Sugary strawberry muffins are a fresh strawberry muffin that uses a special ingredient – cake flour – to give them a light texture with a hint of nutmeg and a classic sugary topping.
Muffins and Quick Breads
Muffins, like these sugary strawberry muffins, are a type of quick bread, which became very popular when baking soda and baking powder were manufactured in the late 19th century to be used as a leavener, or a way to make baked goods rise instead of using time consuming yeast. The name “quick bread” became adopted since these breads and other baked goods were not only quick to make, but were quick to rise.
Muffins were being made in the U.S. before the 20th century. Early names were called “fruit gems” as some contained dried fruits. As time went on, muffins continued to evolve with various ingredients, add-ins and toppings to the point where they became almost a cake-like treat in the 1970’s and 80’s. Today, there continue to be a variety of muffin recipes and while some are still decadent treats, healthier versions have become more mainstream.
About this Recipe
The original recipe for these muffins dates to the 1950’s and is from my Grandma’s recipe files. They are easy to make and mix together quickly. This recipe is a great way to use up leftover strawberries or other fresh berries. The hint of nutmeg in these muffins also complements the strawberries and brings out their sweetness, but you can omit if you don’t care for nutmeg.
These muffins do use a specific ingredient – cake flour – which contains a lower protein than regular all-purpose flour and makes a lighter crumb for these muffins. Using all-purpose flour will result in a more dense muffin for this recipe. As with all quick bread recipes, do not overmix the batter. Doing so will result in a tough muffin, as more gluten develops the more you mix the batter.
I also adapted this recipe to crush half of the fresh strawberries and leave the remaining in small pieces. This way, you get a taste of fresh strawberry in each bite. These muffins wouldn’t be a Sugary Strawberry Muffin without the extra sugar sprinkled on top, so don’t skip this step!
Tips for Sugary Strawberry Muffins
- You can substitute any fresh berry for the strawberries in this recipe
- Do not over mix the dough; only mix until combined
- Use a cookie scoop to evenly divide the batter in the muffin tins
- This recipe has only been tested with cake flour (do not substitute all-purpose flour)
- Store baked muffins in an airtight container up to 72 hours
- These muffins freeze well if stored in an airtight container, up to three months
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Sugary Strawberry Muffins
Equipment
- muffin pan
- muffin or cupcake liners
- mixing bowls of various sizes
- cookie scoop
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cup cake flour
- 3 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar + additional sugar for sprinkling
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 cup diced fresh strawberries
Instructions
- Sift or whisk cake flour, baking powder, salt and ground nutmeg.
- In large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy, around 1-2 minutes.
- Mix in beaten egg.
- Alternate adding dry ingredients with milk, starting and ending with dry ingredients and only mixing batter until combined.
- In small mixing bowl, mash half of the diced strawberries with a fork. Fold in the mashed strawberries to the batter along with the remainder of the diced strawberries.
- Line muffin tin with muffin or cupcake liners. Fill each liner 2/3 full with batter. Sprinkle top of each muffin with 1/2 tablespoon of sugar.
- Bake at 400°F for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out of the center clean.
Notes
- This recipe has only been tested with cake flour (do not substitute all-purpose flour)
- Store baked muffins in an airtight container up to 72 hours
- These muffins freeze well if stored in an airtight container, up to three months