Red White and Blue-Berry Shortcake Cupcakes-Guest Post with Kristina of Whipped

OK, so I have one more amazing guest post for you before I'm back! This is just as exciting as the last one. Kristina from Whipped is here to share a great 4th of July themed recipe for you! I have to tell you, Kristina is not only an amazing blogger with gorgeous photos, a fun and friendly voice, and scrumptious (plus healthy?!) recipes, but she has also become my BFF--best foodie friend. She's moving to NYC this September for culinary school and I CANNOT wait! Michael is worried I may leave him to spend all my time with her. But then again, he wants her to be at the apartment all the time so she and I can both feed him goodies. Spoiled boy :P Anyway! These cupcakes/shortcakes look so perfect for summer (you can even wear a bikini after eating one, I say it's ok!) and Michael positively drooled over these when he saw the photos! (They're refreshing and have berries so he's obviously ALL OVER THIS!) Now, read the rest of this post, enjoy the wonderousness that is Kristina, then go check out her blog and read every morsel of awesomeness on there! And while you're at it, you should really keep up to date with her through the twitter, that facebook, and of course pinterest!  And I will be back in full force next week! Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Hi all!

My name is Kristina and I'm the blogger behind Whipped. I'm so excited to be guest posting for Kayle while she's out of town for more reasons than I can squeeze into this one post! She's one of my absolute favorite foodie friends and soon-to-be NYC neighbor! She's one of the sweetest, funniest girls out there with a knack for cooking up all my favorite foods! Especially when its comes to baking, I'm sure you've all already drooled over her peanut butter cookie dough brownies..triple layer oreo bars..skillet chocolate chip cookie...I'm a health nut but my sweet tooth tends to do a lot of the talking :)

That's why when Kayle asked me to guest post for her I knew I had to bake up something sweet! And I also wanted it to be 4th of July themed for the holiday weekend coming up. The 4th is one of my absolute favorite times of the year. I live in Chicago... so its finally sunny and warm! BBQ's have all the best foods, and its the perfect excuse to lounge around with your friends, drink too many cocktails, and celebrate some precious time off!

Key word - celebrate some time off! Not fussing around in the kitchen all day!  That’s why I love these little cupcakes; they’re super easy - can be made totally in advance besides the whipped cream - and did I mention lower cal? The cupcakes are a rich pound cake that I baked into individual muffin tins. The secret ingredient to their moist texture is canola oil! Less saturated fat and a lot more flavor!

Plus, aren't they cute??

Red White and Blue-Berry Shortcake Cupcakes

Yields 18 cupcakes

Ingredients:

Cake

• 6 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 large eggs 
• 3 cups cake flour 
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup low fat buttermilk

Fruit Filling

• 1 1/2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
• 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

Whipped Cream

• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• powdered sugar for garnish

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Line 18 muffin cups with cupcake liners.
• Make the cupcakes- Combine oil, vanilla, 1 3/4 cups sugar, and 1/2 cup butter in a large bowl. Beat on medium speed until well blended, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
• Spoon batter evenly among the prepared muffin pan, filling each cup about 2/3 of the way full. 
• Bake 20-23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. 
• Make the Fruit Filling - Combine strawberries, blueberries, and sugar in a medium bowl. Set aside. 
• Make the Whipped Cream - Beat whipping cream in a medium bowl on medium-high speed until foamy. Add sugar and continue beating until soft peaks form. 

• Assemble the cupcakes - Once cupcakes are completely cool, use a serrated knife to carefully cut off the very top of the cake (so you have a muffin top). Place about 1 1/2 tablespoons fruit on top of cupcake bottom, top with whipped cream and finish with the cupcake top. Dust with powdered sugar.

Thanks so much again for having me Kayle!! Can’t wait to have you back!