Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes

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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 on marble and wood cake stand with strawberries around base

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

bunch of strawberry cupcakes on the top of a cake standstrawberry cupcakes on a marble stand and pink napkin

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

  1. Prepare for Baking: Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
  2. Combine Dry Ingredients: Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
  3. Combine Butter, Sugar and Vanilla: In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter, sugar and vanilla extract together until well combined.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. Stir in Strawberries: Fold in the chopped strawberries gently. You don’t want to beat up your strawberries or over mix the batter.
  7. 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

  1. 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.
  2. Beat Butter: Add the butter to a large mixer bowl and beat until smooth.
  3. Add Powdered Sugar: Carefully add about half of the powdered sugar and mix until smooth and well combined.
  4. 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.
  5. Finish Powdered Sugar: Add the remaining powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
  6. Get the Right Consistency: Add additional strawberry reduction as needed to get the right consistency and flavor.

Assemble the Cupcakes

  1. Pipe the Frosting: Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes. I used Ateco tip 844.
  2. Garnish: Decorate with a strawberry half, if desired.

strawberry cupcakes on cake stand with bowl of strawberries in background

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

 

Read Transcript

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strawberry cupcake on a cake stand with other cupcakes around
Recipe

Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes

  • Author: Lindsay
  • 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

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C) and prepare a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
  2. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter, sugar and vanilla extract together until well combined.
  4. Add the eggs and whisk together until well combined.
  5. Add the sour cream and whisk together until well combined.
  6. Add the milk and whisk together until well combined.
  7. Add the dry ingredients and whisk together until combined, but do not over mix.
  8. Fold in the chopped strawberries.
  9. 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.
  10. Remove cupcakes from the oven and place on a cooling rack to cool.
  11. 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.
  12. 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.
  13. 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.
  14. Add the butter to a large mixer bowl and beat until smooth.
  15. Carefully add about half of the powdered sugar and mix until smooth and well combined.
  16. Add 4 tablespoons of the strawberry reduction, vanilla extract and the salt to the frosting and mix until well combined.
  17. Add the remaining powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Add additional strawberry reduction as needed to get the right consistency and flavor.
  18. Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes. I used Ateco tip 844. Decorate with a strawberry half, if desired.
  19. 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

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Enjoy!

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537 Comments
  1. Carolyn

    Hi, can’t wait to try. I am in the UK so wandering how much butter should I add in grams please. Can’t wait to try this for my son… he loves strawberries 😊 
    Thanks so much,
    Carolyn 

  2. Jenifer

    They turned out great! One thing though, the recipe is for frosting and not icing. They are 2 totally different things when it comes to baking. Icing is typically thinner and more of a glaze with a glossier appearance and a more sugary taste. Frosting is thick and buttery. It may not seem like much but when it comes to baking they’re so different, haha.






  3. christina smith

    Hi, i have cake flour at home, can i use cake flour for this recipe? If so, then what would be the correct measurements for cake flour with omitting the baking soda and baking powder? Thanks so much.

  4. Aimee

    These cupcakes are the best.  I took these to my daughters 5th grade class for her birthday cupcakes.  It being the week of Thanksgiving, I wanted something light and fruity the kids would enjoy.  I did use frozen strawberries that I thawed, and they worked great.  The kids and the teacher all raved about them, and wished I brought more than one for each of them.  Thank you for such a great recipe.   This one is already printed and in my cookbook.   Thank you again.  

    1. Lindsay

      Yes, you can color the frosting. I would suggest using gel icing color so that you don’t thin out the frosting too much

  5. Julie Allen

    Awesome recipe! I love to decorate cupcakes for my kids’ birthdays and it’s fun to make them not just look good, but taste good too. Thanks for sharing!

  6. Cassie Daniel

    I just made them using self-raising flour and coconut sugar instead of flour, baking soda, baking powder and regular sugar…and they are absolutely delicious! So fluffy and moist! 
    Thanks for a great recipe! 






      1. Kimberly Taylor

        Hi Lindsey,

        These look so great! Curious, can I add powder sugar to the strawberry  puree while it simmers? I understand not make them to liquidy. However, would the extra powdered sugar added to the batter and frosting by the strawberries affect the texture of either? 

    1. Lindsay

      I haven’t tried it so I’m not sure. I also don’t know how much leavening is in self rising flour and if it’s enough or not.

  7. Valeria

    Hi. This looks like a great recipe. Is there a way to make these less sweet in both the batter and icing without loosing texture? 

    1. Lindsay

      Reducing the amount of sugar can always affect the texture of the cupcake, but you could try reducing it a little bit. It should be fine. As for the frosting, reducing that also reduces the amount of frosting you get and thins it out. Whether or not that works for you depends on how you want to use the cupcakes.

      1. Valeria

        Thank you Lindsay. They are for my son’s birthday. I don’t mind if they don’t look super professional. IN fact I’ve never made cupcakes but he loves them. I just think they tend to be too sweet. Do you think it may eme possible to reduce the sugar but increase another ingredient? Just asking from my inexperienced baking background. 

      2. Lindsay

        Unfortunately, there isn’t really anything else to use to thicken the frosting and the strawberry puree really thins it out in order to get enough strawberry flavor. One thing you could do is use freeze dried strawberries, instead of puree. Then you can definitely reduce the powdered sugar. Here’s a recipe where I use freeze dried strawberry frosting, if you want to check it out. And a blog post on getting the right frosting consistency that you might find helpful.

  8. Mufasa

    THIS WAS AWESOME, the mix turned super soft, fresh and it tasted amazing. Although i have to say that the icing was a little bit too sweet for me so next time ill be putting a little bit less on my cupcakes. Thx and cheers from México!






Lindsay
About Lindsay

I’m the baker, recipe developer and photographer behind Life, Love and Sugar. I love sharing trusted recipes with helpful tips to give you great results.

Scripture I’m Loving

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29