Adapted from vanilla cupcakes and strawberry cake, these white chocolate strawberry cupcakes combine creamy white chocolate, real strawberries, and fluffy cupcakes. Reduced strawberry puree and freeze-dried strawberries are the secrets to real strawberry flavor.
From-scratch strawberry cake has left me defeated for 2 main reasons:
- The strawberry flavor is usually lackluster.
- The texture is too wet from the strawberries.
Strawberry cakes typically rely on artificial flavors. My goal was to produce a soft and moist strawberry cake made from real strawberries. I finally accomplished my baking goal with my strawberry cake. You tried the recipe and loved it too. After baking it in your own kitchen, you told me the cake is “unbelievable” and “phenomenal” and “as if someone had taken Breyers strawberry ice cream and put it into a cake.” 🙂
It’s one of the best cakes I’ve ever made and now it’s time to transform the recipe into cupcakes.
Video Tutorial: How to Make White Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes
To make the strawberry cupcakes extra special, top them with white chocolate strawberry frosting made from pure white chocolate and freeze-dried strawberries. Combination of white chocolate and strawberry is so yummy—just like in these strawberry and cream cookies. I admit that the cupcakes don’t have a super strong strawberry flavor—you’ll taste it, but it’s truly brought out when paired with our strawberry frosting.
But before we get to the frosting, let’s walk through the cupcakes.
Reduced Strawberry Puree is the Secret
The secret to packing real strawberry flavor into cake batter without adding too much liquid is to reduce the strawberries down. This little trick is a complete game changer and vastly improves both the flavor and texture of strawberry cake. Today we’re doing the same exact thing, but in cupcake form.
Grab fresh strawberries, puree them into a liquid, then reduce the puree down on the stove for about 20 minutes. Do you see the photo above? That is heavily concentrated pure strawberry flavor, about 1/4 cup of reduced strawberry puree. After making the strawberry cake, readers have said it’s helpful to make the reduced strawberry puree the night before so it has time to cool down.
As a refresher: If we added the strawberry puree without reducing it down first, it would completely ruin the texture of the cupcake and the strawberry flavor would be almost absent. Reducing it is the secret.
How to Make White Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes
This recipe is adapted from my strawberry cake, vanilla cupcakes, and fresh strawberry cupcakes. The ingredients are carefully formulated; each serves a crucial purpose. For example, cake flour produces fluffy cupcakes, egg whites provide structure without weighing the crumb down, and sour cream adds moisture. Milk thins the batter, creamed butter and sugar create a buttery and cake-y base, and the reduced strawberry puree adds flavor.
Beat the strawberry cupcake batter together with a mixer. The cupcake batter is smooth, creamy, and moderately thick. The reduced strawberry puree tints it pale pastel pink. For a more vibrant color, I suggest adding a drop or 2 of pink or red food coloring. I added 1 drop of “dusty rose” gel food coloring.
Fill the cupcake liners only about 2/3 full to avoid overflowing.
White Chocolate Strawberry Frosting
White chocolate strawberry cupcakes require the best frosting! And if that frosting is as bubble gum pink as Barbie’s corvette… well, that’s even better! This white chocolate strawberry frosting is adapted from my plain strawberry frosting and white chocolate buttercream frosting. It’s creamy, lush, and completely packed with real strawberry flavor. We’re using two special ingredients:
- Freeze-dried strawberries: Like strawberry cake, strawberry frosting used to leave me disappointed because (1) the strawberry frosting curdled from the added moisture and (2) no amount of fresh strawberries could get me the strawberry flavor I craved. The solution is freeze-dried berries. (Also the solution to raspberry flavor in our raspberry sugar cookies!) Grind freeze-dried strawberries into a powder and use in place of some of the confectioners’ sugar. You can find freeze-dried strawberries at stores like Wegmans, Giant, Trader Joe’s, Target, and many other major grocery stores, too. Keep your eyes peeled because they’re more commonly found that you think.
