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                                            Prep Time: 40 Minutes Cook Time: 25 Minutes  | 
                                            Ready In: 65 Minutes Servings: 12  | 
                                         
                                        
                                     
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                    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  |  
                                                
                     
                    Directions: 
                    
                        
                            
                                1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Spray cupcake cups with cooking spray, or line with cupcake liners. 2. 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. 3. 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. 4. 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. 5. 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.                              | 
                         
                         
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