Where’s the ice cream? It’s in the batter! These are rich vanilla cupcakes with a smooth strawberry buttercream. Only make the buttercream if you have a stand mixer, it has to whip for 30 minutes. If you don’t have the stand mixer, try folding the strawberry sauce into your favorite vanilla frosting. You can even top the cupcakes off with a small dab of the sauce for an accent. These always feel like a party to me. Time for confetti?

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Mascarpone is an extremely rich creamy cheese from Italy that has been gathering more and more of a following in the USA. It’s the main ingredient of Tiramisu, and is the reason for its smooth richness. It used to be hard to find, but now almost every grocery store carries it. You can find it in tubs with the gourmet meats and cheeses. I decided to make these tarts as a Valentine’s Day treat. Since fresh berries are very expensive in February, I made them with frozen berries. You can use frozen black cherries, strawberries, or any berry you can find. I only own 3 of the heart-shaped springform pans, so I just make 3 of the shells at a time. You can use any tart pans you like, or you can make this into a couple of larger tarts. The recipe can also be halved.

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