The Best Homemade Strawberry Cupcakes with Creamy Strawberry Frosting
Indulge in the delightful taste of spring and summer with these incredible homemade strawberry cupcakes. This recipe masterfully combines the vibrant flavor of fresh strawberries in the cupcake itself with a luscious, smooth strawberry frosting, creating a dessert that’s truly unforgettable. Every bite offers a burst of sweet, natural strawberry goodness that will leave you craving more. These light, fluffy cupcakes are perfect for any occasion, from casual gatherings to special celebrations.
What sets this strawberry cupcake recipe apart is its dedication to maximizing fresh strawberry flavor. We start by transforming ripe, juicy strawberries into a concentrated puree. This natural strawberry essence is then folded directly into the cupcake batter, ensuring that the cake itself is bursting with authentic berry taste. This crucial step reduces excess moisture from the fresh fruit, preventing a soggy texture and intensifying the flavor profile of the cupcakes.
For the luxurious strawberry buttercream frosting, we take a slightly different approach. While fresh berries are wonderful in the cake, they can introduce too much moisture into frosting, potentially causing it to curdle or become too thin. That’s why freeze-dried strawberries are our secret weapon here. When blended into a fine powder, they infuse the buttercream with an intense, natural strawberry flavor and a beautiful pink hue without compromising the frosting’s creamy, stable texture. If freeze-dried berries aren’t available, I’ve provided excellent alternatives to ensure your frosting is just as delicious.
These cupcakes are more than just a dessert; they’re a celebration of seasonal bounty. Whether you’re hosting a garden party, preparing a special treat for family, or simply looking for a delightful way to use up an abundance of fresh berries, these strawberry cupcakes are the perfect choice. Prepare to make them on repeat all spring and summer long!
Essential Ingredients for Your Strawberry Cupcakes
Crafting the perfect strawberry cupcake starts with selecting the right ingredients. I’ve chosen a few specific items to ensure these cupcakes are light, moist, and packed with flavor, but I’ve also included substitution notes where possible. Let’s delve into the components you’ll need for both the delightful cupcakes and their dreamy frosting:
- Fresh Strawberries: The star of the show! Opt for ripe, vibrant red berries as they deliver the sweetest and most potent strawberry flavor. These will be pureed and reduced to create a concentrated flavor bomb for your cupcake batter.
- Cake Flour: This low-protein flour is key to achieving that signature light, tender, and airy cupcake texture. It creates less gluten, resulting in a delicate crumb. If you don’t have cake flour on hand, don’t worry – you can easily make your own substitute using all-purpose flour and cornstarch.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: These leavening agents work in harmony to give the cupcakes their beautiful rise and fluffy texture. Baking powder provides an initial lift, while baking soda reacts with the acidity in the buttermilk and strawberry puree to ensure a tender crumb.
- Salt: A small but mighty ingredient! Salt doesn’t just make things salty; it enhances and balances the sweetness of the berries and sugar, bringing out all the other flavors in the batter.
- Buttermilk: Real buttermilk adds a subtle tang, incredible moisture, and helps activate the baking soda, contributing to a softer, more tender cupcake. If you’re out of buttermilk, a quick and easy homemade substitute can be made in about five minutes.
- Vanilla Extract: Pure vanilla extract is always preferred for its rich, aromatic depth that complements the strawberry flavor beautifully. Avoid imitation vanilla for the best results.
- Red Food Coloring: This is entirely optional but highly recommended if you desire a truly gorgeous, vibrant pink shade for your cupcakes. A few drops can make a big visual impact. Natural alternatives like beet powder can also be used for a more subtle tint.
- Unsalted Butter: Using unsalted butter allows you to control the exact amount of salt in your recipe, as salt content varies greatly between butter brands. Ensure your butter is softened to room temperature for optimal creaming with sugar, which incorporates air for a lighter cupcake.
- Granulated Sugar: This fine sugar sweetens the cupcake batter without adding any additional flavor, allowing the natural strawberry taste to shine. It also contributes to the cake’s structure and moisture.
- Eggs: Large eggs should be at room temperature. Room temperature eggs emulsify better with the butter and sugar, creating a smoother, more uniform batter and contributing to the cupcake’s overall volume and texture.
- Powdered Sugar: The base for our smooth and creamy strawberry frosting. Its fine consistency ensures a silky, lump-free buttercream.
- Freeze-Dried Strawberries: The secret ingredient for intensely flavored frosting! These berries are blended into a fine powder, providing a concentrated burst of strawberry taste and a natural pink color without adding any extra liquid that could thin out the frosting.
- Heavy Cream or Milk: A small amount of either heavy whipping cream or milk helps achieve the perfect consistency for your frosting, allowing you to thin it out just a touch for smooth piping and spreading.
Step-by-Step Guide: How to Make Irresistible Strawberry Cupcakes
Making these delicious strawberry cupcakes is a rewarding process. Follow these steps carefully to achieve light, flavorful cakes topped with perfectly smooth frosting.
Preparing the Reduced Strawberry Puree
Before you even think about the cupcake batter, you’ll need to prepare the intensely flavored strawberry puree. This step is crucial for concentrated flavor and proper cake texture.
