I’m gonna go ahead and say this from the jump: I had no idea how good these cupcakes were going to be! Sometimes that happens as a chef. You have an idea, you can picture the flavors coming together, but then you taste it, and BAM! Eyes go wide, smile comes on and you're like “dang, that's even better than I imagined!” These cupcakes did that. They surprised me… Delighted me! And now, I’m delighted to be sharing them with you. This recipe is inspired by the season we’re in and the combination of vanilla cake with strawberry preserves and our creamy coconut matcha frosting makes for some seriously sweet summer magic.
I grew up in the midwest and that meant an abundance of berries in the summertime. My family would travel to Michigan and the roadside stands overflowing with super fragrant crimson berries legitimately swooned me. I believe strawberry and vanilla to be an eternal pairing and for this dessert, I've added our coconut matcha frosting to the dance card. I find this frosting to be the most lovely accompaniment to summer with its subtle tropical notes and richness of flavor. It takes to a cream cheese variation very well and when atop strawberry filled vanilla cakes, these cupcakes become like a storied summer romance. OMG… I’m having a realization… Are pastry chefs flavor matchmakers? Immersing themselves in the dating pool of lovely ingredients and seeing which ones belong together?! I can picture it now… “the millionaire matchmaker” dessert edition. Anyway, I digress…
You could make your own strawberry filling for these cupcakes. If you’ve got access to an abundance of berries and want to make your own preserves, you are my hero and please send me a jar. If not, I’ve got a recommendation for you. Since moving away from the midwest, yet never forgetting the magic of Northern Michigan berries I have come to rely on a company called American Spoon. They are my forever brand for jams, preserves, fruit butters and more. They are a staple in my pantry and after trying them for yourself, I know you will understand why.
Now let's get baking shall we?!
Here’s what you will need to make them:
1 box Wild Rye Baking Co. Vanilla Cake Mix, baked into cupcakes & cooled
1 box Wild Rye Baking Co. Coconut Matcha Frosting Mix, prepared according to box instructions
1 jar strawberry preserves here’s a link to my forever brand
Instructions:
- Once your cupcakes are completely cooled, fit a piping bag with a star tip and fill with strawberry preserves.
- Fill cupcakes with jam by piercing the center of the cupcake and squeezing the jam into their centers until you feel some resistance or the jam begins to escape from the top of the cupcake where you’ve inserted the piping tip. *no need to worry about perfection here. It's allllll getting covered with frosting.
- Frost the cupcakes with coconut matcha frosting using a piping bag if you want to be fancy or simply with a butter knife or mini offset spatula.
- Serve, indulge & enjoy!!