white cupcakes with strawberry buttercream January 24, 2007

i saw martha make these today. i cannot wait to give them a try!!! these will be prefect for the baby shower i am helping to host next week!
now i just realized, while copying this down, that it contains 6, count ‘em 6, sticks of butter. i think i will try and slim it down a bit….

White Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream

3 cups cake flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup milk
8 large egg whites
Strawberry Meringue Buttercream
24 small strawberries, washed, hulls intact, for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line two standard 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and 2 cups sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the flour; beat until just combined. Transfer mixture to a large bowl; set aside.
4. In the clean bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites on low speed until foamy. With mixer running, gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar; beat on high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 4 minutes. Do not overbeat. Gently fold a third of the egg-white mixture into the butter-flour mixture until combined. Gently fold in remaining egg-white mixture.
5. Divide batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling each with a heaping 1/4 cup batter. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until the cupcakes are golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack. Invert cupcakes onto rack; then reinvert and let cool completely, top sides up. Frost cupcakes with Strawberry Meringue Buttercream, swirling to cover. Cupcakes may be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Garnish with strawberries just before serving.
recipe origin: Martha Stewart Baking Handbook, featured on her show

Strawberry Meringue Buttercream
4 large egg whites
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 sticks unsalted butter, room temp, cut into tablespoons
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups strawberry jam, pureed in a food processor

1. In the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer set over a saucepan of simmering water, combine egg whites and sugar. Cook, whisking constantly, until sugar has dissolved and mixture is warm to the touch (about 160°).
2. Attach the bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat the egg-white mixture on high speed until it holds stiff (but not dry) peaks. Continue beating until the mixture is fluffy and cooled, about 6 minutes.
3. Switch to the paddle attachment. With mixer on medium-low speed, add butter several tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition. (If frosting appears to separate after all the butter has been added, beat on medium-high speed until smooth again, 3 to 5 minutes more.) Beat in vanilla. Beat on lowest speed to eliminate any air bubbles, about 2 minutes. Stir in strawberry jam with a rubber spatula until frosting is smooth.