Always looking for sunshine, figuratively and lite Always looking for sunshine, figuratively and literally. Sometimes we don’t have to look very far and it finds us. ☀️
It didn’t take much to get me to @mikespastasand It didn’t take much to get me to @mikespastasandwichshoppe when a friend texted me a screenshot of their cheese butter. Up until last week I had never even heard of cheese butter but just two days later, I’m driving an hour round trip to get some. 😂 I was never one to succumb to peer pressure (I didn’t have my first drink until I was 21!), but when it comes to food finds, I am very easily intrigued. After all, that’s how I’ve discovered some of my favorite bites over the years … lardo from @butlerandtheboard, a spicy Italian sausage, and my love of chicharron. If you haven’t visited Mike’s in Nutley, it’s worth a visit. While there, I also got a small tray of meatballs (a bargain at $10!) and a delicious mortadella sandwich that is worth a round trip. ✨
The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter nee The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter need a little bit of color, so here you go. 😍 Love this chest of drawers. Discovered it buried in a local shop and bought it specifically for the green color (one of my favorites). Vintage Coke crate was a $10 score from a garage sale place on Facebook some ten years ago. And the assorted markers in Roy G Biv order (natch) that aren’t used anymore because my kids have sadly left that phase. 🙃
Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo s Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo style, hope you had a good one! ✨
A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if I wanted her to bring me back anything. Would you believe me if I told you I asked for salt? I love picking up different varieties, whether we’re traveling or I’m just visiting a new shop. Maddie grabbed me a super cute one from her trip to Paris last year, and the Magic Unicorn Salt I get locally is another favorite. What’s yours?
One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a serious case of FOMO on the daily, gets hiccups more than anyone we know and has perpetual bed head. She’s quite the unique roommate but may be exactly what our home needed. 💛
I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw th I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw that @njdotcom had picked six bagel shops at the “best in the state,” and one was reasonably local, all the sudden I needed one. I was never one to fall prey to peer pressure, but I’m very definitely a marketer’s dream. 😂 Alfa Bagels is on Route 10 in Randolph and has a good assortment of bagels, including all the usual suspects, but with a few others like rainbow, Asiago and French Toast throw in for good measure. Their bagels always seem to have a nice chew, which I appreciate and I love their sesame one. My go-to order lately is a double toasted flagel with lox spread and tomato. Their lox spread is a little ho hum, but the bagel is delish. Check them out next time you’ve got a craving (or get motivated by a local news story 😝). What’s your bagel order?
✌🏻 ✌🏻
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Food and Life

Pretty in Pink Strawberry Cupcakes

July 20, 2009 · Narrative

Strawberry Princess Cupcakes

This morning when I got Madeline dressed, I gave her a choice between a pink t-shirt emblazoned with lots of mini cupcakes and an orange t-shirt with a big brown monkey on it.  Knowing how much she loves both, I thought she might be torn, but she went straight for the cupcake shirt without hesitation.  That’s my girl!

As I was dressing her, I told her that we haven’t made cupcakes in awhile.  Not since the Fourth of July ones.  And I haven’t written about cupcakes since May.  I know.  I didn’t quite believe it myself.  Madeline and I decided then and there, right on the changing table at 7:45 am this morning, that we’re going to make cupcakes this week.

In the meantime, I can tell you about these Pretty in Pink Strawberry Cupcakes we made recently from Anne Byrn’s Cupcakes! cookbook.  I’m still working my way through that one, and with strawberries in season, it was the perfect time to make these.  They were so good, they actually hit our kitchen twice in two weeks.   Once was to celebrate The Girlfriend‘s sixth birthday.  I know!  Six!  Already!  What six-year-old year old girl doesn’t want a pink cupcake with a princess crown on it, right?

The recipe might look long, but I promise you, it’s easy and looks longer than it is.  Anne just tends to explain things in a little more detail, that’s all.  Ten minutes and it’s in the oven.  The addition of the fresh strawberries make for really moist cupcakes, and it’s a perfect way to celebrate the seasonal fruit.  I didn’t use her frosting recipe, instead going with my own tried-and-true buttercream frosting recipe.  Either way you go, you can’t go wrong.  Dig in!

