Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting
These vanilla cupcakes are infused with juicy strawberry pieces, creating a burst of flavor in every bite. Topped with a light, delicate frosting made from freeze-dried strawberries, they offer the perfect balance of sweetness. These cupcakes are a refreshing twist on a classic favorite, ideal for any occasion.
Why you’ll love these strawberry cupcakes
- Fresh Strawberry Flavor: Bursting with real strawberries, these cupcakes bring a natural sweetness and are the perfect strawberry cupcakes for strawberry season!
- Light and Fruity Frosting: Our freeze-dried strawberry frosting is light, airy, and just the right amount of fruity without being too sweet.
- Perfect Balance of Sweetness: Sweet but not too sweet, these cupcakes strike the perfect balance for those who love a subtle, tasty treat.
What you’ll need to make this recipe
You will need the following ingredients:
- All-Purpose Flour
- Baking Powder: Make sure to use fresh baking powder, as it helps cupcakes rise.
- Salt
- Unsalted Butter: You could use salted butter and lessen the amount of salt the recipe calls for. Make sure to use room-temperature butter that’s soft enough to leave a dent. Cold butter will be hard to mix into a creamy consistency.
- Granulated Sugar
- Large Eggs: You want to use room-temperature eggs for a well-emulsified batter. Room-temperature eggs whip better, which results in a fluffier cupcake.
- Buttermilk: For rich and moist cupcakes.
- Vanilla Extract
- Fresh Strawberries: Pick the reddest strawberries for peak sweetness.
- Freeze-Dried Strawberries
- Cream Cheese: Full-fat works best for this frosting.
- Heavy Whipping Cream
You will need the following supplies:
- Large mixing bowls
- Mixing tools
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Hand mixer with beater attachments or stand mixer
- 2 (12 cup) muffins tins
- 14 Cupcake liners
- Food processor or blender
- Piping bag
- 1M stainless steel open star piping tip
- Knife or vegetable chopper for dicing strawberries
How to Make Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting
Step one: Preheat the oven to 350º F. Line two 12-cup cupcake pans with 14 cupcake liners and set aside.
Step two: In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients, flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.
Step three: In a separate large bowl, using a hand mixer and beater attachments, cream butter and sugar for 1-2 minutes on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing until well incorporated after every egg, approximately 1 minute per egg.
Step four: Add vanilla, half the milk, and flour to the wet ingredients. Mix for 1-2 minutes until well combined, then repeat with the second half of the milk and flour.
Step five: Fold in chopped strawberries with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until dispersed throughout the batter.
Step six: Fill cupcake liners with cupcake batter (¼ cup leveled) approximately ¾ full
Bake at 350º F for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove the cupcakes from the muffin tin and let them cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
How to make the frosting
- Add freeze-dried strawberries to a blender or food processor, blend into a fine powder, and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, using a hand mixer with beater attachments, mix cream cheese and powdered sugar for 1-2 minutes until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure all ingredients are incorporated. It will look crumbly at first; keep mixing until it comes together and looks creamy. Add vanilla and mix for 1 minute until combined.
- Mix the cream cheese mixture with a hand mixer and beater attachments on high for 4-5 minutes while slowly pouring in cold whipping cream. Scrape down the sides as you go. Beat until the mixture has thickened and forms stiff peaks. Be careful not to overmix, or it will start to turn clumpy.
- Add in strawberry powder and gently fold until well incorporated.
- Spoon frosting into a piping bag with tip and frost cupcakes, and top with ½ of a clean strawberry if desired
FAQs
How should I store my strawberry cupcakes and strawberry frosting?
Unfrosted strawberry cupcakes stay fresh for up to two days at room temperature or one week in the fridge. Store in an airtight container.
Can I make the cupcakes and frosting ahead of time?
Yes, you can prepare the unfrosted strawberry cupcakes and frosting in advance. Make the strawberry frosting up to 24 hours ahead of time and store it in an airtight container. It’s best to frost cupcakes as close to when you are going to eat them as possible.
Where can I find freeze-dried strawberries?
You can find freeze-dried strawberries in the snack section of your grocery store, on Amazon, or at your local baking supply store. I find that a 1-ounce package in the snack section at the grocery store works great. Grab two if you’d like to sprinkle some crushed freeze-dried strawberries on top of the frosting.
Can I freeze these cupcakes?
Freezing these cupcakes is not recommended as they have fresh fruit in them and will turn mushy after thawing. These cupcakes are best eaten fresh.
If you love these cupcakes, you might also want to try our No-Bake Oreo Cheesecake!
RECIPE
Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (scooped, spooned, and leveled)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup butter milk at room temperature
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup strawberries diced into 1/4 inch by 1/2 inch pieces
Strawberry Frosting
- 1/4 cup freeze-dried strawberried, finely ground (approx 1 ounce package)
- 2 ounces cream cheese
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 cups cold heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350º F. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with 14 cupcake liners and set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, using a hand mixer and beater attachments, cream butter and sugar for 1-2 minutes until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing until well incorporated after every egg, approximately 1 minute per egg.
- Add vanilla, half the milk, and flour to the batter. Mix for 1-2 minutes until well combined, then repeat with the second half of the milk and flour.
- Fold in chopped strawberries with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until dispersed throughout the batter.
- Fill cupcake liners with batter (¼ cup leveled) approximately ¾ full.
- Bake at 350º F for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove the cupcakes from the muffin tin and let them cool completely on a cooling rack before frosting.
Strawberry Frosting
- Add freeze-dried strawberries to a blender or food processor, blend into a fine powder, and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, using a hand mixer with beater attachments, mix cream cheese and powdered sugar for 1-2 minutes until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure all ingredients are incorporated. It will look crumbly at first; keep mixing until it comes together and looks creamy. Add vanilla and mix for 1 minute until combined.
- Mix the cream cheese mixture with a hand mixer and beater attachments on high for 4-5 minutes while slowly pouring in cold, heavy whipping cream. Scrape down the sides as you go. Beat until the mixture has thickened and forms stiff peaks. Be careful not to overmix,or it will start to turn clumpy.
- Spoon frosting into a piping bag with tip and frost cupcakes, and top with a sliced fresh strawberry if desired.
