White Chocolate Strawberry Muffins with a Golden Dome Step-by-step instructions

Before you start

Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C) with a rack in the center position. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.

Measure out all the ingredients before starting: melt the butter and let it cool slightly, dice the strawberries into small pieces, and set out the buttermilk and sour cream so they come to room temperature. Having everything ready makes the mixing process quick and smooth.

Instructions

Mix the Batter

1. 1Mix the Wet Ingredients
   In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter, vegetable oil, and granulated sugar together until well combined. Whisk in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until the mixture is pale and slightly thickened. Add the buttermilk, sour cream, and vanilla bean paste, and whisk until smooth and fully incorporated.
   Look for The mixture should be smooth, glossy, and slightly thickened, with no streaks of butter or egg.
   Tip Make sure the melted butter is cooled slightly so it doesn't cook the eggs.
2. 2Combine the Dry Ingredients
   In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and fine salt until evenly distributed. This ensures the leaveners are thoroughly mixed so the muffins rise evenly.
   Look for The dry mixture should look uniform with no visible clumps of baking powder or soda.
   Tip Whisking the dry ingredients separately prevents overmixing later, which keeps the muffins tender.
3. 3Fold in the Dry Ingredients
   Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and fold gently with a rubber spatula just until a few streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix; the batter should be slightly lumpy.
   Look for The batter is thick but still slightly streaky with flour — that's perfect.
   Tip Overmixing develops gluten, making muffins tough. Stop while it's still a bit lumpy.

The wet ingredients are smooth and glossy, the dry ingredients are fully combined, and the batter is thick but slightly lumpy after folding. The strawberries and white chocolate are evenly distributed without being crushed. The batter should look like a thick, chunky cake batter that holds its shape when scooped.

Bake the Muffins

4. 4Add the Strawberries and White Chocolate
   Gently fold the diced strawberries and white chocolate chunks into the batter with a few strokes. Be careful not to crush the strawberries too much; you want pockets of fruit throughout the muffins.
   Look for The strawberries and chocolate are evenly distributed but not fully incorporated into a pink batter.
   Tip If the strawberries are very juicy, pat them dry with paper towels before adding to prevent soggy muffins.
5. 5Fill the Muffin Tins
   Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. Scoop the batter into the liners, filling each about three-quarters full. For tall domed tops, use an ice cream scoop for even portions.
   Look for The batter should be mounded slightly above the rim of the liner for a high dome.
   Tip Filling the cups a bit fuller gives that bakery-style tall muffin top.
6. 6Bake at High Heat
   Place the muffin tin in the oven and immediately set the temperature to 425°F (220°C). Bake for exactly 5 minutes at this high temperature. This initial blast of heat helps create a tall, golden dome.
   Look for After 5 minutes, the tops should just begin to rise and turn light golden.
   Tip Don't open the oven door during these first 5 minutes — the steam builds up and lifts the batter.

The oven is at 425°F, the muffin cups are filled, and the first five minutes of high heat have passed. The tops are beginning to rise and turn golden.

After lowering to 375°F, the muffins bake for another 15 minutes, filling the kitchen with a warm, buttery aroma. The finished muffins are tall, deeply golden, and have a slight crackle on top.

Cool and Serve

7. 7Lower the Oven Temperature
   After 5 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) and continue baking for 15 more minutes, or until the muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
   Look for The muffins should be deeply golden, spring back when lightly pressed, and have a cracked, domed top.
   Safe temperature 160°F (71°C) internal temperature (egg dishes)
   Tip The lower temperature finishes the inside gently without burning the outside.
8. 8Cool Briefly in the Pan
   Remove the muffin tin from the oven and let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool slightly. The white chocolate will still be molten and the strawberries glossy.
   Look for The muffins should be set but still warm to the touch, with a slightly crisp top.
   Tip Cooling in the pan for a few minutes helps the muffins hold their shape before you move them.

The muffins have cooled in the pan for five minutes and are now on a wire rack. They should be warm to the touch, with a crisp top and a tender, moist interior. When you break one open, the white chocolate should be molten and the strawberries glossy and jammy. The crumb should be fluffy and light, not dense or gummy.

Common mistakes

The most common mistake is overmixing the batter, which develops gluten and makes the muffins tough and dense. Mix until just a few streaks of flour remain, then stop.

Another issue is opening the oven door too early during the high-heat blast, which lets out steam and prevents the dome from forming. Also, be gentle when folding in the strawberries; crushing them releases too much juice and can make the batter soggy.

How to tell it’s done

The muffins are done when they are deeply golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached. The tops should spring back when lightly pressed.

If using an instant-read thermometer, the center of a muffin should register at least 160°F (71°C) to ensure the eggs are fully cooked. Let them cool in the pan for five minutes before transferring to a rack.

• Egg dishes: 160°F (71°C) in the thickest part