- White chocolate: For an indulgently creamy and velvety strawberry buttercream, let’s add pure white chocolate. Grab a white chocolate baking bar from the baking aisle. Two, actually. Most are sold as 4 ounce bars and you’ll need 6 ounces for the frosting. (Hold onto the extra 2 ounces for garnish.) Chop up and melt down. Let it cool for a few minutes, then mix directly into the strawberry frosting.
Remember the extra 2 ounces of white chocolate? Melt it down and coat some fresh strawberries for the perfect finishing touch to our white chocolate strawberry cupcakes. So beautiful, so simple, so strawberry!
I used piping tip Wilton 8B for the frosting. Start in the center of the cupcake and swirl upward. Love this piping tip! Do you follow the Canadian bakery Jenna Rae Cakes on Instagram? I got the cupcake decoration inspiration from them!
This cupcake recipe definitely requires some effort, but the good news is that you can get started on almost everything ahead of time. And the great news is that the result of your hard work is pretty pink cupcakes!
More Strawberry Recipes
- Homemade Strawberry Shortcake
- Strawberry Cake
- Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
- Strawberry Cupcakes
- Strawberry Coconut Macaroons
- Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie
White Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours
- Yield: 14-15 cupcakes
- Category: Cupcakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Strawberry cupcakes made with real strawberries and zero artificial flavor topped with white chocolate strawberry buttercream!
Ingredients
- 1 and 3/4 cups (207g) cake flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 3 egg whites, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup (60g) sour cream or plain yogurt, at room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup (80ml) whole milk, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup reduced strawberry puree (see note)*
White Chocolate Strawberry Frosting
- 1 cup (about 25g) freeze-dried strawberries*
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 cups (240g) confectioners’ sugar
- 6 ounces (170g) white chocolate, melted and slightly cooled (see note)*
- 1/4 cup (60ml) heavy cream, half-and-half, or milk, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- optional:Â fresh strawberries coated with 2 ounces melted white chocolate
Instructions
- Make the reduced strawberry puree and allow it to cool completely. See Note for instruction.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners. Line a second pan with 2 or 3 liners—this recipe makes 14–15 cupcakes. Set aside.
- Whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamed, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Beat in the egg whites on high speed until combined, about 2 minutes. Beat in the sour cream and vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients until just incorporated. With the mixer still running on low, slowly pour and mix in the milk *just* until combined. Do not overmix. Whisk in 1/4 cup of reduced strawberry puree, making sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl. Batter will be slightly thick.
- Pour/spoon the batter into the liners. Fill only 2/3 full to avoid spilling over the sides when baking. Bake for 20–22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. For about 35 mini cupcakes, bake for about 11–13 minutes, same oven temperature.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
- When the cupcakes are nearly cool, melt the white chocolate for the frosting: Place chopped white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl (I usually use a glass liquid measuring cup), and microwave in 20-second increments, stirring after every 20 seconds until completely smooth. Set it aside to cool at room temperature for 20 minutes. (Be sure the melted white chocolate has cooled for 20 minutes, so it’s still melted but not scorching hot, which would melt the butter.)
- Make the frosting: Using a blender or food processor, process the freeze-dried strawberries into a powdery crumb. You should have around 1/2 cup. Set aside. In a medium bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed for 1 minute. Switch the mixer to low speed and slowly add the confectioners’ sugar and strawberry powder. Stir the cooled white chocolate so that it is smooth, and then add it to the butter/sugar mixture. Switch the mixer to medium speed and beat for 2 minutes until combined and creamy. Add the cream, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat for 1 minute until combined. Taste. Add 1 more Tablespoon of heavy cream/milk if needed to thin out, if desired. Add another pinch of salt if frosting is too sweet.
- Frost cooled cupcakes and serve. I used Wilton 8B piping tip and nestled a white chocolate-covered strawberry in the center.
