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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!
Is the flour for the cupcake all purpose flour ?
Yes, all purpose flour
Hi lifeloveandsugar@gmail.com 🙂
I’m loving the sound of these cupcakes! Can’t wait to test them tomorrow. Wondering if you could freeze these at all? If so up to how long could you possibly leave them?
I have frozen similar cupcakes and they seem to do fine. To have a fresher cupcake, I’d say one to two weeks. But I know my mom freezes them for longer and still enjoys them.
I have a bit of a random question for you. My daughter’s birthday is in a couple weeks, I’ve made this recipe before and she really liked it. But she wants chocolate strawberry cupcakes, she’s turning 7. I want to make them together for her birthday, do you have any ideas? Thanks ahead of time, I know it’s a little weird but I can’t find a recipe anywhere and yours were so good!
I’m glad you’ve enjoyed the cupcakes! One option would be to add chocolate frosting to these cupcakes. The other option would be to try these Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cupcakes. I hope that helps!
Hi Lindsay,
I just wanted to confirm that you use “salted” butter for the icing, and “non-salted” for the batter correct?
PS I just made the smores cupcakes and they turned out AMAZING!
I used salted butter for both.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the smores cupcakes! 🙂
Hi,
Did you use plain flour or self raising?
Thanks
It’s regular all purpose flour.
Thanks! 🙂
Greetings Linsday from Sunny Durban, South Africa,
Thank you so much for creating these cupcakes….. they are a huge hit!! so fresh and light.
Baked these for a birthday treat for the guys at the office and they ALL loved them.
Thanks again Lindsay 🙂
Take Care and have a supa weekend
Chantal Singh
Durban South Africa
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! And how fun that you are from South Africa! That’s where my husband is from and we are going to be visiting in a couple months. 🙂
Hi! These cupcakes look amazing and I’m really looking foward to bake them, but is there any substitute for the sour cream?
You should be able to substitute more milk for the sour cream. I haven’t tried it, but it should work.
Hello I followed your recipe and it tastes delicious! Texture wise on the inside , it was a bit different. I did the toothpick test and it came out clean. But when I ate it, the inside was a bit on the mushy side? When you look at it, it doesn’t look mushy but maybe after 2 seconds in your mouth, it kinda feels that way? Should I just put it in the oven a bit longer? or add more flour?
It’s possible that they needed to be baked a bit longer. But the strawberries get very moist when baked – maybe that is the mushiness you taste?
Hello,
Do you think creme fraiche could be substituted for the sour cream?
Thanks!
I’m really not familiar with creme fraiche so it’d be hard to say. I’m sorry.
I recently made these for my daughter’s farmer’s market themed 2nd birthday. They were a hit! I’ve passed the recipe onto three people already. One lady commented that she recently toured NYC looking for the best cupcakes and these topped them all ;). The cupcakes fell in the centers quite a bit after cooling, but the frosting covered that right up! Thanks for your diligent work on the recipe.
What a fun birthday theme! I’m so glad the cupcakes were loved by everyone! Thanks Katie!
These cupcakes look so good and great for summer!
Thanks Matea!
Would you know of any substitutes to make this gluten free?
I’m sorry, Jenny, I don’t know enough about baking gluten free to make suggestions.
Hi lindsay… love your recipes so much. Whats the different between sourmilk/cream with butter milk? Can be replace each other? Thank u
Thank you Linda! I’m so glad you enjoy the recipes! From what I can tell, the difference between the milks is subtle and they often can replace each other. I haven’t tried sour milk in these cupcakes though, so I can’t say if would make a difference or not. If you try it, I’d love to know what you think.
Do you think this would work with blueberries instead?
I think it’d be excellent with blueberries! I’ve been wanting to do it myself.
FYI: I tried the cupcake recipe yesterday and made 1/2 recipe with strawberries and 1/2 recipe with blueberries. I left the icing plain on the blueberries and added the puree to the icing for the strawberry cupcakes. They were delicious! Thanks so much for the recipe.
I baked them yesterday .. They are amazingly delicious .. My family loved them so much ..
I boiled down the strawberries to use it for the cake and i used strawberry jam for the frosting …
Thank you soooo much for the recipe 3>
I’m so glad you liked them! 🙂
It looks delicious ..
what if I use strawberry puree made of frozen strawberries instead of chopped strawberries, is that will change the result ??
bcuz I don’t have fresh strawberry right now ><
I’m glad your solution worked well! Sorry I didn’t get to respond sooner.
This recipie sounds great im going to make it tonight. One question. Can i substitue cream cheese for the sour cream ?
Cream cheese would be too heavy in the cupcakes. You’ll need sour cream.