Payton's Sixth Birthday

Pretty in Pink Strawberry Cupcakes
Recipe courtesy of Anne Byrn

Cupcake recipe
1 package (18-1/4 oz) cake mix, plain white or yellow
1 package (3 oz) strawberry gelatin
1 cup finely chopped, fresh strawberries, with juice, from 1-1/2 cups whole berries
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs

Frosting recipe
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, reduced-fat, at room temperature
4 tablespoon(s) (1/2 stick) butter, unsalted, at room temperature
3 cup(s) (up to 3 1/2 cups) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/2 cup(s) (fresh) strawberries, mashed and drained (3/4 cup hulled berries)

sprinkles, pink and white, for garnish (optional)
24 slice(s) strawberry, for garnish (optional)

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners.  Combine the cake mix, gelatin, strawberries and juice, milk, oil and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping down sides again if needed. Spoon about 1/3 cup batter into each lined cupcake cup, filling it 3/4 full. (You will get between 22 and 24 cupcakes; remove empty liners, if any.).  Place pans side by side in the oven.  Bake until cupcakes are lightly golden and spring back when pressed gently with a finger, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven, place pans on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes, then remove cupcakes to wire racks to cool for another 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare frosting: Blend cream cheese and butter in large mixing bowl with electric mixer on low speed until combined, 30 seconds. Stop mixer and add 3 cups confectioners’ sugar and the mashed strawberries. Mix on low speed until incorporated, 1 minute. Increase speed to medium and blend until frosting is fluffy, 30 to 45 seconds longer, adding up to 1/2 cup more sugar if needed to get a spreadable consistency.

Place a heaping tablespoon of frosting on each cupcake and swirl to spread it out with back of spoon. Refrigerate, uncovered, until frosting sets, 20 minutes. Decorate with sprinkles and strawberry slices, if desired.

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Posted In: Narrative

Comments

  1. leslie says

    July 20, 2009 at 10:01 pm

    Yummy cupcakes and your daughter is darling

    Reply
  2. kiss my spatula says

    July 21, 2009 at 2:10 am

    the name alone is enough for me to want to make these cupcakes, not to mention the princess crown to boot! i love the addition of the strawberries and look forward to trying these!

    Reply
  3. Janet says

    July 21, 2009 at 4:01 am

    So, so, yummy looking!! How adorable too. My youngest is turning 3 on Aug 9th, and she has spoken non-stop of a Princess party… the tiara’s on the cuppies are priceless!

    Reply
  4. Patsy Kreitman says

    July 21, 2009 at 7:40 am

    So adorable! I love the little tiara’s on them, too!

    Reply
  5. Joanne says

    July 21, 2009 at 8:49 am

    Cupcakes are my absolute most favorite thing to bake! I love the strawberries in these, especially in the cream cheese frosting! Happy birthday to Nick’s girlfriend.

    Reply
  6. The Neighbor (Wife) says

    July 21, 2009 at 10:01 am

    Wow, to think we met you guys when she was 2. It seems like yesterday. Although, we’ve all been through a lot together. :)

    Reply
  7. Juliana says

    July 21, 2009 at 1:29 pm

    Great looking cupcakes…strawberries…yummie! By the way, your daughter is so darling.

    Reply
  8. Meredith says

    July 21, 2009 at 6:21 pm

    Those cupcakes are incredible! Perfect for a princess. Thanks so much for sharing this, I’ll give it a go. I have to say though, I’ve never seen such tiny tiaras as decoration. Is there a Barbie Miss Universe competition that is missing all their tiaras? Meredith xo.

    Reply
  9. Sarah Caron says

    July 21, 2009 at 10:37 pm

    Hard to believe that she’s six already!

    Those cupcakes look delish. OMG. I think I know what we will be baking tomorrow. 10 minutes totally won me over!

    Reply
  10. Ramona says

    July 22, 2009 at 2:12 pm

    Those look good.
    Ramona

    Reply
  11. Katrina says

    July 22, 2009 at 3:23 pm

    Yummy cupcakes and so fun!

    Reply
  12. Julia @ Mélanger says

    July 23, 2009 at 7:17 am

    I love the decorations on these cupcakes. Adorable!

    Reply
  13. mandy says

    July 23, 2009 at 8:39 am

    I love any and all cupcake recipes and will be adding this one to my stash! Looking forward to going back into your archives for more. Thanks for visiting my blog!

