Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes with Mascarpone Cream

Now I made two different versions of these. I made a large version where I filled the cupcake with the mascarpone cream and then I made a mini cupcake version for my cousin's bridal shower. It is essentially the same recipe as the strawberry shortcake. For the larger, filled version, I pureed strawberries and folded it into the cream, which gave it additional flavor as well as a nice pink color. For the mini cupcakes, I just used pink food dye.

So this is just pretty much the same recipe. Forgive the repetition.

Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes with Mascarpone Cream

Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1 1/4 cups of superfine sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs
1 2/3 cups of self-rising flour
1 1/2 tablespoons milk
1 1/4 cups strawberries, sliced
8 whole strawberries

For Mascarpone Cream
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
2/3 cup mascarpone cheese
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar [powdered sugar]

Instructions:
[Shortcake]
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a regular sized muffin tin or a mini muffin tin.

Beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium-high until pale and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until just combined after each addition.

With mixer on low, gradually beat in the flour and milk until well incorporated.

Divide the batter evenly between the muffin tins until golden brown and the cake springs back lightly when touched or a skewer comes out clean when tested. I can't give an estimated time. It really just depends.

Cool the cupcakes in the tins for 10 minutes then turn out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

[Mascarpone Cream]
Beat the cream in a large chilled bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until stiff.

Beat in the mascarpone, lemon juice, and confectioners' sugar in a separate bowl until smooth.

Fold the mascarpone mixture into the cream. Cover and chill in the refrigerator.

Put a piping bag fitted with a medium, fluted nozzle in the refrigerator. To fill the cupcakes, you will need a Bismark round tip. It is a smooth nozzle that will allow you to insert the cream into the cupcake. You won't be able to fill it too much for the cupcake itself is dense.

Fill the piping bag halfway [it gets extremely messy if you fill it all the way] with the mascarpone cream and pipe it onto the top of the cupcakes in whatever design pleases you. Tada! Cupcakes! Yum.

 

 

 The mini version!