These moist, light cupcakes are made with an old-fashioned hot milk sponge cake batter, with hot milk beaten into whipped eggs. Before they are filled, these cupcakes can be tightly wrapped and frozen for up to a month. Take out as many cupcakes as you need and defrost them still in their wrapping. The quantities below are for about 1/2 cup strawberries and a generous 1/2 cup whipped cream for each cupcake-but more is fine, too.

Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 12 extra-large muffin tin cups with large paper liners. Spray the paper liners with nonstick cooking spray.

Make the cupcakes:
Heat the milk in a medium saucepan over low heat lust until it is hot; it should measure about 150°F on a thermometer. Remove from heat.

Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the eggs and sugar until thickened and lightened to a cream color, about 3 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing.

Mix in the vanilla and almond extracts. On low speed, mix in the flour mixture until it is incorporated. Slowly add the hot milk and continue mixing for about 30 seconds, until the batter is smooth; the batter will be thin.

Fill each paper liner with a scant 1/2 cup of batter, to about 5/8 inch below the top of the liner. Bake lust until the top feels firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 16 minutes. Cool the cupcakes for 10 minutes in the pan on a wire rack. Remove the cupcakes from the pan onto a wire rack and let cool completely, then remove the paper liners.

Make the filling and topping:
In a large bowl, stir together the sliced strawberries and granulated sugar. Let sit for 30 minutes. Some juice will be released as the strawberries sit, and they will shrink to about 6 cups.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until soft peaks form. Using a serrated knife, slice each cupcake into three layers. Place the bottom of each cupcake on an individual serving plate. Spoon 1/4 cup of the strawberries, with their juices, onto each one, then spoon 1/4 cup whipped cream onto each. Top with the middle cupcake layers and repeat with the remaining sliced strawberries and another 1/4 cup whipped cream for each. Some sliced strawberries and whipped cream will spill onto the plates; this is good.

Place the cupcake tops on top and garnish each one with a tablespoon of whipped cream and a whole strawberry. Serve immediately.

The unfilled cupcakes can be covered and stored for one day at room temperature.