Oh, these Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream hold such a special place in my heart! Every spring, when the first juicy strawberries hit the market, I just know it’s time to whip up a batch. They remind me of warm, sunny days and those simple, sweet moments that make life so delicious. There’s just something about the fresh strawberry flavor in both the cupcake and the dreamy buttercream that makes everyone smile.
Why You’ll Love This Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream
- They are bursting with real strawberry flavor – no artificial stuff here!
- The cupcakes are incredibly tender and moist, thanks to a few secret ingredients.
- That strawberry buttercream? It’s light, fluffy, and perfectly sweet without being cloying.
- They’re perfect for any occasion, from a casual picnic to a fancy celebration!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Cake Flour: This is key for super tender cupcakes. It has a lower protein content than all-purpose flour, making your baked goods softer. Don’t substitute it if you want that perfect delicate crumb!
- Unsalted Butter: Always use unsalted butter in baking so you can control the salt content yourself. Make sure it’s truly softened to room temperature for the best creaming results.
- Large Egg + Egg Whites: The extra egg whites help create a lighter, fluffier cupcake texture and a brighter color. Make sure they’re at room temperature!
- Full-Fat Sour Cream: This is one of my favorite secret ingredients for moist cupcakes! It adds richness and a slight tang that balances the sweetness. Make sure it’s full-fat and at room temperature.
- Whole Milk: Again, room temperature is best for all your dairy. Whole milk adds moisture and helps create that tender crumb.
- Freeze-Dried Strawberries: These are absolutely magical for the buttercream! They provide intense strawberry flavor without adding extra liquid, which can ruin the frosting consistency. You can find them in most grocery stores, often in the snack aisle.
- Heavy Cream or Whole Milk (for frosting): Either works to get that perfect creamy consistency in your buttercream. Use whichever you have on hand, but make sure it’s at room temperature.
How to Make Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream Step by Step
First things first, let’s get your oven ready! Preheat it to 350°F (177°C) and grab your muffin pan. Line it with cupcake liners. This recipe makes quite a few, about 20, so you might need a second pan or plan to bake in batches.
Now, for those fresh strawberries! Take 1/2 cup of your chopped strawberries and pop them into a food processor or blender. Pulse them until they become a chunky puree – you should end up with about 1/3 cup. If they’re being stubborn and not pureeing, a tiny splash of milk can help them along. This is where a lot of that amazing strawberry flavor in the cupcake comes from!
Next, let’s get our dry ingredients ready. In a big bowl, whisk together your cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Set that aside. Then, in another large bowl, using your mixer, cream together your softened butter and granulated sugar until it’s light and fluffy. This takes about 3 minutes. Don’t forget to scrape down the sides of the bowl! Beat in your egg, egg whites, and vanilla extract until everything is combined, then add the sour cream. Don’t worry if it looks a little curdled; that’s totally normal at this stage.
This is where the magic happens! Add about half of your dry ingredients to the butter mixture, then half of the milk, mixing on low speed until just combined. Repeat with the remaining dry ingredients, milk, and that beautiful strawberry puree you made earlier. Mix until just combined – overmixing is the enemy of tender cupcakes! Finally, gently fold in the remaining 3/4 cup of chopped strawberries. Spoon the batter into your lined cupcake pan, filling each liner about 3/4 full. Bake for 21-24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Let them cool in the pan for a bit, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
My Top Tips for Success
- I always make sure all my cold ingredients like butter, eggs, sour cream, and milk are at room temperature. It really helps everything combine smoothly and creates a better texture.
- Trust me on this one: use cake flour! It makes such a difference in the tenderness of the cupcakes.
- Don’t overmix your batter once you add the dry ingredients – just mix until everything is combined. Overmixing develops gluten, which can lead to tough cupcakes.
- For the best frosting consistency, make sure your freeze-dried strawberries are processed into a very fine powder.
- Always let your cupcakes cool completely before frosting. If they’re even a little warm, your beautiful buttercream will melt right off!
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Not using room temperature ingredients: Cold ingredients don’t emulsify properly, leading to a lumpy batter and a less tender cupcake. Always plan ahead and set them out for an hour or two.
- Overmixing the batter: This develops too much gluten, resulting in tough, chewy cupcakes instead of light, fluffy ones. Mix until just combined.
- Not fully cooling cupcakes before frosting: Warm cupcakes will melt your buttercream, turning your beautiful frosting into a sticky mess. Patience is key here!
- Using artificial strawberry flavoring: While convenient, it just doesn’t compare to the fresh, vibrant taste you get from using real strawberries and freeze-dried strawberries. Stick to the real deal for the best flavor.
