Vanilla cupcakes filled with home made strawberry jam

So you know already that I love baking but you didn't know before I also love jams! The entire summer  when all the fruits you like the most are available I was making jams! For me it is like closing a bit of summer into this small jar which later in the cold winter you will take out of your cupboard you will open it and immediately the fragrance you will smell will remind you of summer! I like to combine my favorite cupcakes with my favorite jams! Hmmmm this is the best combination and I am sure you will enjoy it as well!!!

Ingredients:
For the muffins:
makes approx 15 normal muffins

• 80g butter, softened
• 280g sugar
• 1 package vanilla sugar (16g)
• 240g flour
• 1 sp baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 2 eggs
• 240 ml milk

For the cream cheese frosting:

• 250g mascarpone
• 100g softened butter
• 200g icing sugar
• red food collaring - optional

For the strawberry jam:

• 500g strawberries
• 250g high pectin sugar (jam sugar)

Preparation: 

For the muffins: Preheat the oven to 175°C. Line your mini muffin tin with paper liners.

In a mixing bowl beat together butter, sugars, salt until smooth and creamy. Keep steering and start adding eggs one by one, add milk and mix until all combines. Add flour and baking powder and whisk until all the ingredients combine. With a spoon scoop evenly into the prepared cupcake liners. Remember to fill the muffin cases only 3/4 cavity otherwise they might overflow. Bake for about 20min. You can check if the muffins are ready by sticking a cocktail stick into the centre of each muffin. It should come out clean and not sticky, if it is still sticky just leave it in the oven for 3-5 minutes more.

For the jam: Before you start, sterilize the jars and their lids to get rid of any bacteria. I usually put them in the sink and cover with boiling water.

Wash and clean the strawberries and cut into small pieces. Put the strawberries in the pan and cook on a very low fire. When the strawberries start to loose liquid add sugar and bring them to the boil then simmer for another 5-10 minutes. Take it of from the fire and carefully divide between the jars. Close the jars and put them away up side down (this will help to close better) after 15 minutes bring the jars to their normal positing. Leave to cool down. 

For the frosting: In a mixing bowl beat the butter, add mascarpone and beat all together, add sugar and beat again. Don't get scared if you see that the ingredients start separating from each other forming crumbles, just keep whisking. It might take a while but everything will combine don't worry! 

Cut a small hole in the cupcake and fill them with your strawberry jam. 

To decorate the cupcakes I have divided the frosting in two parts. One I have colored with the red food coloring. To pipe the cupcakes I have used the piping bag which half of the bag I filled with my pink frosting and the other half with my white frosting. This will give you an rose effect while you will spread the frosting over your cupcake, but if you don't want to make it too difficult just use a knife spreading the frosting over the cupcakes. You can also decorate with small caramel candies or spread a bit of sea salt! Enjoy!!!