I didn't make these cupcakes...

I made better ones!
I saw this recipe made on Food tv a few weeks ago. I thought it was a great idea but honestly, I was appalled that the individual used a box cake mix for the cupcakes. So, I decided to make my own strawberry filled cupcakes with a vanilla cupcake made from scratch. The batter is made in the food processor and is not hard at all, so there is no reason to use boxed cake mix! Also, I made a traditional Royal icing since the recipe called for a cooked icing that should use a candy thermometer but didn't so I wouldn't consider it to be a fool-proof recipe. Here is my recipe:

Strawberry filled cupcakes

Cupcakes:
1 stick plus 1 tablespoon soft butter
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 to 3 tablespoons milk

Take everything you need out of the fridge in time to get to room temperature - and this makes a huge difference to the lightness of the cupcakes later - and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Put all of the ingredients for the cupcakes except for the milk into a food processor and pulse until smooth. Pulse while adding the milk down the funnel, to make a smooth dropping consistency.

Divide the mixture between a 12-bun muffin tin lined with muffin papers (here is a tip - spray the papers with non-stick spray to keep the cupcakes from sticking to the paper), and bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes. They should have risen and be golden on top. Let them cool a little in their tins on a rack, and then take them carefully out of the tin to cool in their papers, still on the wire rack.

Filling:
1 (8-ounce) container cream cheese, chilled
1/2 cup thawed and drained frozen strawberries
1/4 cup sugar

In a food processor combine the cream cheese, strawberries, 1/4 cup sugar, and lemon juice. Process the mixture until smooth. Transfer the strawberry mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a small tip. Push the tip gently into the bottom of a cupcake and squeeze in the strawberry mixture until the cupcake plumps. Continue with the remaining cupcakes.

Icing:

1 pound confectioner’s sugar

5 tablespoons of meringue powder or 2 large egg whites

Put sugar and meringue powder in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add a scant 1/2 cup water; beat on low speed until think and fluffy, 7 to 8 minutes. If icing is too thick to pipe easily, add a few drops of water. Use icing immediately, or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Stir icing before using. Use a rubber spatula spread the icing on the top of the cupcakes. This icing will set up if applied thinly but will stay rather soft if applied thicker.