Strawberry Jello Cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1-3/4 cup white granulated sugar
• 1 (3-ounce) box strawberry gelatin (just the dry mix)
• 4 eggs, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon strawberry extract
• 1-3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup cake flour
• 2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup 2% milk
• 1 cup chopped fresh strawberries (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400-degrees and line two cupcake tins with cupcake liners.
2. In a large bowl add the butter and beat on medium-high speed until pale and glossy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the sugar and strawberry gelatin. Mix until light and fluffy.
3. Add the eggs to the mixture one at a time, beating with mixer after each egg.
4. Add the vanilla extract and strawberry extract.
5. In a medium sized bowl, stir together the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder and salt.
6. Add a cup of the flour mixture to the batter and alternate with the milk. Continue adding the flour mixture and milk and mix until combined.
7. Fold in the strawberries if using.
8. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full of cupcake batter and bake one cupcake tin at a time in 400-degree oven for 5-minutes. After 5-minutes, leave the cupcakes in the oven, but reduce the oven temperature to 350-degrees and bake for an additional 12-minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out dry.
9. Remove from the oven and transfer cupcakes to a cooling rack as soon as the cupcakes are cool enough to handle.
10. Once cupcakes are completely cool frost with your desired frosting (Click here for my buttercream frosting recipe.)