 375 & bake 15-20 minutes.

balsamic buttercream frosting

1 stick softened butter
.25 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tsp milk
1 box powdered sugar

like any basic buttercream, beat the butter until it's light and fluffy. slowly add the powdered sugar, balsamic and milk until you've reached the consistency and flavor you like.

frost & decorate with leftover strawberries & basil bits!

Cupcake Experiments: The Cinnamon Roll Cupcake

Perhaps my best cupcake yet (although some would beg to differ) this base recipe for a vanilla cake is absolutely delicious, so anything added would simply make it amazing.







For a dozen cupcakes:

Batter/Cake:

• 1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• Scant 1/2 tsp.salt
• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 1 c. sugar
• 1 whole large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
• 1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 c. whole milk

Sugar Mix/Filling:

• 3/4 c. (packed) golden brown sugar
• 2 tbsp. ground cinnamon

Frosting/Topping:

• 8 oz. cold cream cheese
• 1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
• 5 tbsp softened butter
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups powdered sugar

Mix the Sugar Mix/Filling ingredients together and set aside. Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle. Line a cupcake pan with baking cups. Whisk together flour (1 3/4 cups), baking powder, and salt. Beat together butter and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add whole egg, yolk, and vanilla and beat 1 minute. At low speed, mix in flour mixture and milk alternately in batches. Pour the batter into the pan so that it fills about a third of the case. Then sprinkle on a layer of the sugary filling. Pour more batter so that the cupcake case is about 2/3 full. Bake until golden brown and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool cake in pan 10 minutes before frosting it with the Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting. Enjoy!

For the Frosting/Topping, beat the cream cheese with the softened butter, cinnamon & vanilla extract until combined. Gradually add in the powdered sugar until you reach the consistency and sweetness desired. Be sure to sift the powdered sugar for a smoother frosting.