Mother's Day Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 1.5 teaspoons almond extract 
• 2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder 
• 0.5 cup butter softened
• 0.5 cup butter softened
• 1 cup buttermilk 
• 12 servings edible glitter 
• 12 servings edible pearls 
• 4 large eggs 
• 1 cups paper baking 
• 6 cups powdered sugar 
• 16 oz powdered sugar 
• 0.1 teaspoon salt 
• 0.3 teaspoon salt 
• 0.5 teaspoon salt 
• 1 cup shortening 
• 1.5 cups strawberry jam 
• 0.5 cup sieved strawberry purée 
• 2 cups sugar 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste 
• 1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract 
• 2.8 cups soft-wheat flour all-purpose
• 0.3 cup whipping cream 

Equipment

• oven
• hand mixer
• wooden spoon
• kitchen scissors

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter and shortening at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating well.
2. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition.
3. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition. Stir in extracts.
4. Place paper baking cups in 2 (6-cup) jumbo muffin pans lined with jumbo paper baking cups, and coat with cooking spray; spoon batter into cups, filling two-thirds full.
5. Bake for 18 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely.
6. Fill each cupcake with strawberry jam. To fill cupcakes, insert the end of a wooden spoon or dowel into the center of the cupcake to make a hole. Fill a zip-top plastic freezer bag with filling or frosting. Use scissors or kitchen shears to snip about 1/4 inch from one corner of the bag; insert bag into the hole in the cupcake. Squeeze gently until filling comes to the top of each cupcake.
7. To prepare Strawberry Frosting, beat butter, strawberry puree, and, if desired, extract, at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar and salt, beating at low speed until blended. Beat at high speed 2 minutes or until creamy. Makes 3 cups.
8. To prepare Vanilla Bean Frosting, beat first 4 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended. Beat at high speed 2 minutes or until creamy. Makes 3 cups.
9. Frost the top of each cupcake smooth with Stawberry Frosting. Insert metal tip no. 3 into a decorating bag; fill with Vanilla Bean Frosting. Write Mom on top of each cupcake. Insert metal tip no. 21 into a decorating bag; fill with Vanilla Bean Frosting. Pipe border around the top edge of each cupcake.
10. Sprinkle each with edible pearls and edible glitter.