Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt then set aside. In a separate bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla then beat on medium speed for at least 1 minute.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each egg until completely incorporated before adding the next. Once the eggs have been incorporated, scrape the sides of the bowl and beat on medium speed 1 full minute until the mixture is very fluffy.

Add 1/3 of the dry mixture and beat just enough to fully incorporate the flour then add ½ of the milk and mix just until combined. Repeat this process with half of the remaining dry ingredients and the remaining milk. Add the remainder of dry ingredients and mix just until the flour is incorporated and no lumps remain.

Fold in ¾ cup finely chopped strawberries and pour the batter into the prepared muffin tin. Fill each cup about ¾ full and bake for 14–16 minutes. Allow cupcakes to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing.

While the cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting by placing 1½ cups strawberries and the granulated sugar in a blender. Puree until smooth then press the purée through a fine mesh sieve into a saucepan—this will remove any seeds and large particles and ensure a smooth frosting. Place the saucepan over medium-low heat and bring to a bubble, stirring frequently 6–7 minutes until the purée has reduced to ½ cup. Remove from heat, transfer to a bowl then refrigerate to cool completely.

Beat the butter together with the 3 cups of powdered sugar, vanilla and salt until light and fluffy. Once the strawberry purée is cold, add it to the bowl and beat on high speed 2-3 minutes until the frosting is super light and fluffy. If the frosting is too thin, gradually add an additional ½ cup of powdered sugar until it reaches desired consistency. If the frosting is too thick, add a few drops of milk.

Once the cupcakes are completely cool, generously spread or pipe the icing onto each cupcake and enjoy!