Strawberry Daiquiri Cupcakes

I recently made some de-licious strawberry curd. I spread it on almost everything: bananas, toast, cookies, even strawberries for some flavor to the max. Then, out of the blue, I had an idea...

More on that idea in a bit. First, can we please pause to praise this completely unnecessary but necessarily awesome aqua ceramic farmer's market fruit carton pictured above from Anthropologie **moment of oo-ing and ahhh-ing** 

Ok, moving on.

I had this idea to make Strawberry Daiquiri Cupcakes. Strawberries, cake, cream, curd, and last but not least rum all in one bite. You can thank me after you make this.

          

Here we go: A vanilla cupcake, soaked in rum, filled with strawberry buttercream, and topped off with strawberry curd and strawberries. Even presentation-wise, these are fun, and would be great for any adult gathering. The strawberry curd pops even more with bright cupcake liners and little paper umbrellas!

I will warn you: this is a project. There are many recipes and steps but I'm going to say that you could have these made and assembled in 3 hours. Don't kill the messenger! Especially the one who gives you the idea that such a dessert could exist...

How to Make Strawberry Daiquiri Cupcakes
Make Vanilla Cupcakes (recipe below).
Poke holes in the tops of the cupcakes with a fork.
Cut out center of cupcakes with a knife and fill with Strawberry Buttercream (recipe below).
Mix 1/2 cup simple syrup (recipe below) with 2 tablespoons of rum. Brush mixture over the cupcakes.
Spread Strawberry Curd (recipe below) on the cupcake tops. Garnish with a strawberry.
Enjoy.

RECIPES:

Vanilla Cupcakes
adapted from My Baking Addiction

yields 2 dozen cupcakes or 6 dozen mini cupcakes

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups milk
4 large egg whites
8 tablespoon (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pan with paper liners.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk and egg whites.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar at medium speed until the butter and sugar are very light and fluffy. Add in the vanilla extract and one third of the flour mixture, still beating on medium speed. Beat in half of the milk-egg mixture, then beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients until well incorporated. Add the rest of the milk and eggs, beating until the ingredients are fully incorporated and the batter is smooth. Then add the last of the dry ingredients, beating until, yes, that's right, the ingredients are fully incorporated.

Using a large scoop/spoon, distribute the batter between the muffin trays, filling each muffin liner until 1/2 to 2/3 full.

Bake for 20-24 minutes for cupcakes, and 16-18 minutes for mini cupcakes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean. Cool on wire rack. While cupcakes are cooling, make Strawberry Buttercream...

__________________________________________________________________________________

Strawberry Buttercream
adapted from Confessions of a Tart

yields about 1 1/2 cups frosting

Ingredients:
1 sticks (8 tbsp) of butter, room temperature
1/2 cup strawberries, pureed (I measured out the strawberries first and then pureed them)
2 cups powdered sugar

Directions:
Cream the butter in the mixer on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes. On slow speed, gradually add about 2 cups of powdered sugar and turn back up to high for a few minutes to really incorporate the sugar. Turn to slow speed again and fold in the strawberries. Add more sugar until desired consistency is achieved. Once all the sugar is incorporated, turn to medium-high for a few minutes to mix well.

__________________________________________________________________________________

Simply Syrup

yields 1/2 cup simple syrup

Ingredients:
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar

Directions:
Heat sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat until sugar has dissolved.
__________________________________________________________________________________

Strawberry Curd

yields about 1 1/2 cups curd

Ingredients:
2 cups sliced strawberries
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons or 1/2 stick) butter, cut into pieces

Directions:
In a food processor or blender pulse strawberries until smooth. Strain through a fine strainer to remove seeds.

In a heavy saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Add strawberry puree, lemon juice, and egg yolks. Cook over medium heat for 7 to 8 minutes, or until very thick, whisking constantly.

Remove from heat. Gradually add butter, whisking until melted. Let cool. Place in a jar and store in refrigerator.