    Reply
  14. charmed says

    May 6, 2010 at 4:41 pm

    This recipe is awesome, I made it with my friends for my birthday and enjoyed it very much.
    It’s from the book: Cupcakes from the Cake Mix Doctor
    the recipe: Pretty in Pink Strawberry Cupcakes

    Reply

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Always looking for sunshine, figuratively and lite Always looking for sunshine, figuratively and literally. Sometimes we don’t have to look very far and it finds us. ☀️
It didn’t take much to get me to @mikespastasand It didn’t take much to get me to @mikespastasandwichshoppe when a friend texted me a screenshot of their cheese butter. Up until last week I had never even heard of cheese butter but just two days later, I’m driving an hour round trip to get some. 😂 I was never one to succumb to peer pressure (I didn’t have my first drink until I was 21!), but when it comes to food finds, I am very easily intrigued. After all, that’s how I’ve discovered some of my favorite bites over the years … lardo from @butlerandtheboard, a spicy Italian sausage, and my love of chicharron. If you haven’t visited Mike’s in Nutley, it’s worth a visit. While there, I also got a small tray of meatballs (a bargain at $10!) and a delicious mortadella sandwich that is worth a round trip. ✨
The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter nee The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter need a little bit of color, so here you go. 😍 Love this chest of drawers. Discovered it buried in a local shop and bought it specifically for the green color (one of my favorites). Vintage Coke crate was a $10 score from a garage sale place on Facebook some ten years ago. And the assorted markers in Roy G Biv order (natch) that aren’t used anymore because my kids have sadly left that phase. 🙃
Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo s Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo style, hope you had a good one! ✨

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Always looking for sunshine, figuratively and lite Always looking for sunshine, figuratively and literally. Sometimes we don’t have to look very far and it finds us. ☀️
It didn’t take much to get me to @mikespastasand It didn’t take much to get me to @mikespastasandwichshoppe when a friend texted me a screenshot of their cheese butter. Up until last week I had never even heard of cheese butter but just two days later, I’m driving an hour round trip to get some. 😂 I was never one to succumb to peer pressure (I didn’t have my first drink until I was 21!), but when it comes to food finds, I am very easily intrigued. After all, that’s how I’ve discovered some of my favorite bites over the years … lardo from @butlerandtheboard, a spicy Italian sausage, and my love of chicharron. If you haven’t visited Mike’s in Nutley, it’s worth a visit. While there, I also got a small tray of meatballs (a bargain at $10!) and a delicious mortadella sandwich that is worth a round trip. ✨
The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter nee The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter need a little bit of color, so here you go. 😍 Love this chest of drawers. Discovered it buried in a local shop and bought it specifically for the green color (one of my favorites). Vintage Coke crate was a $10 score from a garage sale place on Facebook some ten years ago. And the assorted markers in Roy G Biv order (natch) that aren’t used anymore because my kids have sadly left that phase. 🙃
Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo s Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo style, hope you had a good one! ✨
A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if I wanted her to bring me back anything. Would you believe me if I told you I asked for salt? I love picking up different varieties, whether we’re traveling or I’m just visiting a new shop. Maddie grabbed me a super cute one from her trip to Paris last year, and the Magic Unicorn Salt I get locally is another favorite. What’s yours?
One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a serious case of FOMO on the daily, gets hiccups more than anyone we know and has perpetual bed head. She’s quite the unique roommate but may be exactly what our home needed. 💛
I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw th I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw that @njdotcom had picked six bagel shops at the “best in the state,” and one was reasonably local, all the sudden I needed one. I was never one to fall prey to peer pressure, but I’m very definitely a marketer’s dream. 😂 Alfa Bagels is on Route 10 in Randolph and has a good assortment of bagels, including all the usual suspects, but with a few others like rainbow, Asiago and French Toast throw in for good measure. Their bagels always seem to have a nice chew, which I appreciate and I love their sesame one. My go-to order lately is a double toasted flagel with lox spread and tomato. Their lox spread is a little ho hum, but the bagel is delish. Check them out next time you’ve got a craving (or get motivated by a local news story 😝). What’s your bagel order?
✌🏻 ✌🏻

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