Dessert / Cake: White Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream

From Shelly Carey

Ingredients for cupcakes
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 ¼ cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup milk
8 egg whites
Strawberry Meringue Buttercream
4 egg whites
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into tablespoons
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ½ cups strawberry jam, pureed in a food processor
24 small fresh strawberries, for garnish

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two standard 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners; set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. Beat butter and 2 cups sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in vanilla. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk and flour; beat until just combined. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, beat egg whites on low speed until foamy. Gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar; beat on high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 4 minutes. Do not overbeat. Gently fold 1/3 of the egg-white mixture into the butter-flour mixture until combined. Gently fold in remaining egg-white mixture.

Fill each muffin pan tin with a heaping 1/4 cup batter. Bake until cupcakes are golden brown (20 to 25 minutes). Transfer pans to a wire rack. Remove from pans and let cool completely. Frost cupcakes with strawberry meringue buttercream, swirling to cover. Garnish with strawberries just before serving.

Directions for frosting
In a double boiler, combine egg whites and sugar. Cook, whisking constantly, until sugar has dissolved and mixture is warm to the touch. Beat the egg-white mixture on high speed until it holds stiff (but not dry) peaks. Continue beating until the mixture is fluffy and cooled, about 6 minutes. Add butter, beating well. Beat in vanilla. Beat on lowest speed to eliminate any air bubbles, about 2 minutes. Stir in strawberry jam with a rubber spatula until frosting is smooth.

Makes 2 dozen.