Lemon and Strawberry Cream Mini Cupcakes

When I started off with this mini cupcake idea I was inspired by all the cherry blossoms in the area. I wanted to make mini cupcakes that looked like the puffs of pink and white flowers all around DC. Then I got strep throat  -- then I played tennis because I was feeling better (even though I was warned I could relapse) -- then I felt sick again and half assed my cupcakes.

The plan was angel food cake so they would be totally white and spongy, but I ended up using the lemon cake mix box in the pantry instead because I started feeling tired and lazy. "Yellow is okay too" I thought. Then I took out the raspberries that I had planned to add to a cream-cheese frosting. I thought the dark raspberry color was perfect and the little buds of berry that didn't burst would look like the centers of the blossoms. Turns out they went bad in the fridge after just three days. Did you know raspberries go bad really quickly? So we went with frozen strawberries instead.

*1 box lemon cake mix *2 mini cupcake pans *1 box mini cupcake liners *8 oz. cream-cheese *1 stick of unsalted butter *2 cups powdered sugar *10 frozen strawberries thawed 

They taste good. They look pretty, but they weren't the intended recipe or outcome. I frosted enough for the photos and then felt even worse... I needed to lay down. Currently there are about two dozen un frosted mini lemon cupcakes in my fridge. Sigh...

*Mix cake batter according to box directions. Use only one teaspoon of batter per cupcake liner (they will rise dramatically) Each batch (two pans) takes about 10 minutes at 350 degrees. For the frosting, mix/whip room temperature butter and cream-cheese in a standing mixer until it it is soft and incorporated. Add the sugar one cup at a time until it is also incorporated.  Add the thawed berries last. Stop mixing when you get your desired color. Sweeten with more sugar if necessary (the trick is to taste it constantly!). I bought these disposable frosting bags and tips from Wilton so I can do fancier things. But those little "cherry blossom" dots take forever!

UPDATE: Nick frosted the rest of my cupcakes for me last night... Now that's love.