Fact: I have the best brother in the world.
On this Easter morning, I decided to finally put our new Kitchen Aid stand mixer to use! I have been dreaming of this mixer for the past 6 years (right). Pictured on the left is my brother pretending to bake and our mixer from the 70's.
On this Easter morning, I decided to finally put our new Kitchen Aid stand mixer to use! I have been dreaming of this mixer for the past 6 years (right). Pictured on the left is my brother pretending to bake and our mixer from the 70's.
I wanted to make something that couldn't be done with our ghetto (I mean, vintage) mixer or a hand mixer, and finally settled on strawberry cupcakes with a strawberry swiss meringue buttercream. I've read that swiss meringue buttercream is a lot more work than traditional buttercream frosting but had no idea....
It took about three hours, and I was tired, sweaty, and gross when I reached the final step. But when I beat in the strawberry puree, the frosting instantly became curdled and looked absolutely disgusting. It seems so stupid now, but I literally almost cried. To put so much into something only to see it ruined in a split second at the very last moment, even if it's just baking, made me so upset. My brother happened to come down to the kitchen at that moment and saw my reaction. I was so mad and said, "UGH FORGET IT. I'll just bring them as strawberry muffins!" With only 10 minutes to get ready for church, I rushed upstairs but heard the mixer going. When I returned to the kitchen, my brother said, "Hey, I think I fixed it."
He had googled how to salvage the goopy curdled mess and saved it by microwaving a portion of it then beating it constantly. Since I was going to be late, I told him that I'd rush back after service to frost them, but he offered to frost them (by piping through a ziploc and all! with only a 5 second tutorial!) He even packed them and brought them to church!!!!!
It was such an act of grace. I was speechless and texted him "Thanks!" afterwards haha. At church, I could not help but share with others how awesome my brother is. This is but a tiny reflection of the grace of Christ. And when I truly consider how much He has given that we do not deserve, my response is the same: I am humbled, and can only thank Him, praise Him, and share how amazing He is.
Such a perfect reminder on Easter. We fail, by our own efforts. I fail, every day. But by grace, Christ served as an atonement. He died to pay for our sins and rose from the grave, conquering death--the only way we could be reconciled to God and truly live.
That is something to celebrate every day. Happy Easter!
adapted from Annie's Eats
makes 36 cupcakes
Cupcakes--
Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream
adapted from Annie's Eats
makes 36 cupcakes
- 2¼ c all-purpose flour
- ½ c cake flour
- 1 T baking powder
- 1 t salt
- 2 sticks (1 c) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2¼ c sugar
- 2 t vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs plus 1 large egg white
- 1 c milk (*I subbed soymilk)
- 2½ cups finely chopped fresh strawberries
Frosting--
- 1½ c fresh strawberries (8 oz.), rinsed, hulled and halved
- 4 large egg whites (*saved the egg yolks for scrambled eggs with liquid egg whites!)
- 1¼ c sugar
- 3 sticks (1½ c) unsalted butter, in 2 T chunks
Steps:
- Cupcakes: In a medium bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder and salt; whisk to blend.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter, sugar and vanilla. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs and egg white one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in two additions alternating with the milk, mixing each addition just until incorporated. Gently fold in the chopped strawberries with a spatula.
- Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line cupcake pans. Divide the batter, filling each about ¾-full. Bake about 25-28 minutes.
- Frosting: Place the strawberries in a food processor or blender. Puree until completely smooth.
- Combine the egg whites and sugar in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Heat, whisking frequently, until the mixture reaches 160° F and the sugar has dissolved.
- Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form and the mixture has cooled to room temperature, about 8 minutes. (The bowl should be cool to the touch.)
- Reduce the speed to medium and add the butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, adding more once each addition has been incorporated. If the frosting looks soupy or curdled, continue to beat on medium-high speed until thick and smooth again, about 3-5 minutes more (or longer).
- Blend in the strawberry puree until smooth and completely incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Fill a pastry or large Ziploc bag fitted with a decorative tip with the frosting and frost cooled cupcakes.
