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1
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
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2
Line two standard 12-cup muffin tins with pink paper liners; set aside.
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3
Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
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4
Cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each egg. Add vanilla.
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5
Reduce speed to medium. Mix in 3 batches of flour mixture, alternating with 2 batches of milk. Raise speed to medium-high; mix until thoroughly blended, 10 to 20 seconds.
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6
Fill each muffin cup about 3/4 full with batter; do not over-fill.
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7
Bake until a cake tester inserted into centers comes out clean, about 17 minutes.
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8
Let cool in tin on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove cupcakes from tin and decorate.
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9
If filling with cream, use a small spoon or the tip of a knife to make a small hole in the center of each cupcake, going about half way through the cupcake. Fill the hole with cream and then pipe buttercream on top.
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10
Make Strawberry Buttercream:
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11
Cream the butter in the mixer on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes. On slow speed, gradually add about 2 cups of powdered sugar and turn back up to high for a few minutes to really incorporate the sugar. Turn to slow speed again and fold in the strawberries. Add more sugar until desired consistency is achieved. Once all the sugar is incorporated, turn to medium-high for a few minutes to mix well.
