Strawberries & Cream Cupcakes

For The Cupcakes…

• 5 ½ ounces cake flour
• 5 ½ ounces super fine sugar
• 6 ounces unsalted butter softened
• 3 large lightly beaten eggs
• ½ teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

For The Strawberry Filling…

• 1 punnet strawberries
• 2 ounces caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon gelatin
• 2 teaspoons hot water

For The Whipped Cream….

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon gelatin
• 2 ounces melting chocolate
• 1 tablespoon superfine sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350° F (180° C) and prepare 12 paper cupcake cases in muffin tins.
Place softened butter and sugar into a bowl and cream with an electric mixer until the butter changes
colour. (generally 2 minutes)
Add in lightly beaten eggs to the mix a little at a time, beating on slow for 15 seconds between each
addition. Add Vanilla then sift in flour and baking powder and mix for a further minute. Spoon batter into
cases until they are approx 2/3rds full and then place in the middle rack in your preheated oven.
Bake for approx 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean, then remove and let sit for a few
minutes before removing the cupcakes from the tins and placing them on a wire rack to cool.
To make the filling, slice up the strawberries into small pieces, (keeping the best looking ones for the tops of
the cupcakes). Then in a small bowl, mix the gelatin and sugar with hot water until is has dissolved. Let it
cool down and then add the sliced strawberries and mix to combine.
Once the mixture starts to gel, give it another mix and then cut a small hole in the center of each cupcake
and dig out with a spoon. Discard the center and fill hole with the strawberry filling.
To make the stabilized whipped cream, dissolve the gelatin with the hot water and allow to cool, then beat
the cream with an electric mixer just until traces of the beaters can be seen in the cream, then slowly pour
the cool gelatin mixture into the cream while still beating, then add the vanilla, and beat just until soft peaks
start to form.
Using a spatula or a knife cover the top of the cupcakes with the stabilized cream, and then melt the chocolate
over a double boiler and drizzle chocolate over the cream. Top with a fresh whole strawberry and serve.