Summer is the perfect time of year to get delicious and ripe seasonal fresh fruit. In celebration of the end of the school year why not make a batch of chocolate cupcakes with strawberry buttercream icing? To add a whimsical touch, try rainbow icing; a fun and easy way to decorate your cupcakes uniquely. Piping bags and other cake supplies can be found at stores such a Michaels, Bulk Barn, and Walmart. I personally found three different
colours of icing look best together, plus its easier to achieve.
The strawberry buttercream got its fantastic flavour from pureed strawberries, which were added to the buttercream. While the recipe called for four to five tablespoons, the icing tasted best with all the puree added, giving the icing a stronger strawberry flavour. Due to the amount of icing sugar in the icing, it was quite rich and sweet. However, it was offset by the darkness of the cocoa powder in the cake, the fruitiness of the strawberry accenting the bittersweetness of the chocolate perfectly. All in all the cake is quite rich, and goes perfectly with a glass of milk.
The cake was easy to make, and was done right on time. While the icing was also simple to make, it took more time; as the icing sugar had to be added gradually to keep the icing smooth and even. Icing the cupcakes was messy to say the least, especially refilling the bags.
To make rainbow icing, divide the batch of icing into three bowls. Mix a different colour of food dye into each
bowl. Fill three separate piping bags with the bowls of icing. Put all three piping bags into another piping bag, after cutting the tips off. Cut the tip off the final piping bag, and test the icing on a plate or paper towel, to make sure it works. Pipe the cupcakes as normal, and refill piping bags as necessary.
The combination of super sweet strawberry buttercream perfectly complimented the richness of the chocolate cupcake, with the rainbow icing they could have passed off for a professionally made dessert. I’d definitely recommend using fresh strawberries over any alternative; the fruitiness they blend into the icing cannot be replicated. Strawberry buttercream is also a great way to liven up an old chocolate cake recipe, as well as tasting great on vanilla cake.