- Start by adding your chopped fresh strawberries to a food processor or a high-speed blender. Process until you achieve a perfectly smooth puree. You should have a little over ¾ cup of this vibrant strawberry liquid.
- Next, pour the strawberry puree into a medium-sized saucepan and place it over medium-low heat. Bring the puree to a gentle simmer. The key here is to cook it down slowly, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has reduced significantly to about ⅓ cup (approximately 85 grams). This reduction process, which takes roughly 30 minutes, removes excess moisture and concentrates the natural sweetness and flavor of the strawberries, ensuring your cupcakes are moist but not wet, and packed with berry taste.
- Once reduced, immediately remove the concentrated strawberry mixture from the heat. Transfer it to a heat-proof bowl and set it aside to cool completely to room temperature. This cooling step is vital before incorporating it into the batter to prevent altering the texture of your final cupcakes.
Mixing the Strawberry Cupcake Batter
With your strawberry puree cooling, you can now move on to creating the light and fluffy cupcake batter.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Line two 12-count muffin pans with a total of 15 cupcake liners and set them aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until they are thoroughly combined. This ensures even distribution of the leavening agents throughout the batter. Set this dry mixture aside.
- In a separate medium bowl or a large measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk, the completely cooled reduced strawberry puree, pure vanilla extract, and the optional red food coloring until all ingredients are well combined and the liquid mixture is uniformly pink. Set this wet mixture aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a large mixing bowl with a handheld electric mixer), beat the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar together on medium speed for about 3 to 4 minutes. You want this mixture to become light, pale, and fluffy, as this creaming process incorporates air, which is essential for a tender cupcake crumb.
- Add the large eggs to the butter and sugar mixture, one at a time. After each egg addition, beat just until combined, making sure to stop the mixer and scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl. This ensures everything is uniformly incorporated and prevents pockets of unmixed ingredients.
- Now it’s time to combine the wet and dry ingredients. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients in two additions, alternating with the buttermilk mixture. Begin and end with the dry ingredients. Mix each addition only until it’s just combined. The key here is not to overmix the batter; overmixing can develop too much gluten, resulting in dense, tough cupcakes. A few small lumps are perfectly fine.
- Once your batter is ready, evenly distribute it among the 15 prepared cupcake liners. Fill each liner approximately ⅔ of the way full, but no more, to allow for proper rising without overflowing.
- Bake for 16 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. This indicates they are fully cooked through.
- As soon as the fresh strawberry cupcakes come out of the oven, carefully remove them from the muffin pans and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. It is absolutely essential that the cupcakes are completely cool before you apply the frosting; otherwise, your beautiful buttercream will melt.
Crafting the Creamy Strawberry Frosting
This strawberry buttercream frosting comes together quickly and provides the perfect complement to the flavorful cupcakes.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a large mixing bowl with a handheld electric mixer), beat the softened unsalted butter on medium speed until it is smooth and creamy.
- Gradually mix in the powdered sugar on low speed, one cup at a time. Ensure you mix well after each addition to fully incorporate the sugar and avoid a dusty cloud in your kitchen. Continue until all the powdered sugar is combined and the frosting is thick.
- Add the freeze-dried strawberries to a blender or food processor. Blend them until they become a very fine powder. This powder will give your frosting an intense strawberry flavor and a lovely pink color without introducing unwanted moisture.
- Add the strawberry powder, heavy whipping cream (or milk), and pure vanilla extract to the frosting mixture. Mix on low-medium speed until all ingredients are fully combined and the frosting is smooth and light. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure even mixing.
- Once the frosting is ready and the cupcakes are completely cooled, you can pipe or spread the frosting generously onto each cupcake. Get creative with your piping techniques, or simply spread it on with an offset spatula for a rustic look.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Adapt This Recipe for a Cake?
Absolutely! This versatile strawberry cupcake recipe can certainly be used to make a one-layer 9-inch round cake. The batter yields a beautifully moist and flavorful cake. If your heart desires a magnificent layered strawberry cake, I highly recommend checking out my dedicated strawberry cake recipe here, which is specifically formulated for multi-tiered creations. When baking as a single cake, adjust the baking time and test for doneness with a toothpick.
Can I Use Frozen Strawberries in This Recipe?
While I generally find that fresh, ripe strawberries deliver a superior sweetness and more intense flavor, frozen strawberries are a perfectly acceptable alternative, especially when fresh ones are out of season. If using frozen, be sure to let them thaw completely before blending. Once thawed, drain off any excess liquid to ensure you measure exactly 225 grams of strawberries for the puree, maintaining the correct moisture balance for the cupcakes.
Expert Baking Tips for Perfect Strawberry Cupcakes
- Frosting Alternatives: If freeze-dried strawberries aren’t available or you prefer a different flavor profile, you can easily adapt another frosting. Consider using the delicious raspberry frosting from my lemon cupcake recipe. Simply replace the raspberry jam specified in that recipe with good quality strawberry jam for a delightful twist on your strawberry cupcakes.
