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 in this pretty pink dessert.
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. 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 large 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: 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 | 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.
- 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!
Reader Comments and Reviews
Made it…loved it… but as for the frosting I made a cream cheese frosting using strawberry purée with freeze dried raspberries and goat cheese instead of the regular cream cheese I normally use…
But really the cupcake itself is soooo yummy and doesn’t even need any frosting…
Thank you Sally for your delicious recipes..♥️
Can I make these mini cupcakes? What’s the time and temp you suggest?how many would it yield? Thanks!
Hi Sarah, For about 35 mini cupcakes, bake for about 11–13 minutes, same oven temperature. Enjoy!
Advice on using this for mini cupcakes?
Hi Annette, For about 35 mini cupcakes, bake for about 11–13 minutes, same oven temperature.
My goodness, this is how I found you! This recipe is so delicious, and the frosting is just heavenly. Do you think I could substitute reducing a peach purée for the cupcakes? Freeze dried peaches are harder to find, but I can get them online…
Hi Martha, we haven’t tested peaches here, but imagine it would work beautifully!
Hi, could this be adapted to raspberry instead of strawberry? And would it be possible to include white chocolate chips in the sponge batter?
Hi Lucy, absolutely! You can use raspberries and freeze dried raspberries in place of the strawberries and freeze dried strawberries. Some white chocolate chips in the batter would be delicious, too.
Hi Sally,
This may be a silly question, but i have to make these in a short time span and i was wondering if i could use strawberry jam instead of reduced puree? I don’t know to what extend this would change the texture? Thank you!
Hi Joyce, it’s best to stick with the reduced strawberry puree here for best taste and texture. Hope you enjoy the cupcakes!
Hi! I love this recipe and just got a bunch of fresh strawberries. I was wondering if I could make a bunch of the strawberry reduction and freeze it to use in the future?
Can’t see why not, Katie!
Could pastry flour or White Lily flour be used in this recipe instead of cake flour?
Hi Shirley! Cake flour is best. Here’s our homemade cake flour substitute if needed.
Can egg whites in the carton be used for this recipe? Thank you
Definitely!
Thanks so much!
can i use this as just a white chocolate cake and not add the strawberry?
The white chocolate in the frosting ended up clumping up once’s mixed in with the other ingredients, why did this happen? Or is that how it’s supposed to be?
Hi Kai, we’re happy to help troubleshoot. Was the white chocolate a bit too warm? If there was too much temperature discrepancy in the ingredients, it could make it more difficult for them to mix together smoothly. And were you using pure baking chocolate? That is key for a smooth texture. White chocolate chips or white chocolate melts will not melt properly and can clump together. Let us know if we can help further!
I already purchased the strawberry that were already ground. I’m assuming the 1 cup would have to be reduced. Please let me know. thank you!
You’ll need about 1/2 cup of the powdery strawberry grounds. Happy baking!
Sorry! I meant, does it convert to a 2-layer 6-inch cake? Thanks!
Hi Jojo, this is the perfect amount for a 3 layer, 6 inch cake, so for 2 layers you can fill your cake pans half way and then use the leftover batter for a few cupcakes on the side. Enjoy!
Hey Sally!
A friend has said her favourite flavour combinations are raspberry and white chocolate
Would this work if I just substituted all the strawberry aspects for raspberries?
Thank you!!
Hi Emily, absolutely! You can use raspberry puree in the cupcakes and freeze dried raspberries for the frosting.
I’ve made these in the past for a Valentine’s Day party, and they were loved by everyone, including non-cake people.
I’m making them again this year, and doubling the recipe.
Does the frosting make enough for double, or should I double the frosting as well?
Thanks for another great recipe!
Hi Lauren, you can double the frosting recipe. So glad they were a hit!
Would this recipe work to make mini bundt cakes?
We’re sure they would, Jaylin! You can reference this post on mini bundt cakes.
Would this recipe work in one 8 inch pan?
Hi Sarah, this would be too much batter for one 8 inch pan. You could fill your 8 inch pan halfway and use the rest of the batter for some cupcakes. Or, here is everything you need to know about converting recipes to different Cake Pan Sizes.
If I half this recipe, how many egg whites should I use?
If I need 24-30 cupcakes would I just double the ingredients
Yes, you can double this recipe. For best results, I usually make 2 separate batches of batter, to help avoid accidentally over or under-mixing.
I remember previously you recommended to use fresh strawberries for the puree. As I only had frozen ones, I tried using them instead. Just had to reduced a bit longer, but just as good as fresh ones. These cupcakes are a favourite will my family and friends
what is the reason for using the whisk attachment on for stand mixture when making the batter? in the cake recipe it’s the usual paddle. i found it difficult to avoid over mixing with the whisk. is their some benefit?
Hi Garland, you can actually use either, and I have with these cupcakes, the cake, and other similar recipes with just egg whites. I find the result is a batter with fewer lumps and a bit more volume.
I never comment on anything but I have to for these! Been making these cupcakes now for the last 2 years for my kids birthdays and they will not accept anything else anymore! These are THE best cupcakes I’ve ever had or made. Every person that tries them wants the recipe and I always send them here! Just incredible
These cupcakes are delicious and have great texture and strawberry flavor. I especially love the frosting! Nice summer treat!
These are the best cupcakes! I love how moist they are and the frosting is delicious! I have made strawberry icing with fresh strawberries and it separated. These are beautiful. I brought them to a 15th birthday party and they were a hit!
This recipe was way more time-consuming than I expected, but it was really fun to make and people loved them. It the first time I used a piping bag/tip for decorating, and the whole thing was pretty hysterically bad but they turned out decent-looking 🙂
Delicious cupcakes as expected by Sally! The cake was fluffy with great texture however the strawberry flavor didn’t shine much. The frosting was great but we prefer Sally’s regular strawberry buttercream.
These came out as described. My husband and I both liked them but we aren’t big buttercream fans so it wasn’t our favorite Sally’s recipe but still delicious!
The whole family loved these! Kids loved dipping the strawberries.
That frosting was incredible. Thanks for another great recipe
I love that these aren’t soggy as they use purée!! Definitely one of my new faves!