Vanilla cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream frosting

To make up for the lost of time from last weekend for when I was sick, I did lots this weekend ;)

I went shopping, then some photography then some more shopping but at the garden nursery and then came home to do baking, now blogging... heheh... oh wait, I also have to catch up on some movies recorded on MyStar, errr, .........once I get around to understanding the instruction...translation in English please...S.L.O.W.L.Y...

For those wondering, I get fixing computers, but I don't know how to use a VCR or DVD player etc...LOL ;) Brainfart!!

Oh dear, I digress, yes back to me now...here, look at some pretty pics form my baking, this recipe is adapted from Taste.com who adapted it from Honey and Jam blog... LOL ;) Cracks me up! But we must give credit where it's due....BTW, I am taking this to work tomorrow... ;)

Bakes 12 Vanilla Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting

Ingredients:

• For the Vanilla Cupcakes:
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp almond extract
• 1 1/2 cups cake flour
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• .
• For the Strawberry Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 (16 oz) package powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup of fresh strawberries, chopped or processed in blender, I cooked mine in caster sugar.
• additional strawberries cut in half to garnish

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Beat sugar and butter at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until creamy and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until yellow disappears after each addition. Beat in vanilla and almond extracts.

Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl; add to sugar mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat a medium-low speed just until blended after each addition (the batter will be thick).

Line a 12-cupcake pan with paper cupcake liners. Divide the batter evenly between the liners. Bake for about 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool on a rack before frosting.

To Make the Strawberry Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:

Beat the first 3 frosting ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar alternately with strawberries, beating at low speed until blended and smooth after each addition. Spread on cooled cupcakes.