One delicious taste of these Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting, and you won't need to buy strawberry cake mix anymore. This is a special recipe for strawberry cake that is always soft and fluffy. The flavor is amazing because it uses real, fresh strawberries.
You can expect a double dose of strawberries with the addition of this perfectly pink strawberry frosting for even more delicious strawberry oomph. This recipe is perfect for spring or summer birthdays, and they make an especially adorable addition to any Valentine's party.
Baking cupcakes from scratch is easier than you think. We'll provide helpful tips and tricks at every step. Need more sweet treat Cake Recipes? Add our German Chocolate, Pumpkin, and Vanilla Cupcakes to your must-bake list!
WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE YOU BEGIN
- Room-Temperature Ingredients | It is especially important to note that the ingredients for the cake batter should be at room temperature. Cold butter, eggs, sour cream, or milk could prevent the cake from rising properly and prevent it from mixing properly. Plan ahead and set these ingredients out 2 to 3 hours before you begin baking.
- Creamed Butter and Sugar | Creaming butter and sugar makes a difference when it comes to light and fluffy baked goods. Butter and sugar are properly creamed once the mixture has almost doubled, appearing fluffy and lightened in color.
INGREDIENTS FOR FRESH STRAWBERRY CUPCAKES
Strawberries | The riper your strawberries, the sweeter your cupcakes will be! We use fresh strawberries in our strawberry trifle recipe, too, and it makes all the difference!
Flour | You will need all-purpose flour for this recipe. Do not sub and cake flour or self-rising flour.
Baking Soda + Baking Powder | You will need both baking soda and baking powder for this cake recipe. Be sure not to mix up the measurements for the two ingredients.
Butter | This recipe calls for unsalted butter for both the strawberry cupcake base and the frosting. Be sure that your butter is unsalted, or your cupcakes will be too salty. As mentioned above, your butter should also be at room temperature!
Granulated Sugar
Eggs | Have three large eggs on hand, and make sure that they've had plenty of time to come to room temperature.
Sour Cream | Sour cream is an excellent and good ingredient for adding moisture. Sour cream is an ingredient that helps cakes to retain their moisture. You'll want this ingredient to be at room temperature before adding it to the cake batter.
Whole milk
Vanilla Extract
Food Coloring | Food coloring is optional, but if you would like your treats to boast a bright, vibrant pink color, you'll want to use it. If you'd like to add an extra pop of color to your Strawberry Cupcake recipe, 2 to 4 drops of pink or red food coloring will do the trick.
HOW TO MAKE STRAWBERRY CUPCAKES
- Puree the Strawberries | Cut the tops off of the strawberries, drop them into a blender or a food processor, secure the lid, and blend until they are liquid-like in appearance. You will need one cup for the strawberry cupcakes and a quarter cup for the homemade strawberry icing. Discard the remaining purée or use it for our strawberry pound cake recipe!
2. Mix the Dry Ingredients | For the dry ingredients, you will need either a sifter or a fine-mesh sieve. These tools help aerate the dry mix, making for an extra-light and tender cake. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the sifter or sieve and process into a medium-sized mixing bowl.
3. Cream Butter and Sugar | Add room-temperature unsalted butter and granulated sugar to a large bowl and cream together using a handheld mixer on medium-high speed for about three minutes. You could also beat the butter and sugar with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
4. Add Remaining Wet Ingredients | Then, add in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each edition. Next, add in the vanilla extract, and 2 to 4 drops of pink or red food coloring. Now, add in one cup of the strawberry puree and mix on low until it is well combined with the other wet ingredients. The last thing you'll do is whisk together sour cream and milk in a small bowl and set it aside.
5. Add Dry Ingredients to Wet Ingredinets | Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in three separate additions. Do this, alternating with the milk–sour cream mixture in two additions. Mix until the ingredients are well combined and your Strawberry Cupcake batter looks smooth.
6. Bake | Preheat the oven to 350°F, and you will also want to have ready a standard muffin pan lined with cupcake liners. Scoop the batter into the muffin cups, filling each cup about ¾ of the way full. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Set the cupcakes aside on a wire rack until cooled completely.
If this is your kind of dessert, be sure to check out our Lemon Raspberry Cake as well!
HOW TO MAKE THE STRAWBERRY BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
The homemade strawberry frosting is so incredibly easy to make!
- Add Ingredients | Add room temperature unsalted butter, powdered sugar, strawberry purée, vanilla extract, and salt to a large mixing bowl.
- Mix | Mix, starting on low and working your way up to medium-high speed. Continue to mix your icing ingredients for 2 to 3 minutes or until it appears completely smooth and fluffy!
- Ice | Smear or pipe the icing onto the cooled cupcakes and garnish with small, fresh strawberries for an extra special touch.
6 MORE CAKE RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
- Banana Pudding Cheesecake
- Keylime Cake
- Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes
- Peach Cobbler Pound Cake
- Chocolate Chip Cake
- Kentucky Butter Cake
Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes
Banana Pudding Cheesecake
Key Lime Cake
Peach Cobbler Pound Cake
Chocolate Chip Cake
Kentucky Butter Cake
Strawberry Cupcakes
Ingredients
- About 3 cups strawberries, tops removed
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1-¾ cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- ½ cup sour cream, room temperature
- ½ cup whole milk, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2-4 drops red or pink food coloring (optional)
FOR THE STRAWBERRY ICING:
- 2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup strawberry puree (from strawberries above)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
MAKE THE CUPCAKES:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and have ready a standard muffin tin lined with cupcake liners and spritzed with cooking spray.
- Add the strawberries to a food processor fitted with a blade attachment or a blender and mix until puréed. Measure and reserve 1-¼ cups of purée and discard any remaining.
- Over a medium-sized mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set the dry mix aside.
- Add the butter and sugar to a large mixing bowl and cream together using a handheld mixer on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes or until fluffy and lightened in color. You could also use a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, if desired.
- Add the eggs to the butter and sugar one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract and mix again. If using food coloring, add now and mix. Add only 1 cup of the strawberry purée to the wet ingredients and mix to combine. Take care to reserve the remaining ¼ cup of purée for the icing. The mixture may appear curdled -- this is ok!
- In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream and milk.
- Mixing on low, add the dry ingredient to the large bowl in 3 separate additions, alternating with the sour cream mixture in 2 additions.
- Fill the muffin cups about ¾s of the way full and bake for 18-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely.
MAKE THE ICING:
- Add the butter, powdered sugar, strawberry purée, vanilla extract, and salt to a large mixing bowl and mix with a handheld mixer, starting on low and working your way up to medium-high speed. Mix for 2-3 minutes until smooth and fluffy.Add big scoops of the icing into a piping bag fitted with a large piping tip. Twist the bag shut, and pipe swirls across the surface of the cupcakes. Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
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