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Ingredients
  

For the cupcake:

  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/3 c sugar
  • 1/4 c powdered sugar
  • 1/2 c olive oil
  • 1/2 c vanilla or plain yogurt
  • 1 1/2 c cake flour
  • 1/2 c almond flour or 2 cups cake flour total
  • 4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 c pureed strawberries fresh or frozen
  • 1 c freeze dried strawberries

For the Frosting:

  • 5 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 3/4 c unsalted butter 1 1/2 sticks, at room temperature
  • 3/4 c heavy cream
  • 3 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1 vanilla bean
  • 1/2 c freeze dried strawberries
  • red food coloring if desired

Instructions
 

For the cupcakes:

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  • In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with vanilla extract. Add the cane sugar and whisk for about 1 minute until frothy.
  • Add the oil, then the pureed berries to the egg mixture.
  • In a medium bowl, sift and combine the flour, almond flour (if using), powdered sugar, baking powder, and salt.
  • Grind the freeze dried strawberries in a blender or by crushing against a sieve and combine with the dry ingredients. Gradually add the dry mixture into the wet mixture in the larger bowl.
  • Add the yogurt and combine well, but be careful to not over mix.
  • Pour into cupcake pans and bake for 16-20 minutes at 400 degrees for 5 minutes, and then reduce to 350 F. Cupcakes are done when a toothpick comes out clean. Do not open the oven before 15 minutes of cook time, or cupcakes with collapse in the center.

For the Frosting:

  • Pour the cream into a small pot over medium- low heat. Slice open the vanilla bean vertically down the length of the bean, and use a knife to scrape out all the beans and add to the cream. Add the remainder of the bean pod to the cream. Simmer for only 5 minutes until fragrant and do not allow to boil or evaporate. Remove the bean pod and strain the cream with a fine sieve if necessary to remove any woody strands from the cream. Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature.
  • Whip the butter at medium speed until pale and fluffy.
  • Add the vanilla extract. Whip at medium then high speed for 1 minute.
  • Sift the powdered sugar once or twice to remove any clumps and to aerate.
  • Add the sifted powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing well.
  • Add the vanilla bean infused cream and stir well.
  • Grind the freeze dried strawberries in a food processor, blender, or by crushing against a sieve and blend into the frosting. Add red food coloring if deeper pink color is desired.