Description

You’re looking at 100% homemade strawberry shortcake, but in cupcake form! Homemade strawberry filling joins vanilla bean cupcakes and berry-speckled whipped cream to create an epic treat that’s perfectly fit for spring and summertime. Prepare the strawberry filling first so it has time to cool and thicken before using. Review recipe Notes before beginning.

Ingredients

Strawberry Filling

1 and 1/2 Tablespoons (11g) cornstarch
1 and 1/2 Tablespoons (23ml) warm water
2 cups (about 300g) diced strawberries
6 Tablespoons (75g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Cupcakes

1 and 2/3 cups (209g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
2 egg whites*
1/4 cup (60g) sour cream or plain yogurt*
3/4 cup (180ml) whole milk*
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste (or extract, see Note)*

Strawberry Whipped Cream

1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) cold heavy cream or heavy whipping cream
3 Tablespoons (38g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or extract, see Note)*
reserved 1/2 cup of strawberry filling
optional for garnish: strawberry slices and fresh mint

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Instructions

Make the strawberry filling first: Using a fork, mix the cornstarch and water together in a small bowl until the cornstarch has dissolved—mixture is thick. Warm the strawberries and sugar together in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir the mixture as it cooks, and break up some of the strawberries as you stir. Bring it to a simmer. Once simmering, stir in the cornstarch mixture. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. After 5 minutes, remove from heat, stir in the lemon zest, and cool completely. You will have about 1 and 1/4 cup (about 340g) of strawberry filling. The filling thickens as it cools. (It must completely cool, so transferring to a bowl out of the saucepan helps speed that up, as does refrigerating it. You can complete a few other steps in the recipe as the mixture cools.)
Make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners. This recipe yields about 15 cupcakes, so line a second muffin pan with 3 cupcake liners, or bake in batches.
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter and sugar together. Mixture will be gritty. Whisk in the egg whites, sour cream, milk, and vanilla bean paste/extract until combined.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until the batter is completely combined. Batter should be creamy and mostly smooth; a few small lumps are OK.
Pour/spoon the batter into the liners, filling only 2/3 full to avoid spilling over the sides. You should have enough batter for 15 cupcakes.
Bake for 20–22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove cupcakes from the oven and allow them to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Cupcakes must be completely cooled before filling and topping.
Fill the cupcakes: First, set aside 1/2 cup of the filling for the whipped cream topping. Using a sharp knife, cut a circle into the center of the cooled cupcakes to create a little pocket about 1 inch deep. The piece you removed will be sort of cone-shaped. Spoon some of the cooled and thickened strawberry filling inside each carved-out cupcake—use however much will fit. (I use a teaspoon for this. Usually you can fit between 1–2 teaspoons of filling in each.) Slice/tear off the pointy end of the “cone” piece of cupcake you removed, and gently press the round piece back on top of the filling.
Make the whipped cream: Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla bean paste/extract on medium-high speed until medium peaks form, about 3–4 minutes. Medium peaks are between soft/loose peaks and stiff peaks, and are the perfect consistency for topping and piping on desserts. If you accidentally over-whip the cream, and it looks curdled and heavy, pour in a little bit more cold heavy cream, and fold it in gently by hand with a spatula until it smooths out. Fold in the reserved 1/2 cup of strawberry filling. Use immediately or cover tightly and chill in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
Frost cooled cupcakes. I used an icing spatula, but a knife works just fine. I pile the whipped cream on really high as pictured, and you can certainly do the same! You may have some leftover if you don’t use as much on each cupcake. Garnish cupcakes with sliced strawberries and/or fresh mint.
Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Cover and store leftover cupcakes in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I recommend a cupcake carrier for storing and transporting decorated cupcakes.

Notes

Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Bake the cupcakes 1 day in advance. Keep cupcakes covered tightly at room temperature and fill/frost the day of serving. You can make the strawberry filling and store it covered in the refrigerator for up to 2–3 days before using. Likewise, you can make the strawberry whipped cream and store it covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 day before using. Unfrosted, unfilled cupcakes can be frozen up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before assembling and serving.
Special Tools (affiliate links): USA Pan Cupcake Pan or Wilton Cupcake Pan | Cupcake Liners | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand Mixer) | Vanilla Bean Paste | Small Icing Spatula | Cupcake Carrier
Update in 2023: This recipe was originally published in 2013. Over the years, I made some subtle improvements. The filling used to call for 1/2 cup (100g) of sugar, and I found it was simply too sweet. I also added lemon zest to the filling, to help brighten up the flavor. The cupcakes now use 1 teaspoon of baking powder, instead of 1/2 teaspoon. They rise a little taller and taste a bit fluffier now.
Can I Use Frozen Strawberries? Frozen strawberries work in a pinch, but the filling holds MUCH better shape when using fresh strawberries. I strongly recommend using fresh. If using frozen, thaw and pat dry before starting.
Egg Whites: It’s best to use only egg whites in this cupcake recipe because they will ensure that the crumb is not weighed down by the fat in egg yolks. If needed, you can use 1 full egg instead. Keep in mind the texture of the cupcake will change.
Sour Cream & Whole Milk: Sour cream and whole milk are strongly recommended for the best taste and texture. A full-fat plain yogurt would work instead of sour cream, though the cupcakes may not be as light. 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.
Vanilla: I love using vanilla bean paste in the cupcakes and whipped cream because it combines both extract AND vanilla bean seeds. You can, of course use pure vanilla extract instead. If using vanilla extract, and if you want that extra vanilla bean flavor, feel free to add the seeds scraped from 1/2 of a vanilla bean in the cupcake batter, and use the seeds from the other half of the vanilla bean in the whipped cream. (This is in addition to the liquid vanilla extract.)
Can I Make This Into a Cake? Absolutely, and I already have a separate recipe for Strawberry Shortcake Cake. For a layer cake, use my white cake recipe, and today’s strawberry filling. Fill the cooled cake layers with most of the strawberry filling, and save some to fold into the whipped cream. There is plenty of whipped cream for the exterior of the layer cake.
Be sure to check out my 10 tips for baking the BEST cupcakes before you begin.