Description
Made with real strawberries, these soft and fluffy fresh strawberry cupcakes with strawberry buttercream are the quintessential summertime cupcake. These cupcakes are a wonderful treat to make when fresh strawberries are in season.
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1 and 1/4 cups (200g) chopped strawberries, divided
- 2 and 1/3 cups (280g) cake flour* (spooned & leveled)
- 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
Strawberry Buttercream
- 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 oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 12-count muffin pan with cupcake liners. This recipe makes around 20 cupcakes, so line a second muffin pan with more liners (or bake in batches).
- Place 1/2 cup (80g) of the chopped strawberries in a food processor or blender. Pulse until strawberries are a chunky puree. You should have about 1/3 cup (80g). (Tip: If they’re getting stuck and not breaking down into a puree, add a splash of the milk to help move them along.) Set aside.
- Set aside the remaining 3/4 cup (120g) chopped strawberries to be folded into the batter in step 6.
- Make the cupcakes: In a large bowl, whisk the cake flour, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula as needed. (Here’s a helpful tutorial if you need guidance on how to cream butter and sugar.) Add the egg, egg whites, and vanilla and beat on medium-high speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Beat in the sour cream. The mixture will look a little curdled and that’s normal and expected.
- Add about half of the dry ingredients and half of the milk, and mix on low speed until incorporated. Add the remaining dry ingredients and remaining milk, as well as the strawberry puree, and mix until just combined. Do not over-mix. The batter will be creamy and slightly thick. Fold in the chopped strawberries.
- Spoon batter into cupcake liners, filling only about 3/4 full. Bake for 21–24 minutes or until the tops of the cupcakes spring back when gently touched and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean with just a few moist crumbs.
- Allow to cool in the pan for 5–10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
- Make the frosting: Using a food processor or blender, process the freeze-dried strawberries into a 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 butter on medium-high speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, strawberry powder, cream, and vanilla. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to high speed and beat for 2 minutes. Taste. Beat in a pinch of salt if frosting is too sweet.
- Frost cupcakes as desired. I used piping tip Ateco #826. Garnish frosted cupcakes with fresh strawberries, if using.
- Cover leftover cupcakes tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I recommend a cupcake carrier for storing and transporting decorated cupcakes.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: You can bake the cupcakes 1 day in advance. Keep cupcakes covered tightly at room temperature and frost the day of serving. You can make the frosting and store it covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days before using. After refrigerating, beating in a splash of heavy cream or milk will help thin the frosting out again, if needed. (It stiffens in the refrigerator.) Unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before frosting and serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 12-count Muffin Pan | Cupcake Liners | Food Processor or Blender | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand Mixer) | Silicone Spatula | Cooling Rack | Small Icing Spatula or Piping Bag (Reusable or Disposable) + Piping Tip Ateco #826 | Cupcake Carrier
- Update in 2025: This recipe was originally published in 2015. Since then, I’ve made three subtle changes to simplify the process and the result tastes even better! The version written above reflects those updates. If you’d rather stick with the original version, here’s how: (1) Use 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour plus 1/4 cup (30g) cornstarch instead of cake flour. (2) Skip the sour cream and use 1 cup (240ml) whole milk instead. And (3) instead of beating the egg and egg whites directly into the batter (step 4), whip the egg whites separately until fluffy, then gently fold them in along with the chopped strawberries.
- Mini Cupcakes: Bake for about 11–13 minutes, same oven temperature.
- Cake Flour: I strongly suggest using cake flour in this recipe. If you can’t find it, try this homemade cake flour substitute.
- Sour Cream & Whole Milk: Sour cream and whole milk are strongly recommended for the best taste and texture. If needed, plain yogurt (either Greek or regular) works instead of sour cream. Same goes with a lower-fat milk (I don’t recommend nonfat). Nondairy milk works in a pinch. You can replace both the whole milk and sour cream with buttermilk (1 cup/240ml) if needed.
- Can I Tint the Cupcake Batter? Because there is no food coloring in the batter, the baked cupcakes are a pink-tinted beige color as pictured above. If you’d like to tint the batter, I recommend gel food coloring. Just 1 small drop of this “dusty rose” gel food coloring or this “soft pink” gel food coloring.
- Can I Reduce the Strawberry Puree in Step 2? You can if you’d like. If you’re used to making my strawberry cake recipe, or if you have tried my white chocolate strawberry cupcakes, you know that I reduce the strawberry puree down to concentrate the flavor. I don’t take that extra step here, but you certainly could. Start with twice the amount of chopped strawberries in step 2 and reduce them on the stove to 1/3 cup, following the same instructions in strawberry cake.
- Where to Buy Freeze-Dried Strawberries: I always find them in my regular grocery store in the aisle with the dried fruit. Target, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe’s carry them, and I’ve also found them in some health food stores. You can also buy them online. Do not use the chewy/gummy dried strawberries. You need FREEZE-dried strawberries, which grind into a powder. If you can’t find them, try the raspberry frosting from my lemon raspberry cupcakes but swap out the raspberry jam for strawberry jam. Or try my strawberry whipped cream instead.
- Be sure to check out my 10 tips for baking the BEST cupcakes before you begin.