How to Store Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream
- Refrigerator: Store leftover cupcakes tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. A cupcake carrier is perfect for keeping them fresh and preventing squished frosting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use fresh strawberries instead of freeze-dried for the buttercream?
I don’t recommend it for the buttercream. Fresh strawberries add too much moisture, which can make your buttercream runny and difficult to pipe. Freeze-dried strawberries give you all that intense flavor without the extra liquid.
Why did my buttercream come out too thin?
This usually happens if your butter was too soft or you added too much liquid (heavy cream/milk). You can try adding more confectioners’ sugar a tablespoon at a time until it reaches the desired consistency.
Can I make these cupcakes ahead of time?
Yes, you can! The unfrosted cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw them completely before frosting.
What if I don’t have cake flour?
You can make a substitute! For every cup of cake flour needed, measure 1 cup of all-purpose flour, remove 2 tablespoons, and then replace those 2 tablespoons with cornstarch. Sift it together twice to ensure it’s well combined.
I truly hope these Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream bring as much joy and deliciousness to your kitchen as they do to mine! There’s nothing quite like biting into that soft, fruity cupcake topped with dreamy strawberry frosting. Give them a try, and let me know how they turn out – I’d love to hear all about your baking adventure!
PrintStrawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream
Tender, moist homemade strawberry cupcakes bursting with fresh fruit flavor, topped with a luscious strawberry buttercream made with freeze-dried berries.
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 24
- Total Time: 120
- Yield: 20 cupcakes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/4 cups (200g) chopped strawberries, divided
- 2 and 1/3 cups (280g) cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 cups (300g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg + 2 egg whites, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (120g) full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120g) whole milk, at room temperature
- 1 cup (about 25g) freeze-dried strawberries
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3 and 1/2 cups (420g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1/4 cup (60ml) heavy cream or whole milk, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- salt, to taste
- optional, for garnish: fresh strawberries
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Line a 12-count muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- Line a second muffin pan with more liners (or prepare to bake in batches) as this recipe makes about 20 cupcakes.
- Place 1/2 cup (80g) of the chopped strawberries into a food processor or blender.
- Pulse the strawberries until they form a chunky puree. You should have about 1/3 cup (80g).
- If the strawberries are difficult to puree, add a splash of milk to help them blend.
- Set the strawberry puree aside.
- Set aside the remaining 3/4 cup (120g) chopped strawberries to be folded into the batter later.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Set the dry ingredients aside.
- In a large bowl, using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar together on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula as needed.
- Add the large egg, egg whites, and vanilla extract to the creamed mixture.
- Beat on medium-high speed until all ingredients are combined.
- Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Beat in the full-fat sour cream. The mixture may look slightly curdled, which is normal.
- Add about half of the reserved dry ingredients to the wet mixture.
- Add about half of the whole milk to the wet mixture.
- Mix on low speed until just incorporated.
- Add the remaining dry ingredients.
- Add the remaining milk and the prepared strawberry puree.
- Mix on low speed until just combined. Do not over-mix the batter.
- The batter will be creamy and slightly thick.
- Gently fold in the reserved 3/4 cup (120g) chopped strawberries.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared cupcake liners, filling each only about 3/4 full.
- Bake for 21–24 minutes.
- Test for doneness: the tops of the cupcakes should spring back when gently touched, and a toothpick inserted into the center should come out mostly clean with just a few moist crumbs.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for 5–10 minutes.
- Transfer the cupcakes to a wire cooling rack.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting them.
- For the frosting: Using a food processor or blender, process the freeze-dried strawberries into a fine powdery crumb. You should have about 1/2 cup.
- In a large bowl, using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the softened butter on medium-high speed until creamy, for about 2 minutes.
- Add the confectioners’ sugar, strawberry powder, heavy cream or whole milk, and vanilla extract to the butter.
- Beat on low speed for 30 seconds to combine the ingredients.
- Increase the speed to high and beat for 2 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Taste the buttercream.
- Beat in a pinch of salt if the frosting is too sweet to balance the flavor.
- Frost the cooled cupcakes as desired.
- Garnish frosted cupcakes with fresh strawberries, if using.
- Cover leftover cupcakes tightly and store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
Ensure all cold ingredients are at room temperature for the best batter consistency.
Do not overmix the cupcake batter once the dry ingredients are added; mix until just combined.
Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting them to prevent the buttercream from melting.
For the best strawberry flavor in the frosting, process the freeze-dried strawberries into a very fine powder.
