Valentine's Day

Name: Vanilla Cupcakes with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 2 h 28 min
Yield: 30
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 1/2 cups cake flour; 2 cups granulated sugar; 3 eggs; 1 1/4 cups whole milk; 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste, or vanilla extract; 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp; 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 1/2 sticks butter, room temp; 12 ounces cream cheese, 1 1/2 8 oz pkgs; 1 1/2 cups FREEZE DRIED strawberries, or 1.2 oz package; 2 teaspoons lemon juice; 3 - 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar; pinch salt; 8 fresh strawberries - sliced thinly; 1/2 cup sugar; 1/2 cup water

Winter Vegetable Soup

February 12, 2020

It’s winter and that means comfort food. But, we’re also trying to eat a little healthier. We’re making an effort to eat more vegetables because we want to get more bang for our buck in the nutrition department. This winter vegetable soup is nearly fat free, it’s low in calories and contains a ton of vitamins, minerals and fiber.

Speaking of healthy comfort food, this vegan vegetable soup would be perfect for cold winter evenings. It doesn’t hurt that the broth is the color of sunshine; which is what we need on chilly, gray days.

This post is sponsored by Idaho® Potatoes. As always, all opinions are my own.

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Vanilla Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting

February 3, 2020

Simple vanilla cupcakes with strawberry cream cheese frosting are the perfect cupcakes for any occasion. From birthday parties to Mother’s Day, summer backyard BBQ’s to school bake sales and of course Valentine’s Day, these cupcakes will become your go-to recipe.

Made from scratch, with zero artificial coloring, this strawberry cream cheese frosting is the perfect complement to this easy vanilla cupcake. Try pairing this frosting with cream cheese cupcakes for another delicious combination.

If you’re looking for an icing made with fresh strawberries, try my strawberry cream cheese icing recipe. It’s perfect for topping pound cakes, cookies or even muffins.

Vanilla cupcake recipe

Vanilla cupcakes sometimes get a bad rap. They are often thought of as the “Plain Jane” of the cupcake world, but when done right, they can be absolute perfection. Vanilla doesn’t have to be boring and when it’s topped with this strawberry cream cheese frosting, it is anything but dull.

Vanilla Cupcakes with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting and sprinkles on a cooling rack.

Vanilla is the number one flavor for a reason. It is versatile, lots of people like it and it pairs with almost anything. It’s also popular with kids parties because it isn’t a strong flavor, there is no food coloring and you really can’t go wrong with homemade vanilla cupcakes.

I love this recipe. Delicious and turned out beautiful each time, this is truly a keeper!!! Thank you for sharing the recipe!!! – Merry

Easy Vanilla Cupcakes

These cupcakes are a breeze to make, and they freeze really well. When I make a batch, I keep a half dozen or so aside to freeze for those days when I might “need” a cupcake.

Bakeries typically make cupcakes (and cakes) ahead of time and freeze them for later use, so it stands to reason that this will work at home as well. Make a double batch and keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months. The next time you need cupcakes for a party, all you have to do is frost them.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

My first attempt at this frosting was a complete and epic failure. It was a runny, sloppy mess. I used fresh strawberries and if I wanted more of a glaze, like say for a pound cake, it would’ve been fine. That was not what I wanted, so back to the drawing board.

Next, I tried roasting the strawberries. I thought I would get a nice, deep flavor from them and also bake out some of the moisture. That didn’t work either. At this point, I’m starting to develop a complex, but I’m also slightly miffed and I’m not about to let it get the best of me.

vanilla cupcakes with strawberry frosting cut in half

My third attempt was with strawberry jam. Better, but it didn’t taste very “strawberry-y”. That’s a word, right? The consistency was a little softer than I wanted, but the flavor was my major complaint. It didn’t taste like strawberry.

