Black, White and Red… Ok… Pink all over

We love our House Group! I love baking for our House Group. What is our House Group? It’s our small group at church. A bunch of great people who get together weekly, share some treats, delve into the Bible and have a great time. We’ve been absent for FAR too long you know… dancing and getting married – those silly things. But we are back! Tonight was our first of the fall. We look forward to many more. I made these Neapolitan Cupcakes for tonight – they were a hit. And thankfully the rest of our friends took the leftovers, something I always appreciate.

Neapolitan Cupcakes
What you need!
Vanilla Batter:
• 8 Tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp.salt
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
Chocolate Batter:
• 8 Tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
Frosting:
• 2 Tbsp. butter, room temperature
• 4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup pureed strawberries

Make it!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a standard 12-cup muffin pan, or use paper liners. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add oil then eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; add vanilla, and mix until combined. On low speed, beat in half the flour mixture, followed by milk; end with remaining flour mixture. Mix just until incorporated (do not overmix).
Prepare both vanilla and chocolate batters; fill muffin cups with 3 tablespoons of each, side by side. Divide batter among prepared muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a cupcake comes out clean, 22 to 24 minutes. Cool cupcakes in pan, 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Mix butter and cream cheese together. Slowly add strawberry puree and powdered sugar. Dip cooled cup cakes into frosting. Add more on top if desired. Just before serving, place a half strawberry on top. Not too early... they'll get all juicey and slide all over. Tastes good... looks weird.