Because, though it's rare, sometimes I really need sweet stuff. Because sometimes it just feels good to splurge. Because sometimes it's okay to splurge. Because tomorrow it's Queens day, and the words celebration and (orange) cupcakes belong together. And because I'm practicing for the grand finale: Jungle cupcakes for my son's 4th birthday before sending him off to school for the very first time, here's a little foretaste. Over the past year I found out that I lean towards cupcakes with a bite---not the flimsy ones that are so light and unsatisfying you can eat four of 'em and still feel like you only had a few crumbs. These were kinda like my Lime and Ricotta Cupcakes, rich and dense but still light enough. Simply irresistible. Ingredients: 1 1/2 cup self-rising flour 1/2 tsp baking powder 5 tbsp cream cheese 7oz strawberries 1 tsp vanilla extract 3 1/2 oz butter 2/3 cup sugar 1/2 tsp salt 2 large eggs Directions: Start by combining the (sieved) self-rising flour with the baking powder and salt. Add 1 tsp salt when using unsalted butter. Strawberries. Yum. They smelled and tasted so good. Cut or twist off the crown. Blend. There, strawberry puree. It should make for a little over 1/2 a cup. In hindsight I might have added a small handful of chopped strawberries to the batter to intensify the strawberry flavor even more. 3 1/2 oz soft butter. Add 2/3 cup of sugar. Beat until the sugar and butter are fluffy and pale. Add the cream cheese, vanilla extract, and beat for a few more minutes until you end up with a smooth and creamy mix. Separate two room-temperature eggs---I prefer using my hands for this---and add the yolks to the cream cheese mix. Beat until they’re fully submerged. Alternately add the flour and pureed strawberries, make sure you begin and end with flour. Oh boy, the strawberry puree smells so amazing. Until you end up with a rather thick pale pink dough. Go on, taste it! You know you want to! Add a pinch of salt to the egg whites. And beat them until you can draw peaks. Carefully fold the egg whites into the batter. Use an orange spatula, it’s almost Queens day after all. And orange cupcake liners. It’s the only right thing to do at a time like this. Fill them 2/3 of the way with batter.

Bake them in a preheated oven at 350F (180C).

 Let them cool on the rack. Top with whatever you like. Cream cheese frosting. Strawberry jelly, anything. Or be like me and go for whipped cream. Whipped cream and strawberries were made for one another. Happy birthday dear Juliana, wherever you may be. And happy Queens Day to all the Dutchies in the Netherlands and abroad!

Strawberry Creamcheese Cupcakes
Ingredients	1 1/2 cup self-rising flour 1/2 tsp baking powder 5 tbsp cream cheese 7oz strawberries 1 tsp vanilla extract 3 1/2 oz butter 2/3 cup sugar 1/2 tsp salt 2 large eggs
Directions	Combine the self-rising flour with the baking podwer and salt. Add 1 tsp salt when using unsalted butter. Cut or twist the crown off of the strawberries and blend them. It should make for a little over 1/2 a cup. Cream the butter and sugar. Add the cream cheese, vanilla extract, and beat for a few more minutes until you end up with a smooth and creamy mix. Separate two room-temperature eggs—I prefer using my hands for this—and add the yolks to the cream cheese mix. Beat until they’re fully submerged. Alternately add the flour and pureed strawberries, make sure you begin and end with flour. Add a pinch of salt to ther eggwhites and beat them until you can draw peaks. Carefully fold the egg whites into the batter. Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners and fill them 2/3 of the way with batter. Bake them in a preheated oven at 350F (180C) for 15 to 20 minutes. Until a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean. Top with any kind of frosting you like.
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