1. Prepare the cupcake tin by lining it with cupcake liners. Set it aside. Preheat the oven to 175°C / 350°F.
2. In a mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the eggs and sugar until they come together. Then, add the vanilla extract and softened butter. Mix everything until it’s well combined.
3. Sift the flour, salt, and baking powder into another bowl using a fine mesh strainer. Measure the milk. Now, in 4 additions, alternately add the milk and flour mixture to the butter-sugar-egg mixture, mixing after each addition. Don’t overmix, or the batter will become tough.
4. Use a cookie scoop or a spoon to portion the batter into the liners. Fill each about 2/3 full so the cupcakes don’t rise over the edges while baking.
5. Bake the cupcakes for 18-20 minutes. They’re done when you insert a toothpick into the center, and it comes out clean, without any batter sticking to it.
6. Let the cupcakes cool on a wire rack.
7. Meanwhile, prepare the frosting. Dice the pink dragon fruit and place it in a medium-sized bowl. Add the cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract, powdered sugar, and a pinch of salt to the bowl. Use an electric mixer to blend everything into a creamy mixture. If the frosting is too soft to hold its shape, place the bowl in the fridge for about 20 minutes.
8. Fill a piping bag with the frosting and decorate the cupcakes. Optionally, garnish with a few pieces of dragon fruit.

PREPARATIONS

1. Thoroughly wash the strawberries, dry them, and cut into small pieces. Set aside.
2. Cut parchment paper into small squares and press two layers into every other cup of the cupcake tin. Alternatively, you can skip the parchment paper and use cupcake liners instead. Set the prepared tin aside.

COOKING

1. For the crumbles: In a small bowl, knead together room temperature butter, flour, sugar, and a pinch of salt until combined, then break into large chunks. Store in the refrigerator until needed.
2. For the filling: In a small bowl, mix together cream cheese, powdered sugar, zest from half a lemon, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract until creamy. Store in the refrigerator until needed. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
3. For the batter: In one of the medium bowls, mix together the dry ingredients – flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, sugar, and a pinch of salt. Set aside.
4. In another medium bowl, combine the wet ingredients – melted butter, eggs, yogurt, milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract using a whisk until smooth.
5. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and use a spatula to blend into a batter. Mix just until no flour streaks remain, then fold in the chopped strawberries.
6. Grab the crumbles and cream cheese mix from the fridge.
7. Place a scoop of batter into every second cup of the cupcake tin. Press a scoop in the center and add 1 teaspoon of the cream cheese filling. Cover with another scoop of batter. Distribute crumbles over 6 of the 12 cupcakes, pressing down firmly. Leave the other 6 plain for the strawberry frosting later.
8. Bake the cupcakes for 20-25 minutes. Remove the tin from the oven and let cool briefly before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely. Prepare the next batch of cupcakes similarly, but without the crumbles. Let all cupcakes cool completely.
9. Meanwhile, make the frosting: In a medium bowl, beat room temperature butter with an electric mixer until pale yellow and fluffy. Add cream cheese and mix again. Then, add sifted powdered sugar and mix for 1-2 minutes until creamy.
10. Crush freeze-dried strawberries into a fine powder using a mortar and pestle (or a powerful food processor). Mix this strawberry powder into the frosting until evenly pink.
11. Once the cupcakes are completely cool, evenly spread and smooth the frosting over the 6 plain cupcakes. And now enjoy your pieces of happiness!