Strawberries and Cream Vanilla Muffins

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These Strawberries and Cream Vanilla Muffins make a wonderful breakfast or tasty treat with your morning coffee and are best served with a healthy dose of Wimbledon tennis! These soft and fluffy vanilla muffins are loaded with fresh strawberries, strawberry jam, vanilla mascarpone cheese and finished with with a crunchy vanilla, buttery topping.

Although inspired by the strawberries and cream synonymous with the Championships, these fabulous muffins work at any time of the day, or year for that matter, and are a great way of using up some slightly past-their-best strawberries.

How to make Strawberries and Cream Vanilla Muffins

This recipe is based on my Sweet Muffins/Loaf – Core Recipe. So if you fancy adding your own take and your favourite flavours and add-ins, simply refer to the Core Recipe and use your imagination. It is quick, easy and all made in one bowl.

Collect all your ingredients together:

Crispy Topping:

• unsalted butter, melted
• demerara sugar
• plain/all-purpose flour
• vanilla extract
• fine salt

Mascarpone filling:

• mascarpone cheese
• caster sugar
• egg yolk
• vanilla paste

Strawberry filling:

• hulled strawberries, chopped
• strawberry jam, well stirred

Muffin ingredients:

• unsalted butter, melted
• caster sugar
• sour cream or natural yoghurt
• eggs
• vanilla extract
• plain/all-purpose flour
• baking powder
• bicarbonate of soda
• fine salt

How to make these incredible muffins:

1. First, make the topping: melt the butter in a small saucepan and then add the demerara sugar, flour, vanilla and salt. Mix thoroughly and set aside to cool.
2. Secondly, prepare the mascarpone filling: thoroughly mix the mascarpone, caster sugar, egg yolk and vanilla.
3. Now, prepare the strawberries: hull the strawberries and chop. Give the jam a good stir and stir through the strawberries.
4. Now make the actual muffins: melt the butter in the microwave in a microwave safe large mixing bowl. (If you do not have a microwave, you can melt the butter in a large saucepan and then use the saucepan as your mixing bowl – if you are using a metal balloon whisk, make sure your saucepan is not non-stick!) Leave to cool slightly whilst you collect the remaining ingredients together.
5. Add the sugar, yoghurt, eggs and vanilla extract to the melted butter. Mix thoroughly with a balloon whisk.
6. Place a sieve over the top of the bowl and weigh in the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Sieve over the egg mix. Fold until 80% mixed in.
7. Add the strawberries and jam and fold in. Do not over mix – it is OK to have a few lumps.
8. Divide roughly half the muffin batter equally between the muffin cases.
9. Add roughly ½ tablespoon of the mascarpone mixture to the centre of each muffin.
10. Divide the remaining muffin batter equally between each muffin and cover the mascarpone mix.
11. Add the topping: break the topping up with your fingers into small pieces and sprinkle over the tops of the muffins.
12. NB You can actually freeze these muffins at this stage, before cooking, and then cook them from frozen. If freezing, leave in the tin and put in the freezer straight away. When frozen, cover with cling film.
13. Either:
    • If cooking immediately – cook in the centre of a pre-heated oven at a high heat for 5 minutes and then reduce the temperature until cooked – a further 15 – 20 minutes.
    • If cooking from frozen – put the frozen muffins in the centre of a pre-heated oven at a high heat for 10 minutes and then reduce the temperature until cooked – a further 15 -20 minutes.
    • They are cooked when they are risen, golden brown and the topping is crispy
14. Leave in the cake tin for 5 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.

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What is the best way to store these muffins?

These muffins are best eaten on the day they are made. However, they will store well in an airtight container for up to 2 days, or in a fridge or 3 – 4 days. If you are storing them in the fridge, allow time for them to come to room temperature before eating.

What is the best way to freeze uncooked muffins?

You can freeze these muffins before you cook them. All you need to do is:

1. Prepare to the end of point 11 above.
2. As soon as the muffins are prepared, place them in the freezer in the muffin tray immediately. Please note:
   • Leaving them in the muffin tray ensures they keep their shape.
   • If you do not do freeze them immediately, the raising agents will start to activate and this will reduce their effectiveness when you cook the muffins.
3. Most likely the muffins will freeze onto the tray and you will not be able to remove them. I tend to leave them in the tray and cover with clingfilm until I cook them. However, if you need to use the tray for something else, pour around 2½cms/1 inch hot water into your kitchen sink and sit the tray in the hot water. The muffins should quickly release from the tray after around 10 – 20 seconds. These can now be stored in an airtight container or freezer bag in the freezer.
4. When you are ready to cook the muffins, preheat the oven.
   • Transfer the frozen muffins directly from the freezer into the oven in a muffin tray.
   • Cook as normal, apart from cooking at the higher temperature for 10 minutes, rather than 5 minutes.

What is the best way to freeze cooked muffins?

You can also freeze these muffins after they have been cooked, for up to 3 months. Once cooked, allow to cool and freeze as soon as possible in an airtight container.

Made this recipe?

If you make this recipe, do please tag me on instagram @daffodil_kitchen. You could also leave a comment in the box directly below the recipe.