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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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!
Categories:
Cakes and Cupcakes, Easter, Holidays, July 4th, Recipes, Recipes with video, Sweets and Treats, Valentine's Day,
Just made these for a baby shower. It was a baby boy shower, so I made a Swiss meringue buttercream icing instead so I could color it blue and didn’t get to try the raved over icing posted here, but the cupcakes are AMAZING!! I will definitely be making them again and using the vanilla cupcake base for other cupcakes!! Thank you!
Hi is this room temperature butter being used for both the cupcake and icing?
Yes, you should use room temperature butter.
Hi Lindsay! Made your cupcakes last week! The cupcakes were yummy! However I had a problem with the frosting, if we wanted to use butter instead of shortening would we have to use salted butter as well? I found that the frosting was too sweet and very funny, how do we avoid this? Thank you for all your help and sharing this delicious recipe!
You may find this post about my standard buttercream base helpful. It walks through the ingredients a bit and why I use what I use and making some substitutions. I hope it’s helpful!
Hi. I’m wondering if the strawberries in the icing would be ok till 2 days from when I make it or would they spoil? These look delicious! ???? thanks
That depends a little on the freshness of the berries. Certainly you’d want to refrigerate it so it holds up better.
I made the icing and it turned out AH-MAZING. Seriously to die for. I had to keep my hands out of the spoon drawer so i didnt devour this stuff by the spoonful. Perfect amount of sweetness… Real berry flavour… It doesn’t get better than this. I made moist vanilla cupcakes and filled them with a dot of homemade strawberry jam and topped them with this icing. Best cupcakes I’ve ever made ???????? thanks so much for the great recipe!!
Great recipe. I have made these several times now but just wondering if I were to leave the strawberries out of the cupcake would it be a good vanilla cupcake?
I’m so glad you enjoy them! Yes, I would say it makes a good vanilla cupcake. 🙂 You can find the recipe here with lots of comments from others.
I’ve seen huge juicy strawberries this year. These recipes will be perfect!
I’m planning on making this, but live at near 5,000ft altitude. I’ve had trouble with cupcakes in the past. Would you alter this recipe at all for altitude? thanks!
I’m sorry, I don’t really have any experience with high altitude baking so I’m not sure.
Made these today and they are moist and delicious! I like how they aren’t overly sweet like bakery cupcakes. These remind me more of muffins, maybe that’s just how mine turned out but I will definitely make these again. No need to search any further for strawberry cupcake recipes!
Hi Lindsay, thank you. Yes, indeed! As there are so many different conversion chartes out there, I wanted to be sure since everyone somehow measures differently. Will let you know how they turned out.
Hi Lindsay,
I just came across your blog, wow, I don’t know which recipe to start with! This one especially appeals to me. Looks so great and also simple. Simple yet tasty recipes are my favorite.
However, I have noticed that you give metric conversions in your newest recipes. Would you mind adding them here, too? That would be wonderful. Thanks for this, I am still stunned!
Hi Jenny, here’s a conversion chart you can use for the older recipes. I hope that helps!
hi Lindsay! Congrats for all your work, looks amazing! One question, hope you can help me out: I tried these and had problems with the icing which became somehow running and the butter curdling. that happened after I added the strawberries puree, so I guess it’s because of the water contained by the fruits. What to do? 🙁
Did you use fresh strawberries or frozen. Frozen ones will certainly contain more water. With frosting, it’s all about balancing the thickener (powdered sugar) with the thinner (in this cake, strawberry puree). I usually add just as much of the thinner as I need. Start small and then add as needed so it doesn’t thin out too much.
This looks perfect for my daughter’s 4th birthday!If I want to bake this in two nine inch cake pans, how long do you think it may take? Thank you!
I know that when baked in three 8 inch pans, it’s 35-40 minutes. For two 9 inches, it’ll probably be a little longer. Just a heads up, it makes a fairly dense cake. It has to be kind of dense for the strawberries to not sink to the bottom.
Just wanted to thank you for your response and follow up with my success story. Baked in two nine inch pans (done at 35 minutes). Made 1.5x the frosting so I had enough for layering and piping. It smelled amazing (yes, it was a moist, dense cake) and tasted even better. My daughter was thrilled with her ‘pinkaly’ cake. Thank you again for your help!
Wonderful! Glad she enjoyed it! 🙂
This is THE best strawberry buttercream recipe! I’ve used it for strawberry/white chocolate cupcakes and most recently to top homemade lemon cupcakes. Thanks for a great recipe!!
I wanted to make this as a cake for my sister’s birthday so I was wondering if it would work as a cake or if they have to be made as cupcakes.
I haven’t made this particular recipe as a cake, but I’ve done similar ones. It should be fine.
Recipes said 4 cups powdered sugar. Instructions said 3 cups powdered sugar. Which is correct?
3 cups are added in in step 9, the rest is added in step 11.
This recipe is confusing if you are not a baker. You never said when to add the sugar & dry ingredients.
Hey! Thank u for the recipe ! I just made these for my nephews birthday. The party isn’t until Saturday which is 3 days from now. Do you think the cupcakes will still be ok by then? I didn’t make the icing since I am decorating them differently. They look and smell delicious however the recipe only made 20 cupcakes and they are very small. I’m just hoping the cupcakes last 3 days!!????
Three days might be pushing it just a bit for them to still be fresh. I hope they worked out ok!
Just made these and they are fantastic. I added 3T of strawberry milk powder for color. Very yummy.
Awesome! I’m so glad you’re happy with them!