Bursting with actual strawberries, these gentle and fluffy recent strawberry cupcakes are the final word berry deal with. Topped with creamy strawberry buttercream, every chew is mild, candy, and naturally flavored. They’re the right dessert to rejoice strawberry season—and a good looking technique to showcase them!
I initially printed this recipe in 2015 and have since added new images and extra useful success suggestions. I additionally made 3 small enhancements to simplify and enhance the recipe, that are mirrored within the printable directions under.
This new-and-improved strawberry cupcake batter is now slightly extra just like my favourite vanilla cupcakes recipe. Have you ever made these earlier than? I like that recipe a lot that I made a decision to incorporate it in my new cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101. The e-book merely wouldn’t have felt full with out it! That recipe is a superb start line for taking part in round with different flavors, resembling right this moment’s recent strawberry cupcakes.
So A lot to Love About Strawberry Cupcakes
- Buttery gentle and fluffy cake crumb studded with recent berries
- Topped with uber-flavorful, candy strawberry buttercream frosting
- Like strawberry cake in handheld kind
- Recipe makes an enormous batch, about 20 cupcakes
- Actual strawberry taste in each chew, as a result of we’re utilizing actual strawberries!
Recipe Testing: 3 Recipe Enhancements
This recipe was initially printed in 2015. After years of baking these cupcakes—and listening to useful suggestions from readers—I made a decision to make a number of small tweaks to see if I may simplify the method with out sacrificing the flavour and texture. After a lot of testing, my staff and I are comfortable to say: we did it!
Right here’s what we up to date within the recipe under:
- We swapped from all-purpose flour + cornstarch to cake flour.
- We skipped whipping the egg whites individually; it was an additional step that isn’t essential when you make one other change. We misplaced slightly fluff by skipping that further step, so we…
- Changed some milk with bitter cream. Bitter cream helps create tremendous gentle, fluffy, moist cupcakes. I like utilizing it in baking.
For those who’d slightly follow the unique model, see the recipe Notes under.
Important Substances You Want:
- Contemporary Strawberries: In fact you want recent strawberries for recent strawberry cupcakes! Frozen strawberries will not be supreme as a result of they’re too moist and weigh the batter down.
- Cake Flour: This recipe used to name for a mixture of all-purpose flour and cornstarch, however in our latest checks, my staff and I discovered that utilizing cake flour provides a greater consequence. For those who can’t discover it, you’ll be able to nonetheless use AP flour + cornstarch—observe the directions for this cake flour substitute.
- Softened Butter: The bottom of the batter is made by creaming collectively butter and sugar. Make sure you use correct room-temperature butter, which is definitely cooler than you suppose (about 65°F (18°C) is right).
- Eggs & Egg Whites: Eggs present construction and assist emulsify the components. The batter requires 1 egg plus 2 egg whites for a gentle, mild texture. Utilizing 2 eggs as an alternative will overwhelm the crumb.
- Bitter Cream: This provides pure moisture whereas preserving the batter mild. Plain yogurt works as a nice substitute.
- Milk: Complete milk makes for the perfect style and texture, however lower-fat or nondairy milk can work in a pinch. I take advantage of buttermilk on this vanilla cake recipe, which is usually a nice substitution for each bitter cream and common milk in baked items. For these cupcakes, nevertheless, the crumb stays slightly tighter when utilizing bitter cream + complete milk.
The best way to Make Contemporary Strawberry Cupcakes
Let’s begin with the star of the present, the strawberries.
After you’ve rinsed, hulled, and chopped your strawberries, you’ll puree some of the berries. You need to use a blender or a small meals processor, and pulse till you could have a chunky puree.
Success Tip: If the strawberries aren’t turning right into a puree and maintain getting caught in your blender, attempt including slightly of the milk you’ll want later within the recipe to assist transfer them alongside.
You may when you’d like. For those who’re used to creating my strawberry cake recipe, or if in case you have tried my white chocolate strawberry cupcakes, you already know that I scale back the strawberry puree down to pay attention the flavour. I don’t take that further step right here, however you actually may. Begin with twice the quantity of chopped strawberries in step 2 under and scale back them on the range to 1/3 cup, following the identical directions in strawberry cake.
