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strawberry cupcake with cupcake liner peeled away
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Strawberry Cupcakes

Fresh strawberry cupcakes with a strawberry buttercream frosting. A fluffy yellow cupcake with bite-sized pieces of strawberries in every bite. The real star of this show is the fresh strawberry frosting made with a strawberry reduction making the flavor of strawberry strong. The combination of a silky-smooth frosting and a light and flavorful cake is just what everyone will be wanting to eat this strawberry season.
Prep Time45 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time1 hour 5 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 cupcakes
Calories: 471kcal
Author: Heather Perine

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes

  • 1 ¼ cups (150 g) cake flour spooned and leveled
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick, 113 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup (120 ml) buttermilk room temperature
  • 1 ½ cups (200 g) diced strawberries

For the Frosting:

  • 1 ½ cups (200 g) diced strawberries
  • 1 ¼ cups (283 g, 20 Tablespoons) unsalted butter softened
  • 2 ½ cups (283 g) confectioners sugar
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • Pinch salt
  • More strawberries for garnish, optional

Instructions

Make the cupcakes:

  • Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a cupcake tin with cupcake liners.
  • In a mixing bowl whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. 1 ¼ cups (150 g) cake flour 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder ¼ teaspoon salt
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar until well combined on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes scraping the sides of the bowl if needed. 8 tablespoons (1 stick, 113 g) unsalted butter, ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
  • Add the eggs one at a time, beating to combine. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla and mix until well combined. 2 large eggs 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • Pour half the buttermilk and half the dry ingredients in and mix until almost combined. Add the remaining buttermilk and dry ingredients and mix until a few flour streaks remain. Don’t overmix. ½ cup (120 ml) buttermilk
  • Add the diced strawberries and fold them in gently by hand with a spatula or wooden spoon until just combined. 1 ½ cups (200 g) diced strawberries
  • Fill each cupcake about 2/3 full of batter and bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few moist crumbs.
  • Let the cupcakes cool in the cupcake tin on a wire cooling rack for 3-5 minutes before removing to cool on the wire rack outside the tin. Let cool completely before frosting.

Make the frosting:

  • Add the diced strawberries to a saucepan and heat over medium-low heat. Smash the strawberries as they cook. Cook until the strawberries reduce in volume to 6 tablespoons. You can remove the strawberry puree to a ½ measuring cup. If the cup is more than ¾ full, put the reduction back into the saucepan and continue cooking. This will take about 15-20 minutes. Let cool completely before continuing. You can also do this ahead of time, up to 2 days. Store in the fridge in an airtight container. 1 ½ cups (200 g) diced strawberries
  • Add the butter to a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy. 1 ¼ cups (283 g, 20 Tablespoons) unsalted butter
  • Add the powdered sugar, a ½ cup at a time and beat to combine. 2 ½ cups (283 g) confectioners sugar
  • Add heavy cream, vanilla extract, pinch salt, and 5 tablespoons of the strawberry reduction. Mix for 3-4 more minutes to make it light and fluffy. If it’s too thick add the remaining reduction. 2 tablespoons heavy cream 2 teaspoons vanilla extract Pinch salt
  • Add the frosting to a piping bag and pipe swirls on top of each cooled cupcake. Top with half a strawberry for garnish, if desired. More strawberries

Notes

  • Storage: Frosted cupcakes should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2–3 days. Because of the fresh fruit in the frosting, they won’t hold up well at room temperature for long.
  • Freezing: Unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before frosting. The frosting, however, does not freeze well—the fresh strawberries don’t thaw nicely.
  • Make ahead: Yes you can bake the cupcakes up to 2 days before. Store covered at room temperature. You can also make the frosting up to 4 days in advance. Store in the fridge and re-whip before using. You can frost the cupcakes and store in the fridge overnight, and let sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes to 1 hour before serving to let the frosting soften.
  • Cake flour - Cake flour has a lower protein content than all purpose flour so it results in a tender cupcake. If you don't have any cake flour than you can make a homemade cake flour.
  • If you can weigh your flour, I always recommend it. If you don’t, make sure to fluff the flour and use a spoon and level approach to measuring.
  • Measure the strawberries after cutting, not before.
  • If you wait for the cupcakes to bake until a toothpick comes out totally clean, you have overcooked the cupcakes. You want a few moist crumbs clinging to the toothpick but no wet batter.
  • If you are frosting the cupcakes with a knife instead of piping, you can get away with halving the frosting part of the recipe.
  • Make the strawberry puree for the frosting while the cupcakes bake so they can cool at the same time.

Nutrition

Calories: 471kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 75mg | Potassium: 147mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 40g | Vitamin A: 922IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 0.5mg