Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

[u]Strawberry Cupcakes[/u]:1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray muffin tray with nonstick cooking spray or use cupcake liners. Buttermilk Substitute: In a measuring cup, stir together milk and vinegar; set aside to curdle. (I use rice vinegar because I think it has a milder flavor that other vinegars.) In a food processor, puree the strawberries.
2. In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; whisk together to combine.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk,1/2 cup pureed strawberries, sugar, oil, and vanilla until nice and combined. Combine the dry and wet ingredients.
4. Fill each muffin cup 2/3 full of batter. Try to get all the cupcakes in the oven at once so they don't go flat.
5. Bake them at 350 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes for mini-cupcakes, or for 23 to 28 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean for regular cupcakes. Let cool before frosting.
* Strawberries: It usually takes 1/3 to 2/3 pound of whole strawberries for 1/2+ cup pureed strawberries, but it depends on the size of the strawberries and their quality. (1 pint whole strawberries is equal to 1-1/4 to 1-2/3 cups pureed strawberries)
[u]Strawberry Buttercream Frosting[/u]:1. In a bowl with an electric mixer, cream together the vegetable shortening and Earth Balance until well-combined and fluffy.
2. Beat in the 2 tablespoons reserved strawberry puree and vanilla.
3. Add in the powdered sugar (make sure there are no lumps) and beat on low until smooth and creamy.
4. Frost cooled cupcakes.
YUM! I've made these multiple times and they always win people over with their "real" strawberry flavor!
Source of recipe: I bake a lot and used what I know to make up an awesome cupcake!