# Components:
→ Cupcake Batter
01 - 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
03 - ¼ teaspoon salt
04 - ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 1 cup granulated sugar
06 - 2 large eggs
07 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
08 - ½ cup whole milk
09 - ¼ cup mango purée (fresh or canned)
→ Filling
10 - ¼ cup strawberry jam
→ Sunset Swirl Buttercream
11 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
12 - 3 cups powdered sugar
13 - 2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
14 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
15 - 2 tablespoons mango purée
16 - 2 tablespoons strawberry purée
→ Optional Garnish
17 - Fresh strawberry slices
18 - Fresh mango slices
# Preparation Steps:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 12-cup muffin tin with liners.
02 - Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
03 - Beat softened butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, then blend in vanilla extract.
05 - Stir in milk and mango purée until smooth and evenly combined.
06 - Gently fold the dry mixture into the wet ingredients until just incorporated; avoid overmixing.
07 - Distribute batter evenly into liners, filling each about three-quarters full.
08 - Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.
09 - Remove a small center from each cooled cupcake using a knife or corer and fill each cavity with approximately 1 teaspoon of strawberry jam.
10 - Beat softened butter until creamy, then gradually add powdered sugar, mixing until smooth.
11 - Mix in vanilla extract and heavy cream or milk until the buttercream is light and fluffy.
12 - Divide frosting evenly into three bowls: leave one plain, blend mango purée into the second, and strawberry purée into the third.
13 - Place spoonfuls of each colored frosting side-by-side into a piping bag fitted with a star tip to create a gradient effect.
14 - Pipe swirled frosting atop each cupcake forming a sunset gradient.
15 - Optionally garnish each cupcake with a fresh slice of strawberry or mango.
