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These Strawberries and Cream Cupcakes are made with my favorite vanilla cupcake recipe. They have fresh cream filling with chopped strawberries and the most amazing strawberry frosting!
Strawberries and Cream Cupcakes
I always look forward to strawberries being in season. I love their smell, I love their taste and I love to bake with them. They are especially good dipped in whipped cream too. A big ole’ bowl of strawberries and some whipped cream and I’m good to go! And these cupcakes are much like eating just that – in cupcake form.
How to Make Strawberries and Cream Cupcakes
The cupcakes start with my favorite moist vanilla cupcakes. They use the classic creaming method of creaming the butter and sugar together, adding air to the batter that helps make a light cupcake.
The cupcakes also use one of my favorite ingredients – sour cream. I love the moisture it adds to cupcakes, as well as the additional flavor.
You’ll notice only egg whites in these cupcakes as well. They add structure to the cupcakes to help them hold up to all the wonderful moisture from the sour cream and milk.
Finally, the dry ingredients are added alternatively with the liquid to help the liquid ingredients properly incorporate into the batter. Once the cupcakes are baked and cooled, cut out the cores so that they can be filled. I like to use a cupcake corer, but a knife would work as well.
How to Make Strawberry Cupcake Filling
For the filling, I used one of favorite cream fillings. It’s whipped cream with a little cream cheese added and some vanilla extract. Powdered sugar is used both to sweeten the cream and to stabilize it. I often hear people say they reduce the amount of powdered sugar used, but be careful doing that. The cream may not end up being as firm.
I added chopped strawberries to the cream, as well. I LOVE the extra pop of strawberries it gives. It’s a small addition that makes a big difference!
The cupcakes are finished off with the most amazing strawberry frosting! It was declared “the best strawberry frosting I’ve ever had” by all who tasted these cupcakes. So good! It’s made using freeze dried strawberries to give it plenty of strawberry flavor without thinning out the frosting too much from adding a bunch of strawberry puree. If you’d like to go the puree route, you totally can. I have a frosting like that here. But I definitely recommend trying the freeze dried strawberries.
The final cupcake just melts in your mouth! The moist vanilla cupcake, fluffy cream filling with bursts of strawberries and amazing strawberry frosting are a dangerously delicious combination! All who had them totally fell in love and despite my best efforts, I couldn’t resist eating several. These are definitely a new favorite for summer that I know you’ll want to make over and over!
Watch How To Make Them
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Strawberries and Cream Cupcakes
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 12-14 Cupcakes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
These Strawberries and Cream Cupcakes are made with my favorite vanilla cupcake recipe. They have fresh cream filling with chopped strawberries and the most amazing strawberry frosting!
Ingredients
Vanilla cupcakes
- 6 tbsp (84g), unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cups (155g) sugar
- 6 tbsp (86g) sour cream
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups (163g) all purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 6 tbsp (90ml) milk
- 2 tbsp (30ml) water
Strawberry frosting
- 1 cup freeze-dried strawberries
- 1 cup (224g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4 cups (460g) powdered sugar
- 3–4 tbsp (45-60ml) water or milk
- Pinch of salt
- Fresh berries, for topping
Filling
- 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
- 1/4 cup (29g) powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/2 cup chopped strawberries
Instructions
Make the cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C) and prepare a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light in color and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Do not skimp on the amount of creaming time.
- Add sour cream and vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
- Add egg whites in two batches, mixing until well combined after each. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated.
- Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then combine the milk and water in a small measuring cup.
- Add half of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until well combined. Add the milk mixture and mix until well combined. Add remaining dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated.
- Fill the cupcake liners about halfway. Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few crumbs.
- Remove cupcakes from oven and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes, then remove to cooling rack to finish cooling.
To make the frosting
- While the cupcakes cool, make the frosting.
- Add the freeze-dried berries to a food processor and grind into a powder. Set aside.
- Add the butter to a large mixer bowl and mix until smooth.
- Add about half of the powdered sugar and mix until smooth
- Add up to 3 tablespoons of water or milk and the salt and mix until smooth.
- Add the remaining powdered sugar and powdered berries and mix until well combined and smooth. Add additional water or milk, as needed. Set frosting aside.
Make the filling
- Add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract to a large mixer bowl.
- Whip on high speed with the whisk attachment until soft peaks form.
- Add the cream cheese and continue whipping until stiff peaks form. It’ll happen quickly.
- Stir in the chopped strawberries.
Assemble the cupcakes
- When the cupcakes have cooled, use a cupcake corer or small knife to remove the centers of the cupcakes.
- Fill the centers with the cream filling.
- Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes. I used Ateco tip 844.
- Top the cupcakes with a strawberry, then refrigerate until ready to serve. Cupcakes are best served at room temperature.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Slice
- Calories: 431
- Sugar: 42.3 g
- Sodium: 88.7 mg
- Fat: 23.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 53.2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 63.6 mg
Categories
Enjoy!