- Cool the Puree Completely: This step cannot be stressed enough! Ensure the reduced strawberry puree is cooled entirely to room temperature before adding it to the buttermilk mixture. Incorporating warm puree into a cool batter can affect the emulsion, resulting in a less stable batter and potentially altering the cupcake’s final texture.
- Prepare Ahead: Both the strawberry cupcakes and the strawberry frosting can be prepared in advance. Store the baked, unfrosted cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2-3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The frosting can also be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. When ready to use, bring the frosting to room temperature and re-whip it briefly until light and fluffy again before piping onto cooled cupcakes.
- Don’t Overmix: When combining the wet and dry ingredients, mix only until just combined. Overmixing develops gluten, which can lead to dense, chewy cupcakes instead of the desired light and tender texture. A few small lumps in the batter are preferable to overmixing.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: For the best emulsion and a smooth, consistent batter, ensure your butter and eggs are at room temperature. This allows them to combine more uniformly, trapping more air and resulting in a lighter, fluffier cupcake.
- Measure Accurately: Baking is a science! Use a kitchen scale for dry ingredients like flour for the most accurate results. When measuring flour with cups, spoon it into the measuring cup and then level it off with a straight edge rather than scooping directly from the bag, which can compact the flour and lead to too much being used.
More Irresistible Homemade Cupcake Recipes to Try!
- Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Cupcakes
- Classic Chocolate Cupcakes
- Moist Carrot Cake Cupcakes
- Velvety Red Velvet Cupcakes
- Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes
Strawberry Cupcakes
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Ingredients
For the Strawberry Cupcakes
- 1 ½ cups (225 grams) chopped fresh strawberries, for puree
- 1 ½ cups (175 grams) cake flour (spooned & leveled for accuracy)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) buttermilk (at room temperature)
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 5 to 6 drops red food coloring (optional, for vibrant color)
- ½ cup (115 grams) unsalted butter (softened to room temperature)
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs (at room temperature)
For the Strawberry Frosting
- 1 cup (230 grams, 2 sticks) unsalted butter (softened)
- 3 cups (360 grams) powdered sugar
- 1 (0.8-ounce) bag freeze-dried strawberries
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) heavy whipping cream or milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
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Prepare the Reduced Strawberry Puree: Add the chopped fresh strawberries to a food processor or a high-speed blender and process until completely smooth. This should yield slightly over ¾ cup of fresh strawberry puree.
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Pour the strawberry puree into a medium-sized saucepan and place it over medium-low heat. Bring the puree to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has significantly reduced to a concentrated ⅓ cup (approximately 85 grams). This process typically takes about 30 minutes.
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Remove the reduced strawberry mixture from the heat. Transfer it to a heat-proof bowl and set it aside to cool completely to room temperature before proceeding with the cupcake batter.
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Begin the Strawberry Cupcakes: Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Prepare two standard 12-count muffin pans by lining 15 cavities with cupcake liners; set aside.
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In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until uniformly combined. Set aside the dry ingredients.
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In a separate large bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the room temperature buttermilk, the completely cooled reduced strawberry puree, pure vanilla extract, and the optional red food coloring until the liquid mixture is well combined. Set aside the wet ingredients.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a large mixing bowl with a handheld mixer), beat the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar together on medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes. Continue beating until the mixture is light, fluffy, and pale in color.
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Incorporate the large eggs, adding them one at a time to the butter mixture. After each egg addition, mix just until combined, ensuring you stop to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl to fully integrate all ingredients.
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With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in two separate additions, alternating with the wet buttermilk mixture. Begin and end with the dry ingredients. Mix each addition only until it’s just combined; be careful not to overmix the batter.
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Evenly distribute the prepared batter among the 15 cupcake liners. Ensure each liner is filled approximately ⅔ of the way full, but not more, to allow for proper rising.
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Bake the cupcakes for 16 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, indicating they are fully cooked.
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Carefully remove the baked cupcakes from the muffin pans immediately after baking. Transfer them to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely to room temperature before frosting.
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Prepare the Strawberry Frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a large mixing bowl with a handheld mixer), beat the softened unsalted butter on medium speed until it is smooth and creamy.
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Gradually mix in the powdered sugar on low speed, adding one cup at a time. Ensure to mix well after each addition until all the sugar is fully incorporated and the frosting becomes thick.
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Add the entire bag of freeze-dried strawberries to a blender or food processor. Blend them until they are processed into a very fine, uniform powder.
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Add the strawberry powder, heavy whipping cream (or milk), and pure vanilla extract to the frosting mixture. Mix on low-medium speed until all ingredients are fully combined and the frosting is smooth and light. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure even incorporation.
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Once the cupcakes are completely cooled, pipe or spread the creamy strawberry frosting generously onto each one. Garnish with a fresh strawberry slice if desired!
Notes
Freezing Instructions: Both unfrosted cupcakes and the strawberry frosting freeze exceptionally well for up to 3 months. To freeze cupcakes, wrap each cooled cupcake individually in plastic wrap, then place them in an airtight freezer-safe bag or container. For frosting, store in an airtight container. When ready to enjoy, thaw to room temperature. Re-whip the thawed frosting until light and fluffy before frosting the cupcakes.