These Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes are moist, tender and totally addicting! There are pieces of chopped strawberry in the cupcake and they are topped with strawberry buttercream! So much flavor and perfect for spring and summer!
I have loads of strawberry desserts on this site and certainly no shortage of variations of strawberry cake and cupcakes. What I love about these though is that they are pretty straight forward with a one-bowl vanilla cupcake base and chunks of strawberries in the batter. There’s plenty of strawberry flavor from the chunks of berries and then they are topped with a delicious strawberry buttercream. These cupcakes are light, moist and full of flavor. I love them so much!
These cupcakes have been updated a couple times over the years with slight improvements, so that you get the best strawberry cupcakes. Compared to the original version from 2012, these cupcakes now use a method that gives you a smoother batter that’s easier to put together, plus has a few more chopped strawberries. The strawberry buttercream also now uses a reduced strawberry puree, rather than just a regular strawberry puree, to give you that extra strawberry flavor. All that said, overall the cupcake is the same. It’s still delicious and just as wonderful now as when I originally shared it.
Why You’ll Love These Strawberry Cupcakes
- Loaded with strawberry flavor – From the chunks of strawberries in the cupcake, to the strawberry reduction in the buttercream, there’s no shortage of strawberry here. Bright, fruity and delicious flavor!
- No dyes – There’s no need for anything artificial here. The chunks of strawberry do the heavy lifting in the cupcake, and the buttercream gets it’s pink flavor naturally from the strawberry puree reduction.
- Easy to make – There’s no creaming involved, and you don’t even need a mixer for the cupcakes (just for the buttercream). These cupcakes come together quickly and easily. No gimmicks needed for amazing cupcakes.
- Moist for DAYS – With the fresh fruit adding moisture right into the cupcakes, these stay fresh for several days. Great for making ahead!
Ingredient Notes
Let’s take a look at the ingredients needed to make these cupcakes. They are pretty straight forward, but there are a few things to note. Please scroll down to the recipe card at the end of the post for the exact measurements.
- All Purpose Flour – Measuring the flour correctly is key to getting the perfect texture. I like to use a food scale, but the spoon and level technique, as described in my How to Measure Flour Accurately post, also works. While I haven’t tested it myself, a quality 1:1 gluten-free flour should also work in these cupcakes.
- Baking powder and Baking Soda – The combination of the two gives this cupcake the ultimate rise and texture.
- Salt – Salt helps enhance the overall flavor of the cupcakes. Even a small amount makes a difference. Without it, the flavor is will be bland.
- Butter – Unsalted and melted for the cupcakes, since this recipe doesn’t cream the butter. It should be at room temperature for the buttercream.
- Eggs – Large sized eggs, not medium or extra large
- Sour Cream – Not only does sour cream add moisture, it also helps to keep the batter thick enough so that the strawberries don’t all sink to the bottom of your cupcakes. If you don’t want to use sour cream, you could also try plain Greek yogurt.
- Milk – I use whole milk, but 2% would also work.
- Strawberries – I like to chop them on the smaller side for the cupcakes, so that more can fit into each cupcake. For the buttercream, they will be pureed and cooked down for a stronger flavor.
- Powdered sugar – To add sweetness and volume to the buttercream. You can always reduce the amount, if you’d like. Just keep in mind that you’ll have less buttercream and it’ll have a thinner consistency.
How to Make Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes
Here’s a look at just how easy these cupcakes are to make. The hardest part is waiting for them to cool before frosting!
Make the Strawberry Cupcakes
Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare a cupcake pan with cupcake liners. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter, sugar and vanilla extract together until well combined.
Add the eggs, sour cream and milk one at a time, mixing well after adding each.
Add the dry ingredients and whisk together until combined. Don’t over mix.
Fold in the chopped strawberries gently.
Fill the cupcake liners a little more than half full. Bake for 18-20 minutes.
Let cupcakes cool completely before frosting.
Make the Buttercream and Frost Cupcakes
Puree your strawberries, then add the puree to a small sized saucepan and cook over medium heat. Allow the mixture to come to a slow boil, stirring consistently to keep it from burning, until it has thickened and reduced 3/4 cup to about 6 tablespoons.
Set reduced puree aside to cool.
Flavor the buttercream with the strawberry reduction, then frost the cupcakes.
Tips for Perfect Cupcakes
- Use strawberries with good flavor. The flavor of your cake will only be as good as your strawberries.
- Don’t over mix. When combining all of the cupcake ingredients, mix just until everything is combined and no streaks of flour remain. Over mixing = more gluten development = dense cupcakes.
- Keep an eye on bake time. Every oven is different, so I recommend checking the cupcakes at about the 18 minute mark, then adjusting from there. A toothpick inserted in the center of the cake should come out clean.
- Stir the reduction frequently. The strawberry reduction will burn to the pan if it’s not stirred consistently. The constant stirring also helps more liquid evaporate.
- Thicken your buttercream properly. I know it’s tempting to reduce the powdered sugar for many people, but if you make your buttercream too thin (by reducing the powdered sugar), you won’t be able to add the strawberry reduction without getting a frosting that’s much too thin, or even separated. If you really want to reduce the sugar, reduce everything and just make less buttercream that has the same consistency.
