Vanilla Cupcakes with Strawberry Mascarpone Frosting
These Vanilla Cupcakes with Strawberry Mascarpone Frosting are the perfect cupcakes for Valentine’s Day!
Cupcake wars!! That’s how these vanilla cupcakes with strawberry mascarpone frosting came about. How, you ask? Long story … but briefly.
It all started with my foodie labmate. I got a new labmate this summer that is just a foodie at heart like me! I love her! We talk foodie dreams, obsessions and things we are looking forward to trying while in the cell culture room playing with our cells. She’s my partner in crime and just gets my love for baking. Just last week, she told me of a cupcake she had a while ago and was planning on remaking. It was a vanilla cupcake with strawberries and mascarpone. I was instantly intrigued by the combination of mascarpone and strawberries and decided to make my version of it while she does the same. We can reconvene on Monday with two cupcakes and have our other labmates judge. (We clearly have too much time on our hands, don’t judge!)
My interpretation is this moist vanilla cupcake (my go-to recipe) topped with a creamy fluffy fresh strawberry mascarpone filling. I have never used mascarpone in a frosting before and I think that’s what got me excited to try. The creamy and slightly sweeter nature of mascarpone cheese I must say make it a great addition to frostings. I love it even better than cream cheese as it holds up better in piping.
My friend on the other hand decided to skip the frosting all together. She is making her favorite vanilla cupcakes and filling them with whipped mascarpone and fresh strawberries folded in. I really do love the sound of hers and can’t wait to sample it today. We are having a little cupcake war sampling at lunch and I will keep you posted on the results!
For now, you must make these easy, pretty in pink cupcakes for yourself, a special someone or just because it’s Valentine’s Day soon!
Vanilla Cupcakes with Strawberry Mascarpone Frosting
These Vanilla Cupcakes with Strawberry Mascarpone Frosting are the perfect cupcakes for Valentine's Day!
Ingredients
For Cupcakes:
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoons baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- ½ cup buttermilk, at room temperature
For Strawberry Puree:
- 1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
For Strawberry Buttercream:
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 8 ounces mascarpone cheese, softened at room temperature
- 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2-3 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
- a pinch of salt
- ½ cup strawberry puree (from above)
Instructions
For Cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line your muffin tins with cupcake liners.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
- Using a mixer, cream butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes on medium speed. Add eggs one at a time, beating until just combined after each addition. Beat in vanilla and almond extracts.
- Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly add half of the flour mixture to the batter. Add the buttermilk and beat until just combined. Add the rest of the flour and mix. Scrape down the side of the bowl as needed. Do not overmix.
- Divide batter into prepared tins. Fill each liner about ⅔ full. Bake cupcakes until lightly golden or a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 12-14 minutes.
- Remove cupcakes from pan and cool completely on a wire rack.
- While cupcake cools, make the filling. In a medium saucepan, combine the strawberries, sugar, water and lemon juice. Cook until strawberry is broken down and sauce thickens. Let cool completely before using in frosting. You can pass the strawberry mixture through a sieve if you do not want chunks in your frosting.
For the Strawberry Frosting:
- Whip butter for 8 minutes on medium speed using the paddle attachment of an electric mixer. The butter will become pale and creamy.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and mix on low speed for 1 minute. Then increase speed to medium and mix for 6 minutes until the frosting is light, creamy and fluffy.
- Frost cooled cupcakes using your favorite decorating tip. I used Wilton Tip 2D for these cupcakes.
Sounds like you are about to have the best lab day ever. Your co-workers must love you! Mine always got so much food. They must miss me! Ha ha ha!
Oh my gosh I am sure they miss you! It’s the best really 🙂
These cupcakes are so lovely. I’d love for someone to bring me V-day cupcakes!
ME too 😉
Yum, strawberry and mascarpone sounds like a must-try combination!
Could there be anything more perfect for a Valentine? I don’t think so. Love the addition of mascarpone! And too cute that you and your labmate have little food samplings. I have a feeling I’d choose yours… but maybe I’m just being biased 🙂
Hahha Sarah thanks 🙂 I like your biased nature!!
I love mascarpone frosting and this is the best cupcakes war. Can’t wait to see the result and eat more cupcakes 🙂
Eat more cupcakes is all we did!! We both loved each other’s cupcakes and it was hard to pick a winner lol!
Pretty cupcakes Zainab and they look delicious as well
Thanks Chichi!
These are sooo adorable! I can’t wait to find out how the cupcake wars end!
Joc we both had a great cupcakes 🙂 everyone enjoyed them! (I secretly think she held it down!)
What an interesting way to mix up your cupcakes! I’ll have to try mascarpone in them some time! I’m sure yours won the contest!!
Thanks Julia!
A cupcake war sampling at lunch today? Sounds fabulous!!! and so fun!! and I don’t know, Z. . you might have her. . you do have the fabulous Strawberry Buttercream!!!
Hahha Alice she said to tell you she held her ground! Both cupcakes were amazing!
these cupcakes sound great! how fun to have a foodie labmate 🙂
Thanks Sarah!
Cupcake war sampling sounds so much fun!! These are super pretty.
It was fun!!
I can’t wait to hear the results! These are such lovely cupcakes and I am totally loving the mascarpone frosting!!
Thanks Nancy! Everyone loved both cupcakes 🙂
Cupcake sampling sounds like the best way to spend a Monday. These are gorgeous Zainab and totally the winner in my book 🙂 I love the mascarpone you used in the frosting too!
That sounds like SO MUCH FUN!! I wish I had labmates who were as into baking/cooking as i am…but at least they’re into eating! That frosting sounds like a DREAM.
How fun, Zainab! There’s nothing wrong with a little cupcake competition. These are gorgeous!
She sounds like the perfect lab mate!! I’d give anything to be a judge because these look axing and I’m sure her version will be too.
These cupcakes are so pretty Zainab! I love that y’all are having your own little cupcake war. I’ve never made anything with mascarpone, so I must give it a try! 🙂
I loved Cupcake Wars, and these are too pretty! That frosting sounds divine, and these are just perfect for Valentine’s Day! 🙂
Thanks Marcie!
Love these Zainab! Mascarpone in frosting sounds amazing!
Your workplace cupcake war sounds like fun, and the cupcakes look so good!
Thanks dear!
I hope you win the cupcake wars Z. These look so good.
Haha absolutely no judging! I think that is awesome 🙂 And you got some gorgeous cupcakes out of the deal! Mascarpone is so fun to work with and wow does it taste good. Love the light pink of these cupcakes!
Thanks for not judging Mary Frances! It’s hard not to lol!
I think mascarpone is a sadly underutilized base for frostings, so I’m glad to see you highlighting it! PS: your lab sounds awesome!
It so is!! Thanks Nora!
If y’all ever need an unbiased 3rd party to taste test the labors of y’alls wars, I am your pick! 😉
This combo of mascarpone and strawberries has me drooling – what a phenomenal cupcake this is – I so envy you labmate who gets to taste this!
Hhaha we always need an unbiased taster!! So hard to find them around 🙂 Thanks Shashi!
These cupcakes sound delicious! I love mascarpone in frosting and it sounds amazing paired with strawberries!!
Obsessing over the creaminess of the marscapone and the sweet/tart strawberries! So genius 🙂
Thanks Medha!
Marscapone frosting is the best, delicious cupcakes 😀
I love the cute decoration!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Those cupcakes look delicious! So cute for Valentine’s Day! Vanilla Cupcakes are my favorite!
Thanks Katie!
Oooh, I totally need to try mascarpone frosting. It looks amazing!