sweet and simple strawberry cupcakes

Marian Keyes’ baking book Saved by Cake has been an inspiration these past few months.  Between the beautiful photos and hilarious commentary, it’s difficult to decide what exactly I’ll make next (I’ve made Barmbrack more than once!).  One thing I remember puzzling over the first time I read through the book was an instruction to add canned berries.  Perhaps I have lived a lovely, FRESH berry-filled life to this point, but I had never encountered canned berries, aside from inside a boxed blueberry muffin mix.  So I read ‘canned strawberries,’ wondered for a half moment, and then passed on to the next scrumptious photo. 

I wouldn’t have given it a second thought, but when I was in Ireland, in a convenience store, no less, I found a whole array of canned berries, mango, and so on.  I snagged a can of strawberries and brought it home with me (not sure it was worth its weight in my suitcase, but… what can you do?).  So.  I used a can of strawberries in this recipe.  But rest assured, you can make it without, and I myself used half canned, half frozen, and it turned out lovely all the same.

Sweet and Simple Strawberry Cupcakes (from Marian Keyes’ recipe)

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups strawberries (thawed, if frozen)

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a cupcake pan with paper or silicone liners.  Wash and hull (if fresh!) the strawberries and mash until they’re pulpy.

Beat the oil, sugar and eggs together for a few minutes until the mixture starts to look caramelly.  Add the pulped strawberries, sift in the flour and baking soda, and fold through.

Pour the batter into the liners and bake for about 20 minutes (23, in my case).  Cool on a wire rack and decorate pinkly.  Makes 12 cupcakes.

This is the kind of recipe that you can pass off as muffins for breakfast in a pinch (without icing & sprinkles, of course), but it really does have more of a cupcake consistency and flavor.  The cakes are light and sweet, and look even more fabulous topped with whatever you have on hand (umm, plain icing… from a can?).

Recommended for: a simple, delightful dessert with a pop of strawberry flavor, and the perfect treat to surprise your girlfriends or coworkers with for a special occasion.

Interested in other food-related posts?  Check out Beth Fish Reads’ Weekend Cooking!