Strawberry Cupcakes

Ever since I moved to a new and bigger place, I've been cooking more.  I always enjoy baking sweets and my oldest one loves to help me bake as well.  Her cousins and my oldest wanted to bake, so I let them bake Strawberry Cupcakes.  I decided to make it very simple without too much prepping.



Here is the main ingredients: 
2 cups cake flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking power
3 eggs room temperature
3/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup water
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped strawberries
12 whole small strawberries to set aside

For Frosting:
2 cups (480 ml) heavy cream
3 tbsp (45 ml) confectioners sugar
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla

Method
Preheat oven to 350F (175 C) degrees.
Whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder and set aside.
Mix together eggs, sugar, butter, water and vanilla.
Then slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients just until combined, being careful not to over mix! (or your cupcakes will be tough)
Toss chopped strawberries with 1 tsp of lemon zest, and set aside.
Spoon batter into muffins cups 1/3 of the way, then add 1 tbsp of chopped strawberries on top, then top with more batter until 2/3 of the way full.
Bake for 15 mins. It's done when a toothpick comes out clean. If using the Simply Baked cups it may take up to 20 mins for them to be completely baked since the cupcakes end up being more tightly compacted then a regular muffin tin.
Allow to cool completely.

For Frosting:
For the frosting, combine cream, sugar and vanilla in a bowl and whip on high until stiff peaks form. Transfer whipped cream to a pastry bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe a round rosette of frosting, and top with a whole strawberry. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. Best eaten the day they are made.

Hope you enjoy and happy cooking!