How to Store
- Refrigerator. Seal any leftovers in an airtight container tall enough to accommodate the frosting (ideally a cupcake carrier) and store them in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freezer. When stored properly in a freezer-safe airtight container, these cupcakes will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow them to thaw in the fridge before enjoying.
These goodies are best at room temperature, so let them sit out on the counter for a bit before serving.
More Great Strawberry Recipes
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Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes
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Ingredients
CUPCAKES
- 1 ⅔ cups (217g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (168g) unsalted butter (melted)
- 1 cup (207g) sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup (115g) sour cream
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons (90ml) milk
- 1 ½ cups (200g) chopped strawberries
FROSTING
- 1 ½ cups (200g) chopped strawberries
- 1 ¼ cups (280g) unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 5 cups (575g) powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch or two of salt
- Strawberries (for decorating)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C) and prepare a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
- Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter, sugar and vanilla extract together until well combined.
- Add the eggs and whisk together until well combined.
- Add the sour cream and whisk together until well combined.
- Add the milk and whisk together until well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients and whisk together until combined, but do not over mix.
- Fold in the chopped strawberries.
- Fill the cupcake liners a little more than half full and bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove cupcakes from the oven and place on a cooling rack to cool.
- To make the strawberry buttercream, make the strawberry reduction. Add the strawberries to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. You should have about 3/4 cups of puree.
- Add the puree to a small sized saucepan and cook over medium heat. Allow the mixture to come to a slow boil, stirring consistently to keep it from burning, until it has thickened and reduced to about 6 tablespoons, about 10-15 minutes. To measure, pour the puree into a measuring cup. If it’s more than 6 tablespoons (between 1/4 and 1/2 cup), add it back to the pan and continue cooking.
- When the puree has thickened and reduced, pour into a large measuring cup and allow to cool to at least room temperature. This strawberry mixture can be made ahead, if you like, and stored in the fridge.
- Add the butter to a large mixer bowl and beat until smooth.
- Carefully add about half of the powdered sugar and mix until smooth and well combined.
- Add 4 tablespoons of the strawberry reduction, vanilla extract and the salt to the frosting and mix until well combined.
- Add the remaining powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Add additional strawberry reduction as needed to get the right consistency and flavor.
- Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes. I used Ateco tip 844. Decorate with a strawberry half, if desired.
- Cupcakes are best when stored well covered or in an air-tight container. Serve at room temperature. Best if eaten within 2-3 days.
Nutrition
The nutrition facts provided are calculated using a third-party tool and are estimates only. Actual nutritional content may vary based on the ingredients and brands you use, as well as portion sizes. For accurate results, please consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist.
Enjoy!
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I’m making these for a wedding. The first batch turned out really well, but I think I chopped the strawberries a bit too finely. The bake time needed to be extended. About what size should they be?
They should be chopped, not diced. You don’t want them too big, but also not too small. Not sure if that’s helpful, but hopefully it is.
I love your strawberry cupcake recipes. I make the strawberries and cream ones a lot. I want to try these. I also need to make about 50 for my daughters graduation party. How would you do this make 2 double batches.
Yes, you should be able to double the recipe without problems and then I’d do 2 batches.
This recipe is not very convenient for kids and the elderly. And other recipes are not very flavor full.
Can you use buttermilk in place of the sour cream?
The buttermilk would be thinner than the sour cream and might mean the strawberries would sink.
If wanting to make an 8in cake 2 layer would I double this recipe? Thank you.
Yes, I would double it.
Can this recipe be made into a cake?
Hey Lindsay! I was wondering if you could use frozen strawberries in the batter instead of fresh. Would is still work?
That should be fine. I might thaw them and pat them dry first so that you don’t add extra moisture to the batter.
These cupcakes were super delish!! Made for my granddaughters 4th birthday! They were a hit! Super moist, not too sweet! Everyone came back for a 2nd cupcake! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
So glad you enjoyed them!
Have you ever tried freezing them? I need to make them a week in advance. Thanks
I haven’t. I think they’d be ok, it’s just a matter of if the strawberries get a little mushy after thawing or maybe some strawberry juices soak into the cupcakes.
These cupcakes are so yummy! My almost 5 year old requested strawberry cake with strawberry frosting and I’m glad I chose this recipe to try. The cake is moist and not too sweet which is great for the super sweet frosting. The frosting is so delicious that my daughter screamed “yum” when she first tasted it! My whole family loved them, thank you for sharing this recipe.
So glad they were a hit!
I want to make these a day in advance. Can I frost them and put them in the fridge the day before ? Will the strawberries go bad in the frosting ? Thanks
Yes, you can. The strawberries in the frosting won’t go bad overnight.
Can I use frozen strawberries for this recipe?
That should be fine. I was just thaw them out and pat them dry first so that you don’t add extra moisture to the cupcakes.
Sorry if I missed this above, do they need to be kept in the fridge?
You should be able to leave them out for up to 24 hours but yes, I would refrigerate them after that.
AMAZING! Made these for a party. 4 days ahead of the party and they stayed moist while everything else got dried out. So easy. Yummy batter so I knew they would taste amazing! I topped with a chocolate buttercream. Thanks!!
So glad you enjoyed them!
Great recipe! The cupcakes melt in your mouth!
Glad you enjoyed them!
Hello,
Mine came out moist at the bottom
And not flat Could it be the strawberries? I used cake flour