Preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare 1 muffin/cupcake pan with oil or cupcake liners. If using a cupcake pan with 12 wells, prepare the middle 6 wells, plus 1 side middle well.
In a stand mixer beat your butter and sugar for about 2 minutes on a low- medium speed (4) with a paddle attachment, until fluffy. Scrape sides of bowl as needed.
Add in your egg whites until thoroughly combined. Scrape down sides of bowls. Then add your vanilla and mix until combined.
In a medium-large mixing bowl mix your dry ingredients for the cake and mix (flour, baking flour and soda, salt).
In 2 batches add in your dry mixture into the wet mixture on a lower speed, alternating with 1 batch of your yogurt. ½ dry ingredients, the yogurt, ½ dry ingredients. Don’t over mix.
Scoop batter evenly into 7 cupcake liners/wells. Lightly slam the cake pans on the counter to try to get rid of any major air bubbles. Fill up the remaining 5 outer wells with 1 tablespoon of water.
Bake for about 17-19 minutes. Check with a toothpick until clean. Pull cupcake pan out of the oven and let the cupcakes cook in the pan for about 10-15 minutes. Then remove cupcakes onto a cooling rack until cooled to room temperature.
Buttercream
Using your mixer and the paddle attachment again, whip the butter for 8 minutes on medium speed. Scrape sides of the bowl every 1-2 minutes or as needed. The butter will become very creamy! Add in the vanilla until combined.
Sift the powdered sugar into a separate bowl.
Add the powdered sugar into the butter in 2 batches. Go slowly until incorporated, scraping sides of bowl as needed, then mix on medium for 1 additional minute.
Next, add in milk ½ tablespoon at a time and incorporate. You might find you need a little less milk or a tad bit more to get it the right consistency for your preference of piping.
Whip on a medium speed for 2 minutes. Add in freeze dried strawberries and mix until incorporated.
Assemble
Place frosting into a piping bag and use your favorite tip.
Take cooled cupcake and a second piping tip. Core out a portion of the center of the cupcake by pushing piping tip down into the cucpake and twisting out. Fill the empty spot with the strawberry jam by spooning or piping into the hole.
Pipe each cupcake with frosting. One dollop to cover the hole and then pipe in a swirl the rest of the cupcake. Decorate with edible flowers, sprinkles, or a slice of strawberry, etc.
Notes
- Don’t over mix or you’ll end up with too rubbery/dense of a cake. Just 2 minutes maximum at the start and until incorporated with all other steps.- If using a cupcake pan with 12 wells, prepare the middle 6 wells. Then fill each side well with about 1 tablespoon of water.- Scrape often, about once in the middle of each step and once at the end of each step. With this small of a batter, you need to make sure everything is being mixed thoroughly.- Use the spooning method to scoop your flour. Fluff the flour with a spoon. Use a spoon to scoop your flour into your measuring cup. It gives a more accurate measurement.- Use the spooning method to scoop your powdered sugar. Fluff the sugar with a spoon. Then use that spoon to scoop your powdered sugar into your measuring cup. It gives a more accurate measurement.* This is a buttercream with strawberries, but for a Strawberry buttercream, try this recipe: https://amandawilens.com/small-batch-vanilla-cupcakes-with-strawberry-buttercream/