I wanted there to be no doubt that this was strawberry cream cheese frosting. At this point, I’m frustrated. I went to the store and as I’m walking down one of the aisles, I spied freeze-dried strawberries. I thought “Well, it can’t be any worse”. So, I bought them.

I went home and emptied a bag into the food processor. I ended up with bright pink rubble. As soon as I opened the lid and saw this strawberry powder, I knew I was on to something good. Finally.

All I wanted was a vanilla cupcake with strawberry frosting, and I was finally going to get it.

This strawberry cream cheese frosting actually tastes like strawberry! This may seem like a strange statement, but please tell me I’m not the only person on the planet who has ordered something strawberry-flavored, only to have it fall flat. Or worse, it tastes artificial. This frosting honestly tastes like strawberries.

Award Winning Cupcakes

These vanilla cupcakes with strawberry cream cheese frosting are award-winning treats. They were entered into a baking contest and took home a ribbon, so I can confidently say that they are pretty good.

For me, the picture above is the perfect ratio of frosting to cupcake. I like enough, but not too much. I’ve always preferred the cake to the frosting, until now.

To garnish them, I made candied strawberry slices. Because, you know I had a bunch.

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USED TO MAKE VANILLA CUPCAKES:

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vanilla cupcakes with black background — *Vanilla Cupcakes*

Yield: 30 cupcakes

Vanilla Cupcakes with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

A simple vanilla cupcake topped with a strawberry cream cheese frosting that actually tastes like strawberry. This frosting is bursting with strawberry flavor. Vanilla Cupcakes with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting are the perfect cupcake for any occasion.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Bake Time 18 minutes

Candied Strawberry Slices Time 2 hours

Total Time 2 hours 28 minutes

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups cake flour
2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 1/4 cups whole milk
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste, or vanilla extract
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

For the Frosting

1 1/2 sticks butter, room temp
12 ounces cream cheese, 1 1/2 8 oz pkgs
1 1/2 cups FREEZE DRIED strawberries, or 1.2 oz package
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3 - 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
pinch salt

For Candied Strawberry Slices

8 fresh strawberries - sliced thinly
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water

Instructions

Make the candied strawberry slices

Preheat oven to 225°F.
In a small pot, combine sugar and water. Heat over medium, stirring frequently, until sugar has completely dissolved. (You just made a simple syrup)
Dip strawberry slices into simple syrup and lay them on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat (Silpat) or parchment paper.
Bake for 2 hours. Remove, set aside to cool.

Make Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350°F
Whisk flours, baking powder and salt in a small bowl and set aside. Cream butter and sugar together for 5 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, then vanilla.
Add 1/3 of the flour, half of the milk, followed by another third of the flour, the remaining milk and ending with flour.
Scrape bowl, making sure to get the bottom. Fold it a few times to make sure everything is incorporated.
Line a cupcake pan with cupcake papers and fill 2/3 full. Bake for 16 - 18 minutes, or when tester comes out with a few crumbs on it.
Remove from oven and let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Make Frosting

In a food processor (or spice grinder), grind freeze-dried strawberries until they are a fine powder. It's ok if there are a few pieces as long as they are not bigger than a small pea. Set aside.
Beat butter and cream cheese together. Add lemon juice, strawberry powder, powdered sugar and salt. Beat until fluffy (about 5 minutes)
Pipe frosting on cupcakes, or use a small knife or off-set spatula. Garnish, if desired.

Notes

CHEF'S NOTES:
You can make strawberry slices a day ahead. I have made them on a silpat and on parchment. A few stuck on the parchment and had to be carefully peeled off, but it wasn't catastrophic. That being said, they didn't stick at all on the silpat.
Make sure the strawberries for the frosting are FREEZE DRIED. Not "dried" fruit, like raisins or dried cranberries. This will not work.

Hibiscus Champagne Cocktail

January 27, 2020

This 4 ingredient hibiscus champagne cocktail is perfect for Valentine’s Day. It’s beautiful and the combination of the hibiscus flowers with champagne is as delicious as it is lovely.

