Strawberry Cupcakes

Strawberry Cupcakes "Most strawberry cake recipes ask you to use artificially flavored gelatin. This one uses only uses fresh ingredients. Also makes a great cake!" Ingredients 8 large fresh strawberries, or as needed 2 eggs 1 cup white sugar 1/3 cup vegetable oil 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 3 tablespoons instant vanilla pudding mix (optional) 1 drop red food coloring, or as needed (optional) 3/4 cup cream cheese, softened 2 tablespoons butter, softened 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 3 large fresh strawberries, sliced Preparation Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Spray cupcake cups with cooking spray, or line with cupcake liners. Place 8 strawberries into a blender, and blend until smooth. Pour the puree through a strainer to remove seeds. Puree should equal about 3/4 cup. Set the puree aside. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, white sugar, vegetable oil, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, lemon zest, and strawberry puree until well combined. Stir in the flour, baking powder, salt, vanilla pudding mix (for a moister cupcake), and red food coloring to reach a desired shade of pink. Spoon the batter into the prepared cupcake cups, filling each about 2/3 full. Bake in the preheated oven until the cupcakes have risen and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 23 minutes. Allow the cupcakes to cool at least 10 minutes before frosting. To make frosting, beat cream cheese and butter together in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer until smooth, and mix in confectioners' sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract to make a lump-free icing. Frost each cupcake with about 2 tablespoons of icing, and top each cupcake with a strawberry slice.