• Preheat oven to 350℉, line the wells of a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
• Puree strawberries in a small blender. (Since the frosting only calls for 3 tablespoons of puree, you can make enough puree for the cake and frosting at this time.) Measure out ¾ cup puree for the cake batter, and set aside 3 tablespoons for the frosting.
• Put all of the cake ingredients into your mixing bowl and mix on low speed until the ingredients are blended (about 15 seconds). Then increase speed to medium and mix for two minutes, scraping down sides of bowl mid way through.
• The pureed strawberries should be well blended into the batter. Fill the cupcake liners in the cupcake pan about ⅔ full (about ¼ cup batter per cupcake).
• Bake for 15-18 minutes or until tooth pick comes out clean. This recipe makes about 25 cupcakes. These cupcakes have very small domes. Baking times can vary, check on the cupcakes after 15 minutes. They are done when the centers spring back when lightly touched, or an inserted toothpick comes out clean (or with a few crumbs).

For the Strawberry Whipped Cream Frosting

• Freeze your mixing bowl and beaters 10-15 minutes before whipping the cream).
• Use the whisk attachment for a stand mixer, or beaters if using a hand mixer.  Starting on medium speed and increasing to high, mix the cream until stiff peaks form.  This can happen very quickly so don't walk away from the mixer.  You are at the stiff peak stage when you can lift the beater and the cream stands straight up forming a peak.
• In another bowl, add the cream cheese, powdered sugar, strawberry puree and strawberry extract. Mix until blended and smooth.
• Gently fold in the whipped heavy cream until well combined.
• This is a soft filling which requires refrigeration. Cupcakes with this frosting should be refrigerated, and removed an hour before serving.

Decoration

• We swirled the frosting onto our cooled cupcakes, using a large star piping tip (1M). We topped each cupcake with fresh strawberries, halved.