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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!
Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes
I have loads of strawberry-based 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’m so in love!
This is actually the second time this recipe has been updated. The original version was posted way back when I first started this blog, in 2012. Then it was updated in 2014. And now it’s being updated again, only this time the recipe is basically the same.
There are a few little updates to the method for the cupcake to give you a smoother batter that’s easier to put together, plus a little more chopped strawberry. And then the strawberry buttercream now uses a reduced strawberry puree, rather than just a regular strawberry puree, to give you that extra strawberry flavor. But overall the cupcake is the same. Despite being about 7 years old, it’s still delicious and just as wonderful now as when I originally shared it. Love it!
Recipe Ingredients
For the Strawberry Cupcakes
- All Purpose Flour
- Baking powder and Baking Soda: The combination of the two gives this cupcake the ultimate texture.
- Salt: For flavor.
- Butter: Unsalted and melted, since this recipe doesn’t cream the butter.
- Sugar
- Vanilla Extract
- Eggs: Large sized eggs.
- 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.
- Milk
- Chopped Strawberries: One and half cups of chopped strawberries for cupcakes that are loaded with flavor!
For the Strawberry Buttercream
- Strawberries: You’ll need about 1 1/2 cups of chopped strawberries, measured after chopping.
- Unsalted Butter: Control the amount of salt in your buttercream by adding it yourself. Butter should be room temperature.
- Powdered Sugar: For volume and thickness.
- Vanilla Extract: For flavor.
- Salt: To taste
How to Make Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes
These cupcakes are quite simple to make. I LOVE that they use only one bowl for the cupcake batter! Unlike my typical cupcake recipes, there’s no creaming involved, so they are super quick to make.
Make the Strawberry Cupcakes
- Prepare for Baking: Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
- Combine Butter, Sugar and Vanilla: In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter, sugar and vanilla extract together until well combined.
- Add Eggs, Sour Cream and Milk: Add the eggs, sour cream and milk one at a time, mixing well after adding each. Adding them one at a time ensures they all incorporate nicely, without giving you a lumpy batter.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Add the dry ingredients and whisk together until combined, but do not over mix. You want the batter to be evenly mixed and smooth, but don’t over do it or you could end up with tough cupcakes.
- Stir in Strawberries: Fold in the chopped strawberries gently. You don’t want to beat up your strawberries or over mix the batter.
- Bake: 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.
Make the Strawberry Buttercream
- Make the strawberry reduction: Using a strawberry reduction doubles up the strawberry flavor. To make it, you’ll puree your strawberries, then cook them down by half. So after pureeing your strawberries, you should have about 3/4 cup 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 tbsp, about 10-15 minutes. To measure, pour the puree into a measuring cup. If it’s more than 6 tbsp (between 1/4 and 1/2 cup), add it back to the pan and continue cooking. Set aside to cool when it’s done.
- Beat Butter: Add the butter to a large mixer bowl and beat until smooth.
- Add Powdered Sugar: Carefully add about half of the powdered sugar and mix until smooth and well combined.
- Add Strawberry Reduction, Vanilla and Salt: Add 4 tablespoons of the strawberry reduction, vanilla extract and the salt to the frosting and mix until well combined.
- Finish Powdered Sugar: Add the remaining powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
- Get the Right Consistency: Add additional strawberry reduction as needed to get the right consistency and flavor.
Assemble the Cupcakes
- Pipe the Frosting: Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes. I used Ateco tip 844.
- Garnish: Decorate with a strawberry half, if desired.
More Great Strawberry Recipes
Strawberries and Cream Cupcakes
Homemade Strawberry Cake
No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake
Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cupcakes
Strawberries and Cream Cheesecake Cake
Strawberry Crunchy Layer Cake
Watch How To Make Them
Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 14-16 Cupcakes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
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!
