Real Strawberry Cupcakes Recipe

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Spray cupcake cups with cooking spray or line with cupcake liners.

Place 8 strawberries into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the puree through a strainer to remove seeds. Puree should equal about 3/4 cup. Set the puree aside.

In a large bowl beat together the eggs white sugar vegetable oil 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract lemon zest and strawberry puree until well combined. Stir in the flour baking powder salt vanilla pudding mix (for a moister cupcake) and red food coloring to reach a desired shade of pink. Spoon the batter into the prepared cupcake cups filling each about 2/3 full.

Bake in the preheated oven until the cupcakes have risen and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean about 23 minutes. Allow the cupcakes to cool at least 10 minutes before frosting.

To make frosting beat cream cheese and butter together in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer until smooth and mix in confectioners' sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract to make a lump-free icing. Frost each cupcake with about 2 tablespoons of icing and top each cupcake with a strawberry slice.