With Valentine’s Day upon us, I wanted to do a special drink for those of us who will spending the night at home. I’ll be making langostino pasta for two for our special dinner. It goes nicely with this champagne cocktail.

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White wine spritzer with blood orange soda

December 28, 2019

A white wine spritzer is the perfect party drink any time of the year. It’s light and refreshing, which makes it a great cocktail for holidays when you are enjoying parties, but don’t want to overindulge. Wine spritzers are a great choice if you are trying to watch your calorie intake while still being able to enjoy a wine cocktail.

Blood oranges are in season during the winter months, as is most citrus. If you can’t find blood oranges, regular oranges or cara cara oranges make a great substitute.

Adding citrus garnish to blood orange white wine spritzer cocktail on a wooden board. — *photo: kab photography*

A blood orange spritzer makes a great holiday drink. They are quick and easy to make, not too sweet and they are light and citrusy.

If you make a purchase through one of the affiliate links, I make a few pennies at no extra cost to you. Questions? Please see disclosure for info.

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Dark Chocolate Cake with Red Wine Ganache

February 5, 2019

Dark chocolate cake is a favorite for many people. Top it with a red wine chocolate ganache and now that dessert just got an upgrade to the nth degree. Rich, decadent chocolate cake topped with melted chocolate spiked with your favorite red wine makes the perfect dessert for Valentine’s Day.

heart-shaped dark chocolate on white plate cake

Dark Chocolate Cake

This Dark Chocolate Cake with Red Wine Ganache recipe is sponsored by Sprouts Farmers Market. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Pook’s Pantry. As always, all opinions, recipes and photos are my own. Post contains affiliate links, please see disclosure for info.

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Dinner Divas Weekly Menu Plan: Valentine’s Week Recipes

February 9, 2018

Welcome back to Dinner Divas. This week, we are bringing you Valentine’s Week recipes. We are focusing on Dinner for Two, desserts and libations for celebrating with your sweetheart.

Make sure you are subscribed so you don’t miss a single recipe!

Here’s how it works: Every Friday morning, a new menu plan will show up in your email. It will consist of 5 dinner options, plus 2 extras. Those two extras could be side dishes, dessert, drinks, etc. The Dinner Divas weekly menu plans will feature (mostly) healthy, seasonal foods that don’t take all day to prepare. Getting the weekly menu delivered to your inbox on Friday morning gives you the chance to make your shopping list and get organized for the week ahead. I’d love to hear from you & see your creations! Post a pic using #DinnerDivas and tag @pookspantry! I hope this weekly menu plan provides inspiration and makes life a little easier… one meal at a time.

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Read More

Easy Vegan Chickpea Curry Recipe

February 5, 2018

This vegan chickpea curry is the perfect meal for busy weeknights and also for special occasions. It is a one pot meal, it’s fast and easy and it makes enough for leftovers the next day. Serve this easy vegan chickpea curry with a crisp white wine and it’s a delicious dinner for two at home.

Ff you prefer to stay in and have a cozy dinner, to celebrate Valentine’s Day, or any special occasion, this is the meal for you.

This easy Indian vegan chickpea curry recipe is sponsored by Sprout’s Farmers Market. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Pook’s Pantry. As always, all opinions, recipes and photos are my own.

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Blushing Valentine

January 21, 2013

I know it may seem a bit early to start thinking of Valentine’s Day, but it’s only a few short weeks away. If you like to make a special treat on Valentine’s Day, this is the cake.
It is a towering 4 layers high and lovingly encased in the most delicate rose-scented buttercream. It is outrageously good and worth every. single. calorie.

This is also the type of cake that could easily become adorned with say a few candles for a little celebratory birthday party? The colors could be swapped out for any, the flavor of the buttercream could be adapted to whatever you’d like it to be. Using a vanilla base for both cake and buttercream allows you the flexibility to change colors and flavors to suit the occasion or intended recipient….