Well guys, I’m on another Whole 30, and let me tell you, they never get any less brutal.  Today, I had to make these cupcakes and I’ve never, ever wanted to eat something I baked for somebody else as much as I did today.  Usually I taste my work before sending it off, but I couldn’t, so I had to rely on the word of the people who ate them, and the reviews were overwhelmingly positive.

I really just combined recipes I already use to make these.  My perfect moist vanilla cupcakes, my whipped cream frosting, and the same diced us sugared strawberries I use on strawberry shortcake.

A couple of notes for this recipe:

• Make sure your cupcakes are cooled and chilled before you frost them.
• Use a frosting spatula to spread a think layer of frosting across the top of the cupcake before you pipe the frosting “nest” – this will keep the strawberry juice from running down into the cake too much and getting your cupcake soggy
• Don’t put the strawberries on until you are about an hour away from serving.

Enjoy!

Strawberry Short-Cupcakes
by: Shannon McDowell
Yield: 24 cupcakes

Cupcake Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup milk (I use whole milk- the higher fat content, the better)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 cup very hot water

Frosting:
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 package instant vanilla pudding mix (3.4oz) I really like Jell-o Simply Good brand

Strawberries:
1 pint of strawberries, diced very small
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Directions:
First, make your cupcakes:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare a cupcake pan with liners.
2. Add the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt to a large bowl and combine. Set aside.
3. Add the milk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and eggs to your dry ingredients and mix well to combine.
4. Slowly add the water to the batter and mix carefully until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to make sure everything is well combined. The batter will be very thin.
5. Fill the cupcake liners about half way and bake for 15-17 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
6. Remove the cupcakes from oven and allow to cool for 2 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack to finish cooling.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before icing.

Now, chop up your strawberries and get them mixed with the sugar and put into the fridge and make your frosting.

To make your frosting, put the whipped cream into the bowl of your mixer, and with the mixer on low, slowly add the sugar and pudding mix.  Turn mixer up to medium-high and beat until stiff peaks form.

Spread a little frosting flat on top of each cupcake and then using a piping bag and tip, pipe sort of a nest around the edge of each cupcake in a circle.  Fill the center of each “nest” with strawberry mixture.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.