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Hi could i use this filling in a 5 layer cake and the cream taste like cheese as my kids doesnt like cheesse thank you
You could use it between cake layers, but you’d probably want to have a dam between the layers as well, to keep everything sturdy and in place. I don’t think you really notice the cream cheese, but it probably depends on how sensitive you are to it.
Hi! This recipe sounds amazing. Wondering if I could substitute ted raspberries?
Thanks!
That should be fine.
I loved your recipe. My mom, dad , and sister liked it to. Me and my mom were in love with your strawberry filling! We all wanted to eat the strawberry filling by itself! I Wanted to buy it from a bakery!
I’m so glad you all enjoyed! 🙂
Started these late last night for Valentines Day and finished the frosting covered and put in refrigerator I took it out to soften and I’m filling them and frosting them! Will the frosting be okay btw the frosting smells amazing!
Yes, the frosting should be okay. I hope you enjoy!
Hello, I made these cupcakes last night and they turned out incredible! Love them! Half my batch gone between my husband and I.
I did end up making a beginner mistake, by adding all my ingredients together for the filling. It turned out more of a purée but still good. Used a spoon to dig a small hole and filled up the cupcakes. My husband could not wait for the icing!
This morning I remade the filling and followed closely what your instructions are and it turned out perfect! I used 2 1/2 cups whipping cream fresh from the fridge and 1/2 cup powdered sugar with 2 tbsp of vanilla extract. I also added 1 3/4 containers of strawberries to it. Making a large batch of cupcakes. Found this ratio to work best for me.
Thank you so much for posting this incredible recipe! My family and I and our stomachs thank you too!
Wonderful! So glad they were a hit!
Hi… What if I don’t have a way to make it into powder what can I do ?
You could add them to a bag and grind them down with something.
I seen in the comments you buy a 1 oz bag of freeze dried strawberries. Do I need to buy 8 bags for a cup? Thank you!
No, weight and volume are two different ways of measuring. The weight of the bag of freeze dried strawberries is 1 ounce. But by volume, it’s enough for one cup. I hope that helps.
I’m looking to make these for an event in June and was hoping to make and freeze. What are your thoughts on that? Have you ever frozen them. Typcally cupcakes freeze very well….i’m mostly questioning because of the fresh strawberries in the filling.
I generally prefer to make things fresh if I can. The baked cupcakes would probably be fine made ahead of time but I would make the filling fresh for sure. Not only because of the strawberries but because of the whipped cream as well.
Since you grind the freeze dried strawberries to a powder, why couldn’t you just use a package of strawberry kool-aid?
I’ve honestly never used kool-aid in frosting (or even tasted it since I was a kid), but I imagine the flavor is different.
Hi there. I’m wondering if you think these would be okay in the fridge overnight to serve the following day?
Definitely!
Can I make into a cake by doubling or tripling the recipe
You should be able to. I’d try doubling it.
Would I double the batch to make a three layer cake? Would that work? Thanks angela
Yes, you could double the recipe for a three layer 8 inch cake.
Trying to buy freeze-dried strawberries online to try this recipe. How heavy (in oz or g) is 1 cup of freeze-dried strawberries? Thanks!
They bag of freeze dried strawberries I get is 0.8 ounces. They aren’t heavy and you don’t need a lot.
Finally got my hands on freeze-dried strawberries and wow the frosting is GORGEOUS! Friends asked about the strawberry flavour to which I proudly explained as if I’m an experienced baker which I’m really not ???? Thank you for the recipe and for posting ????
Ha! Wonderful! So glad to hear it was a hit!
Cupcake perfection! These are so delicious. Your recipes do not disappoint! I made these for an event last night. The best review was something I overheard. Someone said to another attendee “YOU HAVE TO TRY THE STRAWBERRY CUPCAKES – THEY WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE!”
Thank you for making me look like a star baker.
Wonderful! That is such a great review. I’m so glad everyone enjoyed them!
If you don’t add the filling, do the cupcakes still need to be refrigerated?
They should be fine at room temperature for a day or so. If longer, I might refrigerate because of the butter in the frosting.
Can’t wait to try them. Do the cupcakes have to be kept in the refrigerator?
I would recommend refrigerating them, because of the filling in particular.
I plan on making these for a close friend who’s going off to college but I’m on the edge about the strawberries and cream filling. Sounds delicious and I know the cream will hold shape well with powdered sugar in it, but will the cupcakes need to be refrigerated when finished? and if they don’t need to be immediately chilled how soon after making them should they be? I don’t want the cream in the filling to absorb and disappear into the cupcake is all. Thanks!
The cupcakes could sit out for up to 2 hours, but then would need to be refrigerated.
These look so pretty! Going to make them for my new great niece that was born today for her welcome baby party!!
I hope you enjoy them!