Neapolitan cupcakes

Good morning!

Happy belated Valentines Day! or how we say it in my country: Feliz dia del amor y la Amistad! that would translate as Happy love and friendship day! because we celebrate love between friends also.

It has been a long time since I made cupcakes with frosting, so as it was a special occasion I wanted to make them beautiful. Also because they were for the people I consider friends (Of course I would have had to ship them worldwide so all my friends around the globe could have enjoyed them to).

INGREDIENTS:
For the Cupcakes

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt (If you are using unsalted butter)
4 egg whites
1 1/4 cups milk
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup strawberry jam

For the Frosting

2 sticks butter, softened not melted
6 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoon clear vanilla extract (the clear one would help to keep the white color of the frosting, if you don’t have this kind -like me, the other would work just fine)
2 Tablespoon heavy cream
2 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tablespoon strawberry jam
Pipping bags and decorating tips (I used an Wilton 1M open star)

DIRECTIONS:

1. To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350 F/180 C and line two cupcake pans with cupcake liners.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. In another medium bowl, whisk together the egg whites and milk.
4. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until light and crumbly. Beat in the vanilla extract.
5. Add both the flour and egg mixtures to the butter mixture, half at a time, beating until well-blended.
6. Split the batter into thirds. Set aside one-third of the mixture. For the second, beat in the cocoa powder. For the third, beat in the jam.
7. Drop some of each of the three colored batters into the cupcake liners. Swirl with a knife to create a marbled effect, if desired (I did not).
8. Bake 18-20 min or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Wait until they are completely cooled to decorate.

9. To make the frosting, beat the butter until pale. Beat in the vanilla extract, then gradually beat in the powdered sugar and heavy cream, half at a time. Split into thirds and set aside one-third of the frosting. Add cocoa powder to the second, and strawberry jam to the third. Frost cupcakes as desired.