Strawberry Milkshake Cupcakes

I have had the thought for these rolling around in my mind for a few weeks. 3 fails, to 1 success. Finally after different variations, this is my final play on these strawberry milkshake cupcakes. They offer the same silky malty flavor of a milkshake, but in a cupcake form. A sweet strawberry buttercream filling, and a simple whipped cream frosting makes for a scrumptious cupcake. 

Cupcake Batter 

1/2 cup room temp salted butter

1 3/4 cups sifted flour

1 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp baking powder

3/4 cup milk

3 eggs

1/3 plus 2 tbs strawberry Nesquik powder

1/2 tsp vanilla

 Cream the butter and sugar and eggs. Add the flour and baking powder alternately with the milk, starting with flour, and ending with flour. Add the strawberry powder and vanilla, and mix until the batter turns pink and is fully combined. Bake in cupcake liners for 12 to 15 minutes on 350. Let cool. 

Filling

1/2 cup room temp butter

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

3 tbs heavy cream

1/3 cup strawberry Nesquik Powder  

1 tbs strawberry jello powder

 Whip all ingredients in a stand mixer until fluffy. It will be a brighter pink than the batter, due to the extra strawberry jello flavoring. After round one of not being strawberry enough, I added the jello flavoring as well. 

 When the cupcakes are cooled, they are ready to be filled. Pour the filling into a piping bag. I have a filler tip, it's long and pointed at the end, perfect for filling cupcakes. Stick the tip square into the middle of the cupcake and squeeze gently to fill the cupcake with the buttercream. Fill all the cupcakes with as much filling as they can stand, don't overfill, or the tops will crack. 

 Between the cupcake itself, and the sweet filling, a simple whipped cream works well with the cupcakes. Plus who doesn't like whip cream on there strawberry milkshake? If your not good at making homemade whip cream ( or don't have a best friend in the kitchen, aka kitchenaid stand mixer) a scoop of cool whip will suffice. But here is how I make my whip cream

1 cup heavy cream

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

 Chill your mixer bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer for 20 min. Add all of the whopping 3 ingredients and put on low for 1 minute, then kick it up to high speed, and whip until thick. Yes friends, it is that easy, and so much better than that can stuff people dare to put on pumpkin pie, and ice cream sundaes around the world. 

 Now let's cut into one of these beauty's and possibly have it for lunch!