Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

Christmas Cupcake Murder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position.

## Ingredients

* 4 large eggs
* 1/2 cup vegetable oil
* 1/2 cup strawberry liqueur ***\*(see Hannah's 1st Note)***
* 1 cup ***(8 ounces by weight)*** sour cream
* 1 Tablespoon strawberry jam
* Box of strawberry cake mix, the kind that makes a 9-inch by 13-inch cake or a 2-layer cake ***(I used Pillsbury)***
* 5.1-ounce package of DRY instant vanilla pudding and pie filling ***(I used Jell-O)***
* 12-ounce ***(by weight)*** bag of white chocolate or vanilla baking chips ***(11-ounce package will do too--I used Nestle)***

## Directions

* Prepare your cupcake pans. You'll need two 12-cup cupcake or muffin pans lined with double cupcake papers.
* Crack the eggs into the bowl of an electic mixer. Mix them up on LOW speed until they're a uniform color.
* Pour in the half-cup of vegetable oil, and mix it in with the eggs on LOW speed.
* Scoop out the container of sour cream and put it into a small bowl. Add the Tablespoon of strawberry jam and stir it in.
* Add the sour cream and strawberry jam mixture to your mixer bowl. Mix that in on LOW speed.
* When everything is well-combined, open the box of dry cake mix and sprinkle it on top of the liquid ingredients in the bowl of the mixer. Mix that in on LOW speed.
* Open the package of instant vanilla pudding and pie filling, and sprinkle in the contents. Mix it in on LOW speed.
* Shut off the mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl, remove it from the mixer, and set it on the counter.
* If you have a food processor, put in the steel blade and pour in the white chocolate or vanilla baking chips. Process in an on-and-off motion to chop them in smaller pieces. ***(You can also do this with a knife on a cutting board if you don't have a food processor.)***
* Sprinkle the chopped white chocolate or vanilla baking chips in your bowl and stir them in by hand with a rubber spatula.

**\*Hannah's 1st Note: If you don't want to use strawberry liqueur in this recipe, use whole milk. Hank, down at the Lake Eden Municipal Liquor Store, told me that any alcohol used in cooking will break down at 160 degree F.**

**Hannah's 2nd Note: The reason the white chips in this recipe are chopped in smaller pieces is that regular-size chips are larger and heavier, and they tend to sink down to the bottom of your cupcakes.**

* Use the rubber spatual or a spoon to transfer the cupcake batter to the prepared cupcake pans. Only fill them 3/4 full.
* Place the cupcake pans into the center of your pre-heated oven.
* Bake your Strawberry Cupcakes at 350 degree F. for 20 to 25 minutes.
* Before you take your cupcakes out of the oven, test for doneness by inserting a cake tester, thin wooden skewer, or long toothpick. Insert it into the middle of a cupcake. If the tester comes out clean, with no cupcake batter sticking to it, your cupcakes are done. If there is still unbaked batter clinging to the tester, shut the oven door and bake your cupcakes for 5 minutes longer.
* Take your cupcakes out of the oven and set the pans on cold stovetop burners or wire racks. Let them cool in the pans until they reach room temperature and then refrigerate them for 30 minutes before you frost them ***(Overnight is fine, too.)***
* Frost your cupcakes with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting.

Yield: Approximately 18 to 24 cupcakes, depending on cupcake size.

To Serve: Serve with tall glasses of ice-cold milk or cups of strong coffee.