Put aside the remaining chopped berries since you’ll fold these into the batter on the finish.
After that, prepping the cupcake batter is fairly commonplace. Whisk collectively your dry components, cream butter and sugar collectively, add the egg, egg whites, and vanilla, and beat once more to mix. The combination will look curdled, and that’s regular at this level. Beat within the bitter cream, then in separate additions, add the dry components and milk. Add the strawberry puree. This can be a splendidly creamy batter:
Then fold within the chopped strawberries:
Spoon the batter into your cupcake liners, filling solely about 3/4 of the way in which. For those who over-fill, the cupcakes will spill out over the edges and also you’ll have some mushroom-shaped cupcakes. This recipe makes round 20 cupcakes, so that you’ll want to make use of 2 commonplace 12-cup muffin pans (go away a number of cups empty), or bake in batches.
As a result of there is no such thing as a meals coloring within the batter, the baked cupcakes are a pink-tinted beige colour. For those who’d prefer to tint the batter, I like to recommend gel meals coloring. Simply 1 small drop of this “dusty rose” gel meals coloring or this “gentle pink” gel meals coloring.
Once more, the pictured cupcakes weren’t coloured!
Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
Contemporary strawberries can find yourself curdling your buttercream, so that you want freeze-dried strawberries to make the perfect strawberry buttercream frosting.
While you grind them, freeze-dried strawberries make the right flavorful “mud” to make a strawberry frosting with none synthetic strawberry flavoring. They ship essentially the most intense (and pure) strawberry taste whereas, on the similar time, do not alter the feel of the particular frosting. And so they flip it a naturally fairly pink colour, too!
The place to purchase freeze-dried strawberries? I all the time discover them at main grocery shops within the dried fruit part or you’ll be able to attempt Goal, Dealer Joe’s, or on-line right here or right here.
On the pictured cupcakes, I used piping tip Ateco #826.
I am keen on this naturally flavored strawberry buttercream on pistachio cupcakes, too. And when you love cream cheese frosting, you possibly can additionally attempt right this moment’s recent strawberry cupcakes with the strawberry cream cheese frosting from this recipe for strawberry cake.
Extra Favourite Strawberry Desserts
Description
Made with actual strawberries, these gentle and fluffy recent strawberry cupcakes with strawberry buttercream are the quintessential summertime cupcake. These cupcakes are an exquisite deal with to make when recent strawberries are in season.
Cupcakes
Strawberry Buttercream
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 12-count muffin pan with cupcake liners. This recipe makes round 20 cupcakes, so line a second muffin pan with extra liners (or bake in batches).
- Place 1/2 cup (80g) of the chopped strawberries in a meals processor or blender. Pulse till strawberries are a chunky puree. It is best to have about 1/3 cup (80g). (Tip: In the event that they’re getting caught and never breaking down right into a puree, add a splash of the milk to assist transfer them alongside.) Put aside.
- Put aside the remaining 3/4 cup (120g) chopped strawberries to be folded into the batter in step 6.
- Make the cupcakes: In a big bowl, whisk the cake flour, baking powder, and salt collectively. Put aside.
- In a big bowl utilizing a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar collectively on medium pace till mild and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the edges and backside of the bowl with a silicone spatula as wanted. Add the egg, egg whites, and vanilla and beat on medium-high pace till mixed. Scrape down the edges and backside of the bowl as wanted. Beat within the bitter cream. The combination will look slightly curdled and that’s regular and anticipated.
- Add about half of the dry components and half of the milk, and blend on low pace till included. Add the remaining dry components and remaining milk, in addition to the strawberry puree, and blend till simply mixed. Don’t over-mix. The batter will probably be creamy and barely thick. Fold within the chopped strawberries.
- Spoon batter into cupcake liners, filling solely about 3/4 full. Bake for 21–24 minutes or till the tops of the cupcakes spring again when gently touched and a toothpick inserted within the middle comes out largely clear with only a few moist crumbs.
- Enable to chill within the pan for five–10 minutes, then switch to a cooling rack. Enable the cupcakes to chill fully earlier than frosting.