- Cover and store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: I recommend making the reduced strawberry puree, as directed in the recipe Note, 1 day ahead of time so it can cool down. Cupcakes can be made ahead 1 day in advance, covered, and stored in the refrigerator. Frosting can also be made 1 day in advance, covered, and stored in the refrigerator until ready to use. Frosted or unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen up to 2–3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 12-cup Muffin Pan | Cupcake Liners | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Glass Liquid Measuring Cup | Food Processor |Â Wilton 8B Piping Tip | Piping Bag (Reusable or Disposable) | “Dusty Rose” Gel Food Coloring
- Cake Flour: If you can’t get your hands on cake flour, you can make this homemade cake flour substitute. I suggest doing this twice, mixing it all up in 1 bowl then removing 1/4 cup since you need 1 and 3/4 cups in this recipe.
- Reduced Strawberry Puree: Puree 1/2 pound (8 oz/227g) of strawberries. You should have a little over 1/2 cup. Stirring occasionally, simmer the puree over low-medium heat for 20 minutes OR until you’re left with 1/4 cup or a little over 1/4 cup. Allow to cool completely before using in cake batter. It can be refrigerated to speed up the cooling process. I recommend making the reduced puree the day before so it has plenty of time to cool down. I cover and place in the refrigerator overnight. Use 1/4 cup in the cupcakes. Leftovers taste great spooned on ice cream/yogurt, or added to a smoothie. Readers have used thawed frozen strawberries with luck, but I personally have not tried it.
- White Chocolate: For best taste and texture, I strongly recommend using pure white chocolate, not white chocolate morsels or candy melts. It’s usually sold in 4-ounce (113g) bars in the baking aisle. I love Ghirardelli or Baker’s brands. You need 6 ounces (170g) for the frosting, so you’ll need 1 and 1/2 bars, but you can use the remaining 2 ounces for coating fresh strawberries as garnish!
- Where to buy freeze-dried strawberries? I always find freeze-dried strawberries in my regular grocery store in the aisle with the dried fruit. Target, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe’s carry them, too. Or you can purchase them online. Do not use the chewy/gummy dried strawberries. You need freeze-dried strawberries, which grind into a powder.Â
- Food Coloring: If desired, add a drop or 2 of pink or red food coloring to brighten the color of the cupcakes and/or frosting. I added 1 drop of “dusty rose” gel food coloring to the cupcake batter and to the frosting.
- Why is everything at room temperature? All refrigerated items should be at room temperature so the batter mixes together easily and evenly. Read here for more information.
- What to do with leftover egg yolks? Here are recipes using egg yolks.
- Be sure to check out my 10 tips for baking the BEST cupcakes before you begin!
Delicious! And recipe is successful in every way. Could try filling cupcakes with all-natural strawberry spread (less sugar than jam), but I decided in the end that that would be guilding the lily.
I frosted some chocolate cupcakes with this incredible frosting and everyone wanted to know how I made the frosting taste like fresh strawberries! I went back to Trader Joe’s to buy more strawberries and discovered they also have freeze-dried raspberries. I think that would make a delicious frosting too but since raspberries are a bit more tart, do you think any adjustments would be needed? Thank you for this strawberry recipe!
I think it would be delicious with raspberries also! You likely won’t need to change anything but frosting is such a forgiving recipe you can always make it and taste it and adjust at that point if you think it needs something else!
Awesome recipe! Love the flavour! Made these for my son’s birthday though they were too pink for a boy ..lol! Fool proof recipe!
I am wanting to use this frosting on a 3 layer 8 inch cake. Should I double it? Do I need more than that?
Hi Elise! Doubling this frosting recipe should be plenty for a 3 layer cake. 1.5x the recipe should even be enough.
Hi Sally, I wanted to make your strawberry cake recipe, but wanted only one layer. I realized that this recipe is almost effectively halving the other one and am planning to make it. I just had a question about the weight of the cake flours. In your other recipe you have said 2.5 cups (250 gms meaning 100 gms per cup) whereas in this one you have said 1.75 cups (200 gms – meaning 114 gms per cup). I am slightly confused.
Hi Pritha! The difference is sifting. 🙂 Use sifted cake flour in the cake. No need to sift for the cupcakes.
These were delicious! I wish that I would have put 2 or 3 more drops food coloring, they weren’t super pink. Lovely, light flavor. I made the icing for the cake recipe.