Ingredients
CUPCAKES
- 1 2/3 cups (217g) all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup (168g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup (207g) sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup (115g) sour cream
- 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp milk
- 1 1/2 cups (200g) chopped strawberries
FROSTING
- 1 1/2 cups (200g) chopped strawberries
- 1 1/4 cups (280g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 5 cups (575g) powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp 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 tbsp, about 10-15 minutes. To measure, pour the puree into a measuring cup. If it’s more than 6 tbsp (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 in the fridge for 2-3 days. Serve at room temperature
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Cupcake
- Calories: 275
- Sugar: 26.3 g
- Sodium: 100.8 mg
- Fat: 15.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 34.1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 42.6 mg
Filed Under:
Enjoy!
I made this as cupcakes but want to make a layer gluten free cake. Does it bake up well as a layer cake
I think it’s pretty dense as a layer cake, but you could try it. I’d be more likely to recommend one of my strawberry cakes.
These were so much work and made so many dirty dishes. Way too sweet
Can I substitute frozen strawberries
I mean, I suppose. Frozen strawberries tend to be mushy, so they may be hard to cut up and have extra moisture. I’d definitely drain the moisture.
I didn’t have sour cream so I used Greek Yogurt. And I also added some strawberry flavoring! The cupcakes came out tasting wonderful but they deflated terribly. Any ideas why? Would it have been from the yogurt?
Hmm, it shouldn’t have been the greek yogurt. It’s possible they were over mixed. I’d also check your baking soda and baking powder to make sure they’re still good. And then if you happened to open the oven a little too soon, that could also cause them to deflate. It can be hard to say from a distance, but those are a few possibilities.
Only two of us and I surely want to make these. Please halve this for us. A lot of recipes, savory and sweet are way too much. Pls respond. Linda
If I want to double the recipe should I make in separate bowls?
I haven’t doubled it before, but I think one bowl should be fine.
Can I use strawberry yogurt instead of sour cream?
You could certainly try strawberry greek yogurt. I don’t think yogurt is quite the same, but plenty of people use that substitution.
Hi first thank you for all your wonderful recipes as I have made many. My question is. Can I make these or any of your cupcake recipe into mini cupcakes? This may be a silly question but I always make recipes as posted but my niece wants a variety of mini cupcakes at her sweet sixteen? Thank you
These should be fine as minis. Just don’t cut the strawberries in the batter too big, or you won’t fit much batter and berries in each.
Can I make a cake with this recipe?
It ends up quite dense, but you could try it.
I made these and took them to work as they were a big hit. I didn’t came home with any of them.
So glad they were a hit!
Update: These were delicious! I did end up making them dairy free. I used oat milk instead of regular milk. I read that if you don’t have sour cream, you can substitute 1/2 cup yogurt + 1/2 tsp baking soda (in addition to the baking soda already called for in the recipe) = 1/2 cup sour cream. I used almond yogurt. The almond yogurt seemed thinner than sour cream, but the oat milk seemed thicker than regular milk, so I think it all evened out. The strawberries were nicely suspended in the batter and cupcakes. Everyone loved these! I will definitely make them again!
So glad you enjoyed them!
How long to bake three six inch layers of cake?
I’m not sure. I haven’t baked this cake in that size.
I need these next weekend, but I have a lot of strawberries that I need to use now before they get too ripe. Has anyone tried to freeze these?
The strawberries might just be a little more mushy after thawing, otherwise they should be ok.
Can I use this recipe and subtract the strawberries to get just regular vanilla cupcakes?
I actually experimented with that a bit recently. The strawberries add a lot of moisture. Without them, I’d increase the milk to 3/4 cup. Otherwise, the rest would be the same.
This sounds so good, I’m making them now for my granddaughters birthday tomorrow. Can I ice them today and should I refrigerate them til tomorrow
Sorry for the delayed response. I’d refrigerate them with the fresh fruit in there, but serve them at room temperature.
I am making this for a culinary competition at my school because we are hosting a fine arts