Swedish Midsummer Strawberry Cupcakes with Spelt

My colourful Swedish Midsummer Strawberry cupcakes are perfect to share with friends and family. Swedish spelt cupcakes are moist, light, and not too sweet. Easy to whip up in 15 minutes, and they only take 15-20 minutes to bake. I have included white spelt flour in this recipe. Feel free to bake these with your choice of flour. If you prefer baking with self-raising flour, add this and leave out the baking powder. These cupcakes are perfectly plain and ready to decorate with your creative ideas.

Here in Sweden, this Friday is a holiday as everyone celebrates midsummer. This Swedish summer celebration involves visiting a garden, enjoying a picnic, picking wildflowers, maypole dancing and spending time with friends and family celebrating the summer solstice. To read more about midsummer click here.

Why a Strawberry Cake?

Strawberries are a popular fruit in Sweden in summer, and the Swedes think their strawberries are the best.  Traditionally at midsummer, a large round layered cake is served for dessert, decorated with cream and fresh strawberries.  I wanted an easy twist on this large cake and decided to turn my light and fluffy spelt vanilla cupcakes into mini layered strawberry cakes.

Takes = 15 mins
Bakes = 15-20 mins
Makes = 12 cupcakes

Vanilla Cake Ingredients

• White Spelt Flour, or your choice – 170g (1 cup + 1/3)
• Baking Powder – 2 teaspoons
• Caster sugar – 125g (1/2 cup)
• Unsalted softened butter – 150g (1/2 cup + 2 tbs)
• Large eggs – 2
• Vanilla powder or extract – 1/2 teaspoon
• Oat Milk, or your choice – 60ml (1/4 cup)

Decorate

• Fresh strawberries – 250g
• Whipping cream – 250ml
• Vanilla sugar or vanilla extract – 1/2 tsp
• Pistachios (optional) for decoration

Method

1. Preheat the oven to  180˚C, 160˚C fan, Gas Mark 3.  Then add paper liners to your muffin tray or grease the muffin/cupcake tin with butter. Tip if your oven runs hot drop the temperature down by about 10-15 degrees. (In my video my oven was too hot).

2. Whisk or sift the flour, and baking powder then add this to the mixing bowl with the eggs, butter and sugar, mix on low for about 30 seconds using the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl with handheld electric beaters. Stop and scrape, mix on high for 1 minute. Scrape, then add in vanilla and milk mix on medium for 30 seconds.

3. Scoop out the batter into the prepared tin using a 50ml ice cream scoop or 2 large teaspoons of batter per paper case. This will be about 2/3 full. Do not overfill.

4. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown and the top springs bake. You may need to check if the cake tray needs rotating during the cooking time.

5. Cool for 10 minutes in the tray then gently remove the cupcakes and cool completely on a wire rack before decorating.

6. Whip the cream with vanilla and powder sugar until thick. Slice the cupcake in half, add a little cream to the centre, place the top back on add a little cream to the top then decorate with sliced fresh strawberries.

Sue Maree P Baking Tips

• FLOUR – swap out spelt for self-raising flour and leave out the baking powder.
• FLAVOURS – add a little lemon zest if you don't have vanilla.
• DOME – temp. cupcakes prefer the middle shelf and drop the oven temperature down to prevent doming and don't overfill.