CUPCAKES! Simple, and freakin genius. Whether you’re preparing a dessert for a crowd or just looking for something fun to do, these little guys are as festive as a layer cake and much less daunting. Sure they’re trendy, and they’re everywhere. Which makes the homemade ones rare and a bit rebellious. So let’s be bad.

Recently the entire extended family herded together for a casual weekend dinner. Think double-batches of spaghetti, homemade sparkling lemonade, buckets of chianti, and face-scrunching laughter. I needed to contribute something and hopefully make a splash, but it was Friday and I was already clocked out. Cupcakes were a simple solution, but the batter just needed something…more. I slumped against the cabinet slightly defeated–pouting, I’ll admit it–when my eyes rolled to a basket of strawberries. Chop chop chop and my naked little cupcakes had a new spring outfit. A big smear of cream cheese frosting, a strawberry garnish on top and I was ready to go. Spoonful tested and family approved. They were so yummy we made them again 12  hours later for a friend’s birthday party.

Cupcakes make it easy to play, with so many ways to make them your own. But, no matter what personal touches you decide to add, they’ll always be a silly, adorable treat, and your own little private moment of fun.

*NOTE ~ Often the biggest challenge cupcakes present is transportation. A plastic carrier is a worthy investment, and I found this one at The Container Store for just over twenty dollars. I love this one because the dividing piece between the two tiers doesn’t droop (onto the bottom layer of cupcakes) and you can easily use it for brownies or cookies. It has a handle but I recommend carrying from the bottom, just to be safe.

• 3 cups of unbleached, all-purpose flour
• 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
• about 1 pound of strawberries, hulled and evenly chopped, plus extra for garnish
• 24 cupcake wrappers

• 12 oz cream cheese, slightly softened
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, slightly softened
• 1/2 pound powdered sugar

• Preheat your oven to 350F. Line two standard muffin tins with wrappers and set aside.
• Mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter on medium speed with an electric mixer. It should look truly creamy when done. Add the sugar slowly, about 1/2 cup at a time, and mix completely. You’ll know it’s ready when the mixture starts looking light and fluffy.
• Add the eggs, one at a time, and incorporate fully.  Add the flour mixture and the buttermilk in 3 parts, alternating between the two and ending with the buttermilk.
• Add the chopped strawberries and fold them in gently. This means taking a large wooden spoon and running it slowly around the sides and bottom of the bowl, pulling the batter on the bottom up over the berries. Do this about 10 times. This helps to mix everything in evenly, but without mushing up the berries.
• Divide the batter evenly between the tins. Each wrapper should be nearly full with the batter. I like to use a big ice cream or cookie dough scoop to help me neatly spoon it into each little wrapper.
• Place the tins in the center of your oven and bake for about 35-50 minutes. Be sure to turn your pans 2-3 times while you are baking them so they bake evenly. When done, they should look light golden brown in color and the tops should be fairly springy when you touch them (as opposed to if your finger leaves an impression). Allow to cool for a few minutes and then remove the cakes from the tins and onto a cooling rack. They will need to cool at least 40-60 minutes before you frost them.
• When you are ready to frost, cream the cream cheese and butter together, and slowly add the powdered sugar. If your frosting is too thin, add a bit more powdered sugar, and if it is too thick add a bit of milk.
• Smooth a big generous spoonful of frosting onto each cake. If you have extra frosting, I recommend keeping it in the fridge for up to a week and using it to spread over graham crackers if you’ve got a sweet tooth!
• Top with a few slices of strawberry, and enjoy!