Jeff's Strawberry Freezer Jam Filled Cupcakes

One of my favorite childhood memories is making freezer jam with my father and my sisters. My Dad does not have a sweet tooth (something I did not inherit), but he does have an affinity for jam of all kinds (something I did). Give him some bread and butter and he will put spoonfuls of delicious homemade jam on his toast. Raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, rhubarb & strawberry, strawberry, peach...You name it!

Jam is better homemade and with produce fresh from the garden. The first step is harvesting the berries or fruit. When picking berries it went like this-- 1 for the basket, 1 for my mouth! YUM!! So you can imagine it took some time to get the quantities needed to make a bunch of batches of freezer jam. The fun didn't stop there, my dad would let us help him make the jam.

His secret to such yummy jam? "Always leave one bug in the jam--for flavor" Until recently, I actually believed that he left a bug in the jam on purpose, but always hoped I didn't get that section of jam! It didn't occur to me that he would make something like that up. Its pretty hard to get all the bugs out, especially in raspberry jam. What an ingenious a little white lie! He was worried that if us girls ever found a bug in the jam we would be instantly turned off by it. So, by telling us that he left one in there for taste and a bit of luck, we would be glad we found one.

Recently, my dad came to visit and brought some strawberry freezer jam. I absolutely had to incorporate it into a cupcake. Vanilla Cupcakes with Jeff's (Dad) Strawberry Freezer Jam and Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream, resulted.

Vanilla Cupcakes

Adapted from Ultimate Vanilla Cupcakes

preheat oven to 375 degrees

1 cup caster sugar

2 cups (10 ounces) cake flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup of unsalted butter, softened

1/3 cup of vegetable oil

2 large eggs, room temperature

2 tsp vanilla bean paste

1 tsp of pure vanilla extract

1/3 cup of sour cream

2/3 cup milk

1. In a large mixing bowl, mix together sugar, cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2. Add butter and mix on medium-low speed for three minutes. You will end up with a very fine crumb texture.
3. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, sour cream, oil, milk, and vanillas until smooth.
4. Slowly add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and mix with a wooden spoon until just combined. Do not over mix.
5. Fill cupcake liners just over 1/2 full. Makes about 18 cupcakes.

Bake for 12 minutes.Set aside to cool completely

So, I absolutely love this jam and it makes up the filling. No additions!

Jeff's Strawberry Freezer Jam

Strawberry jam, thawed but cool

1. Core cupcakes and fill with a generous spoonful of jam.

I knew for this cupcake I wanted to make Swiss Meringue Buttercream, thinking that it would pair well with strawberry and vanilla cupcakes. This was my first time making SMB frosting. I was always a bit scared to make it, reading about stories of curdling and mishaps. Also, I didn't really know how it would turn out in high altitude since meringues just can't fluff up as well and most candies/caramels should not reach the temperature that most recipes say (they will turn out harder than desired). This batch came out perfectly! I kept waiting for the curdle, but it never did and it tastes delicious! 


Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream
adapted from Annie's Eats 

8 oz fresh strawberries
4 large egg whites
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature, but cold
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla bean paste

1. Place the strawberries in a food processor and puree until there are no chunks.
2. Combine the egg whites and sugar in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Do not let the bottom of the bowl touch the water. Whisking frequently, until the mixture reaches 150° F.
3. Transfer to stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, mixture is shiny and glossy and the mixture has cooled to room temperature. (The bowl should be cool to the touch.)
4. Reduce the speed to medium and switch to paddle attachment and add the butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, adding more once each addition has been incorporated. *If the frosting looks soupy or curdled, continue to beat on medium-high speed until thick and smooth again, about 3-5 minutes more (or longer – don’t worry, it will come together!) 
5. Poor strawberry puree into strainer over the bowl and blend until smooth. 
6. Add salt and vanilla. Continue to blend for another 30 seconds.

Frost cupcakes and top with white chocolate jimmies if desired.

Vanilla Cupcakes with Jeff's (Dad) Strawberry Freezer Jam and Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream taste exactly like Strawberry Shortcake but doesn't really get soggy. I ate the cupcake in a bowl with a spoon and another heaping of jam. It doesn't need it, but some vanilla ice cream would be a nice addition as well. Enjoy!