Maui Wowie: Pineapple Cupcakes with Strawberry Meringue Buttercream Frosting

One of the girls in my office is getting married this Saturday. YAY for vows and wedding bells! So in celebration of their honeymoon in Maui, I made some Aloha-inspired cupcakes I call Maui Wowie. I found the cupcake recipe from the Cupcake Recipes and finished them off with Martha Stewart's Strawberry Meringue Buttercream Frosting with minor alterations, then sprinkled with Sugar in the Raw and edible gold glitter.

Pineapple Low-Fat Cupcakes
(Makes 24 cupcakes)

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

2 tsp baking soda

6 egg whites

1 1/2 tsp vanilla (always use the pure stuff of course, never imitation!)

20 ounces (1 can) crushed pineapple

4 tbsp powdered sugar

Preheat oven 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl and combine the sugar, flour and baking soda.
Next, beat in the egg whites, the vanilla and pineapple. Use electric mixer or whisk by hand until mixed well.
Pour the batter into a lined cupcake tin and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 25 minutes.
Poke with a cake batter stick or toothpick and make sure it comes out clean.
Remove from oven and leave in tin for 5 minutes.
MUST be completely cooled before spreading the delicious frosting!

Strawberry Meringue Buttercream Frosting
(Had plenty left after 24 cupcakes, could frost 36 cupcakes)

4 large egg whites 

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into tablespoons

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3/4 can (12.75oz size) of Smucker's Sugar Free Strawberry Preserves, pre-stirred in the jar

In the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer set over a saucepan of simmering water, combine egg whites and sugar. Cook, whisking constantly, until sugar has completely dissolved, making sure mixture reaches 145-160 degrees to completely cook the eggs. Use a candy thermometer, or as I did, used a turkey thermometer.

Attach the bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat the egg-white mixture on high speed until it holds stiff (but not dry) peaks until the mixture is fluffy and cooled, timing 6 minutes (the amount of time is important to prevent a goohey concoction).

Switch to the paddle attachment. With mixer on medium-low speed, add butter several tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition. (If frosting appears to separate after all the butter has been added, beat on medium-high speed until smooth again, 3 to 5 minutes more.)

Beat in vanilla. Beat on lowest speed to eliminate any air bubbles, about 2 minutes. Stir in strawberry preserves with a rubber spatula until frosting is smooth.