Stacked Vanilla Cupcakes with Vodka infused Strawberries, Vanilla Bourbon Chantilly Cream and Cream Cheese and Elderflower Frosting with diced Strawberries

Okay...the title was a mouthful wasn't it? But despite it being that long....it was decadent. Using an adapted vanilla cupcake recipe up to the point of looking for vanilla bourbon sugar and all that, it was a trip worth taking. Now why so elaborate? This was a request for a birthday boy whose three main ingredients for his birthday cake was strawberries, cream and sponge. I came up with voila!!!! 

Stacked Vanilla Cupcakes with Vodka infused Strawberries, Vanilla Bourbon Chantilly Cream and Cream Cheese and Elderflower Frosting with diced Strawberries

So to get the party started here's what went in:

Ingredients:

Cupcake batter:

140gm butter softened

140gm caster sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 medium eggs

200gm self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup whole milk

Vanilla Bourbon Chantilly Cream:

1 sachet vanilla bourbon sugar (this was from Germany) otherwise 1 vanilla pod and 2 tsp bourbon

150gm icing sugar

600ml double cream

Vodka Infused Strawberries:

sliced strawberries

1/2 a bottle of vodka

Cream Cheese and Elderflower Frosting with diced Strawberries:

1 tub of Philadelphia Cream Cheese (300gm)

300ml double cream

around 2 tbsp elderflower syrup

4 strawberries - diced

150g icing sugar

Decorations:

Large strawberries depending on the number of the cupcakes - halved and green bits removed.

Method:

1. Firstly heat up the oven to about 190 Degree Celcius / 375 Degree Fahrenheit. Line your cupcake tins with cupcakes cups and set aside. 
2. Slice your strawberries and add the vodka into a tupperware with the strawberries and place it into the fridge. Overnight is better but during the process of the baking is fine as well.Next set in motion your cupcake mix. 
3. Firstly sift your flour and baking powder together in a bowl. Set aside. Measure butter and sugar and place in mixing bowl. Lightly beat til pale and fluffy. Add in eggs one at a time. 
4. When fully incorporated, add in vanilla extract, all of the flour mixture and milk and beat. Scrape sides of mixing bowl if in an electric cake mixer to ensure everything is evenly mixed in.
5. Next spoon in your cupcake batter covering almost half of the cups. Bake for about 15 minutes or top of cupcakes are golden brown. Prick with a toothpick to check whether cakes are done. 15 minutes is the given time limit in any case.
6. Repeat process until all cupcake batter is used up.
7. When cupcakes are resting, proceed to making the vanilla bourbon chantilly cream. Add all ingredients together in a mixing bowl and beat til firm peaks appear. Set aside. 
8. In another mixing bowl beat all the ingredients minus the diced strawberries to make the cream cheese and elderflower frosting. Then fold in the diced strawberries with a spatula. Set aside as well. 
9. Once all the cream is done, peel off the cupcakes cups as you will be slicing them in half horizontally like you would a cake. Once done, cut the cupcakes as you see in the pictures. Make sure to place top half and bottom half of cupcakes with the right ones. Even then, mixing them up is fine.
10. Then set yourself in motion. In one piping bag with a plain circular nozzle, add in the vanilla bourbon chantilly cream. In another piping bag with a star nozzle, add in the cream cheese and elderflower frosting. Take out the vodka infused strawberries from the fridge. The strawberries that have been halved can still remain in the fridge.
11. Now begins the assembly work. Open up your sliced cupcakes with the bottom and top half side by side. Then using the piping bag with the chantilly cream, pipe some cream on both sides of the cupcake. Not too much otherwise the cupcake would not stay up when assembled. 
12. Then place 3 to 4 pieces of vodka infused strawberries minus the vodka juice and press firmly onto the bottom half of the cupcake. Then stack the bottom half with the top half of the cupcake.
13. Next using the piping bag with the cream cheese frosting, pipe a nice floret out. Continue the process until all cupcakes are done. Then lastly add the halved strawberries and you now have a complete stacked cupcake!

Remember: it can be extremely fun for the kids too. Just omit the vodka for them.

It was a fantastic adventure I must say... and yummy to the core. Next week...a series of salad dressings and marinades for the discerning barbecue enthusiast... happy baking everyone!

Having a happy jubilee and trip to France,

The Innovative Baker