ASK ALLISON!

Everything you ever wanted to know about cupcakes but were afraid to ask. Don't be afraid, just email me at allisonATcrossfitnycDOTcom and put "Ask Allison" in the subject line of your query!

I have a FlickrPro account again!

Here's this week's question:
Q: I made cupcakes with a "buttercream" made from butter, powdered sugar and milk. I put a cut fresh strawberry on top and after a few minutes noticed that juice was accumulating and ruining the look of the beautiful cupcake. I see pictures of cupcakes with fresh strawberries on top of the frosting and no juice. What can i do to remedy this problem?

Thanks.

Karen


strawberry cupcake 2

A: Karen, there's a few things you want to consider in reducing the wateriness of your strawberries. First of all, how you clean the strawberries can make a difference. Instead of pouring lots of water on them, instead use a damp paper towel to clean them off. Then let them sit out a bit, preferably on a dry paper towel to soak up any additional moisture.

Strawberry and Cream Cupcake

The next step is--to cut the strawberry or not to cut it? If, like the photos above, you don't cut the strawberries, you'll really have no problems whatsoever with unwanted liquid.

You might want to try to find smaller strawberries so they don't overwhelm the cupcake and appear out of proportion. If you can get strawberries while they're in season locally (most likely at a farmers' market) you'll have a better shot at getting smallish strawberries. (Unfortunately, lots of Americans can only find those huge supermarket strawberries that are grown in California and often don't have the best flavor, in my opinion.)

strawberry daiquiri cupcakes

If you really prefer the cut-strawberry look, then by all means give it a try, but here's what I recommend: be sure to lay the cut sides down on a couple layers of paper towels for at least a few minutes. Be gentle, but do press a bit on the strawberry to try to extract excess moisture.

Strawberry Macaroon Cupcakes

Finally, you must not place the strawberries on the cupcakes until right before you're going to serve them. Yes, it's a pain, but if you're going for looks as well as taste, it's worth it.

If anyone else has other suggestions, please list them in the comments!

Comments

Anonymous said…
This is a good article. I have the same problem with my strawberries on top. I even used the paper towels, but that didn't work for me either.
Anonymous said…
Hi,

What is the different between a cupcake and a muffin. Alot of people think they are the same.
Can you tell me the different?

Cupcake Lover
LetsEatLunch said…
yummy, i'd like some of your cup cakes, wink wink ;)
Anonymous said…
Hi Allison
You've been tagged by Australia Entertains! Please visit us for the details... http://australiaentertains.com.au/
Love your blog, kudos!
Kathryn
Erin said…
What a great FAQ type feature. Thanks for the really interesting and detailed response. i dont think i would have thought twice about putting cut berries on top, and I would have found myself with weepy cupcakes
Celeste said…
I find that dipping them in chocolate fixes that problem. Actually that fixes most of my problems.
(even then you have to dry them off though.)