I am a long time baker but never had much luck with cupcakes. Well thanks to this recipe I am now a huge cupcake fan. I just finished making these and had to comment. They are without a doubt one of the best desserts I have ever made! The combination of the strawberry cake and strawberry frosting brings these to another level. Just had to say thank you so much! Just one question… how do you stay so thin? I could have eaten the bowl of frosting alone! Definitely worthy of a 5 star restaurant! Many thanks and just love your recipes and stories.
I made these for Valentine’s Day and brought them into work. I had multiple people tell me it was the best cupcake they ever had. One person told me he never wanted the taste to leave his month. Thanks for all your awesome recipes. They are always a big hit wherever I bring them.
I made the cardinal mistake of not having everything at room temp like we are told ALL THE TIME in your recipes! First off these were A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!! Seriously guys, these tasted like I bought them from the local bakery! But my mistake came when I don’t think my white choc was completely cooled AND my heavy cream was still slightly cold then adding them together to the icing made the choc seize up alittle and my frosting was lumpy. That bummed me out at first but honestly the taste is so good it wasn’t too bad, eating it with the cupcake it wasn’t noticeable. The frosting isn’t very sweet and at first I thought it wouldn’t work but once paired with the cupcake it was absolutely perfect! The exact yummy, cupcake goodness, combo! Thanks again for making me look like I know what I’m doing!
Hi Sally! Could you use frozen strawberries instead of fresh? Thank you!
Other readers have used thawed frozen strawberries with luck, but I personally have not tried it. Report back if you try it!
Would substituting oil for butter create a more airy cupcake? If I do that, do I need to use less oil than butter?
Hi Gianna! Creamed butter + sugar produces an airy and light cupcake, so I don’t recommend using oil instead.
Hi Sally,
I’m making the strawberry purée right now and it’s almost close to 40 minutes, but while the purée has reduced a bit, it hasn’t thickened much at all. I did purée quite fine – should I have kept the purée a bit chunky?
It will thicken as it cools. 🙂
Hey Sally! Your blog is my go-to spot for all things baking. I am known for making cupcakes but have started dabbling in cake making. Do you have general tips or rules of thumb to turn a cupcake recipe into a cake recipe (size pan, height to fill, cook time, etc.)? I know each recipe is unique due to the composition of the cake but any guidance would be appreciated!!!
Hi Kristin! What a wonderful question and I’m so happy to help. Generally, a batch of 12 cupcakes translates nicely into 1 9-inch cake layer. You can pretty much turn any 12 cupcake recipe into a 2 layer cake by making the batter twice. (For best results, I don’t recommend doubling.) It’s ideal to fill cake pans only about halfway. 9-inch cake layers typically take around 20-22 minutes at 350F, but use a toothpick to test for doneness. I hope some of this is helpful!
Hi Sally! Will this frosting produce enough for your strawberry cake? I wanted to pair this frosting with the regular cake instead of cupcakes.
Thanks!
Hi Lisa! It won’t be quite enough for my strawberry cake, so I recommend making 1.5x it. Or double the recipe and freeze any leftover frosting for up to 3 months. 🙂
I don’t normally comment, but my young 11 year old bakery used it recipe, and it was absolutely delicious. This recipe is definitely a keeper.
Thank you for taking the time to comment, Tamika! I’m glad you liked them!
Made these for Labor Day lunch. I used raspberry instead of strawberry, needless to say they were a hit.
Thank you Sally for another great recipe.
Hi Sally,
I made these cupcakes and they are delicious. However, my cupcakes always flatten out once I take them out of the oven even though I only fill the cups 2/3 full. How do I get a more domed cupcake?
Hi Jodie! My cupcakes are typically as well. But are yours flat and caved in? For cupcakes, you typically want a nice flat top for frosting. 🙂
This cake is a hit for so many friends of mine. I make it gluten-free with my flour blend and just made 2 dozen for a wedding last weekend! Now, white chocolate?! Oh, I can’t wait! 🙂