- Make the frosting: Utilizing a meals processor or blender, course of the freeze-dried strawberries right into a powdery crumb. It is best to have about 1/2 cup. In a big bowl utilizing a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter on medium-high pace till creamy, about 2 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, strawberry powder, cream, and vanilla. Beat on low pace for 30 seconds, then enhance to excessive pace and beat for two minutes. Style. Beat in a pinch of salt if frosting is just too candy.
- Frost cupcakes as desired. I used piping tip Ateco #826. Garnish frosted cupcakes with recent strawberries, if utilizing.
- Cowl leftover cupcakes tightly and retailer within the fridge for as much as 3 days. I like to recommend a cupcake service for storing and transporting adorned cupcakes.
Notes
- Make Forward & Freezing Directions: You may bake the cupcakes 1 day prematurely. Maintain cupcakes coated tightly at room temperature and frost the day of serving. You can also make the frosting and retailer it coated within the fridge for as much as 2 days earlier than utilizing. After refrigerating, beating in a splash of heavy cream or milk will assist skinny the frosting out once more, if wanted. (It stiffens within the fridge.) Unfrosted cupcakes could be frozen for as much as 3 months. Thaw in a single day within the fridge and convey to room temperature earlier than frosting and serving.
- Particular Instruments (affiliate hyperlinks): 12-count Muffin Pan | Cupcake Liners | Meals Processor or Blender | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Electrical Mixer (Handheld or Stand Mixer) | Silicone Spatula | Cooling Rack | Small Icing Spatula or Piping Bag (Reusable or Disposable) + Piping Tip Ateco #826 | Cupcake Service
- Replace in 2025: This recipe was initially printed in 2015. Since then, I’ve made three refined adjustments to simplify the method and the consequence tastes even higher! The model written above displays these updates. For those who’d slightly follow the unique model, right here’s how: (1) Use 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour plus 1/4 cup (30g) cornstarch as an alternative of cake flour. (2) Skip the bitter cream and use 1 cup (240ml) complete milk as an alternative. And (3) as an alternative of beating the egg and egg whites instantly into the batter (step 4), whip the egg whites individually till fluffy, then gently fold them in together with the chopped strawberries.
- Mini Cupcakes: Bake for about 11–13 minutes, similar oven temperature.
- Cake Flour: I strongly recommend utilizing cake flour on this recipe. For those who can’t discover it, do this do-it-yourself cake flour substitute.
- Bitter Cream & Complete Milk: Bitter cream and complete milk are strongly really helpful for the perfect style and texture. If wanted, plain yogurt (both Greek or common) works as an alternative of bitter cream. Identical goes with a lower-fat milk (I don’t suggest nonfat). Nondairy milk works in a pinch. You may change each the entire milk and bitter cream with buttermilk (1 cup/240ml) if wanted.
- Can I Tint the Cupcake Batter? As a result of there is no such thing as a meals coloring within the batter, the baked cupcakes are a pink-tinted beige colour as pictured above. For those who’d prefer to tint the batter, I like to recommend gel meals coloring. Simply 1 small drop of this “dusty rose” gel meals coloring or this “gentle pink” gel meals coloring.
- Can I Cut back the Strawberry Puree in Step 2? You may when you’d like. For those who’re used to creating my strawberry cake recipe, or if in case you have tried my white chocolate strawberry cupcakes, you already know that I scale back the strawberry puree down to pay attention the flavour. I don’t take that further step right here, however you actually may. Begin with twice the quantity of chopped strawberries in step 2 and scale back them on the range to 1/3 cup, following the identical directions in strawberry cake.
- The place to Purchase Freeze-Dried Strawberries: I all the time discover them in my common grocery retailer within the aisle with the dried fruit. Goal, Complete Meals, and Dealer Joe’s carry them, and I’ve additionally discovered them in some well being meals shops. You can even purchase them on-line. Don’t use the chewy/gummy dried strawberries. You want FREEZE-dried strawberries, which grind right into a powder. For those who can’t discover them, attempt the raspberry frosting from my lemon raspberry cupcakes however swap out the raspberry jam for strawberry jam. Or attempt my strawberry whipped cream as an alternative.
- Make sure you take a look at my 10 suggestions for baking the BEST cupcakes earlier than you start.
