Gayle’s Galley
Fresh Ontario strawberries have finally arrived at the farm markets and grocery stores. This year’s crop seems sweeter than ever. While we’ve been enjoying strawberry short-cake this week, I’m almost certain that you will like a couple of other strawberry desserts that are in my recipe file.
“Today, while the blossoms still cling to the vine, I’ll taste your strawberries, I’ll drink your sweet wine.”
– John Denver
The first recipe is for Strawberry Cupcakes topped with a wonderful Strawberry Buttercream. This is one of Martha Stewart’s lesser known recipes – but it is a “keeper”. We enjoy it and I hope you will too.
The second recipe for Strawberry Icebox Cake is a perfect make a-head dessert. You assemble it 3-48 hours before serving time, pop it in the fridge and it’s ready to be sliced and served. It’s a crowd pleaser. Enjoy!
Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
2 ¾ c all-purpose flour
½ c cake flour
1 TBsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 ¼ c sugar
3 large eggs
1 large egg white
1 c whole milk (3%) (I use ½ & ½)
1 ½ tsp vanilla
2 c finely chopped strawberries, plus small strawberries for garnish
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk dry ingredients in a large bowl. Cream butter and sugar with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition.
Reduce speed to low. Mix milk and vanilla in a bowl. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture in 3 additions, alternating with wet ingredients and ending with dry. Scrape sides of bowl.
Stir chopped strawberries into batter.
Divide batter among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full.
Bake cupcakes until testers inserted into centers come out clean, about 20 minutes. Let cool in tins on wire racks.
Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
¼ c butter, softened
¼ c vegetable shortening
2 c icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2-4 TBsp strawberry jam
Beat the butter and the vegetable shortening until smooth. Add the icing sugar in batches, ¼ cup at a time, until well combined. Add vanilla. Add strawberry jam a tablespoon at a time until it reaches the consistency needed for spreading.
Makes enough frosting to top 18-20 medium size cupcakes.
Did you know - Tennis fans at Wimbledon eat over 23 tonnes of fresh strawberries = 50,705.8 pounds of strawberries.
Strawberry Icebox Cake
3 c (720ml) cold heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup (40g) icing sugar
2 tsp vanilla
½ tsp almond extract
20–21 full-sheet graham crackers
4 c (760g) sliced fresh strawberries
Optional for garnish: additional strawberries
Beat the cream, icing sugar, vanilla and almond extracts together on medium-high speed until medium peaks form, about 4 minutes.
Spread a couple tablespoons into a very, very thin layer on the bottom of an ungreased 9×13-inch pan. This will help the bottom layer of graham crackers stick. Layer graham crackers on top, breaking them apart as needed to make 1 even layer.
Spread about 2 cups of whipped cream on top of the graham crackers. Then layer the sliced strawberries on top. Follow with another layer of graham crackers, 2 more cups of whipped cream, and then another layer of strawberries. Top with final layer of graham crackers and the whipped cream.
Cover with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, and up to 48 hours.
Garnish with additional strawberries. Cut into slices and serve cold.
Note: Think of this as a fruit “lasagna”. You will have 3 layers of graham crackers, 3 layers of whipped cream, and 2 layers of strawberries. Each layer of graham crackers is about 7 graham crackers (break some up to fit). There will be 6 cups of whipped cream and you will use 2 cups per layer.