Roasted Balsamic Strawberry Cupcakes

I like to make recipes the way they are intended the first time I make them, well with baking recipes at least. Then, if I make it again, I will tweak it as I see fit. I almost didn't follow this recipe the way it was originally written, because I'm against using boxed cake mix unless I'm in a jam.

I was not in a jam today. I had the day off of work and could spend endless amounts of time making these if I needed to. But, I went with adapting the boxed mix.

Don't get me wrong, I love cupcakes...homemade or from the box. And I certainly don't think that people who make homemade cupcakes are superior to the ones who use the mix...but I do love when you spend a lot of time on a homemade recipe from scratch and it comes out perfect...it just shows how awesome food can be.

OK, I think I'm done with my boxed mix rant.

Wait, I'm not. One boxed mix that will always take the cake (no pun intended) (yes, I'm a nerd), is boxed mac and cheese. Even the creamiest, gooiest, mac and cheese, even mac and cheese with lobster, is not better than good old Kraft mac & cheese from the box. I think it may be some sort of government conspiracy or experiment....as in they probably put in some sort of magical drug that makes it so irresistible. I may or may not have spent wayyyy too much time thinking about Kraft mac & cheese. Maybe we should move on now....

I love Balsamic vinegar and anything that you may want to put it on, mix it into, spoon-feed yourself straight from the bottle...you know. I just love it. You can roast the strawberries ahead of time (I did it the night before).

Roasted Balsamic Strawberry Cupcakes
from Sticky Gooey Creamy Chewy

Roasted Strawberries:
1 quart fresh strawberries, rinsed and hulled
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup (just under) balsamic vinegar
sprinkle of salt and pepper

Devils Food Cake:
1 box of Devils Food Cake mix
3 eggs
1 cup brewed black coffee (cooled) (this substitutes one cup of the water from the box recipe)
3 tbsp cocoa powder
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Swiss Meringue Buttercream:
5 egg whites
1 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar
pinch of salt
4 sticks unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons and room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup of roasted strawberries, pureed**

1. Start by roasting the strawberries:
Preheat oven to 250. Place cleaned strawberries in a medium bowl. Mix with the sugar, vinegar, salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Spread out evenly on a baking sheet and bake for an hour, until the strawberries are nice and juicy. These can be refrigerated fro 3-4 days.
2. Make the cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350. Mix all of the ingredients together in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Line cupcakes tins with liners (this made 22 cupcakes). Fill the liners 2/3 full. Bake for 18-22 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely on a wire rack.
3. Make the buttercream:
Combine egg whites, sugar and salt in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan with simmering water in it. Whisk the mixture constantly until it is smooth and sugar is dissolved. If using an instant read thermometer, it should register 15-160 degrees and feel warm to the touch. The mixture should feel completely smooth when rubbed through your fingers. Transfer mixture to a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Beat on low speed and move up to medium-high speed. Keep beating for about 10 minutes until the mix is nice and glossy and completely cool (feel the bottom of the bowl). Whisk in vanilla and pureed strawberries until mixed. Switch to the paddle attachment and beat for additional minutes on medium speed to get rid of all of the air bubbles.
Frost cupcakes as desired.

**I would've used a cup of the pureed strawberries, the flavor wasn't intense enough for me.