Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes

Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes made from scratch! Moist and tender vanilla cupcakes filled with fresh strawberries and topped with strawberry buttercream. No artificial colors or flavors – pure, fresh strawberries in every bite. VIDEO below.

You know that summer is here (or almost here) when most of my recipes have berries in them. Five of my last six recipes featured berries (sorry/not sorry?). I love baking with fresh berries this time of year!

This recipe is actually from a few years ago, but I decided to make a video and reshare the recipe because it’s too good to be stuck way back in the archives. Plus, these pretty pink cupcakes basically scream “It’s summer, eat ME!”

Strawberry Cupcakes

These cupcakes are worlds away from a typical boxed strawberry cake mix. I love that the pretty shade of pink comes from fresh strawberries, not food coloring. They are moist and tender and filled with real ingredients. The cake itself is flavored with vanilla extract and small pieces of fresh strawberries. The cupcakes are fluffy and buttery, and you can’t beat those diced strawberries running all throughout.

Tip: Use the best strawberries you can find. The more red and sweet and they are, the better! If your strawberries are slightly under ripe, or not very sweet, you might want to hull them, to make sure those flavorless white pieces don’t make their way into the cake or frosting.

Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

Let’s talk frosting! These Strawberry Cupcakes are topped with the prettiest Strawberry Buttercream Frosting. The frosting is made with pureed strawberries and strawberry jam.

The color of your frosting is going to vary depending on the how dark your strawberries are. I’ve made these nearly a dozen times, and the frosting can range from a lighter pink to a darker pink. It’s beautiful and delicious no matter what shade it is! And it’s the absolute perfect compliment to our strawberry cupcakes.

I take a lot of pride from the fact that these cupcakes are made from scratch and with real strawberries! Most cake mixes and frostings are loaded with fake strawberry flavoring and food coloring. There is no need for that fake stuff, when you have beautiful sweet strawberries to be the star of the recipe.

And it’s not just me that loves these Strawberry Cupcakes. My readers love them, my friends and family love them – this really is one of the best cupcake recipes ever.

This recipe will always hold a special place in my heart. I first made these cupcakes three years ago when we welcomed our daughter into the world. We celebrated the arrival of our sweet Juliette with these pretty pink Strawberry Cupcakes, and I’ve made them every summer since. These cupcakes made an appearance at her first and second birthday parties, and soon they’ll be part of her third birthday celebration. They make a great celebration cupcake, as well as a great everyday cupcake (that means you need no reason at all to make them).

Fresh strawberry flavor, swirly pink frosting. These have it all! Enjoy!

• MORE BERRY DESSERTS:
• Fresh Strawberry Pie
• Mixed Berry Cake
• Berries and Cream Trifle
• Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie
• Strawberry Shortcake Cake

4.87 from 15 votes

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Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes

Moist and tender vanilla cupcakes filled with fresh strawberries and topped with strawberry buttercream.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Dessert

Keyword Strawberry Cupcakes

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Servings 12

Calories 411 kcal

Author Allison - Celebrating Sweets

Ingredients

Cupcakes:

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 egg whites
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1 cup finely chopped strawberries

Frosting:

• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
• 3 cups powdered sugar sifted if lumpy, plus more if needed
• 1/2 cup freeze dried strawberries optional, see note
• 3 tablespoons fresh strawberry puree see note
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon strawberry jam
• Fresh strawberries to garnish (optional)

Instructions

For the cupcakes;

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 12 cup muffin tin or line with paper liners and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt, set aside.

3. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat butter on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scraping the bowl as needed. Gradually add the sugar and beat until well combined. Reduce the mixer to low and add the egg, egg whites, and vanilla extract.

4. With the mixer on low, add half the flour mixture, mixing until just combined. Add the milk, mixing until just combined. Add the remaining flour and mix until just combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Using a rubber spatula, carefully fold in the chopped strawberries.
5. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean. Transfer the muffin tin to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.

Frosting:

1. If using freeze dried strawberries: 

   In a small food processor, blend about 1/2 cup freeze dried strawberries until they turn into powder. Pour the powder into a fine mesh sieve, discarding the solids and seeds, keeping the fine powder that came through the sieve. Measure out two tablespoons of the powder to use in the frosting. Proceed below. 

2. With a hand mixer, or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter for 2 minutes, until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl and the beater as necessary. Add the powdered sugar, 1/2 a cup at a time, beating until combined. 

3. Add strawberry puree, freeze dried strawberry powder (if using), vanilla extract and jam, and beat on medium speed until fully combined, being sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl and beater as needed. If necessary, adjust the consistency by adding more powdered sugar or more strawberry puree, to thicken or thin it out. Place in a piping bag, or use an offset spatula to frost cupcakes (this makes enough frosting to generously frost the cupcakes). Garnish with sliced strawberries, if desired.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

To make fresh strawberry puree: place 5-7 chopped strawberries in a small food processor and blend until pureed. TIP: If you are also using freeze dried strawberries, blend those in the food processor first, then remove them and add the fresh strawberries.

Freeze dried strawberries: Adding freeze dried strawberries adds a deeper strawberry flavor and a darker pink color. I especially recommend using these if you are using fresh strawberries that are not super sweet, ripe and flavorful. 

I store these cupcakes in the refrigerator. It helps the frosting from getting too soft. I like to allow them to come to room temp before serving.

Nutrition Facts

Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes

Amount Per Serving

Calories 411 Calories from Fat 153

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 17g 26%

Saturated Fat 11g 55%

Cholesterol 59mg 20%

Sodium 68mg 3%

Potassium 88mg 3%

Total Carbohydrates 61g 20%

Sugars 47g

Protein 3g 6%

Vitamin A 11.1%

Vitamin C 8.7%

Calcium 3.2%

Iron 4.9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.