I can’t tell you how many strawberry cupcakes I’ve had that lack real strawberry flavor and taste like it came from a mix. I worked so hard on developing this recipe because I wanted y’all to be able to make scratch cupcakes that just scream STRAWBERRY. I add strawberry puree right into a batter so you get it in every bite. I don’t add any food coloring because I like how natural the color looks. Then I top them with a homemade strawberry buttercream that’s super fruity and tastes almost like strawberry ice cream. I love how tender and delish these turn out, and if you feel a little intimidated, I have a video to walk you through it. If you love my strawberry pound cake, you will love this.
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Video Tutorial
How to Make Strawberry Cupcakes
For the Cupcakes
Step 1: In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the granulated sugar and butter and beat together on medium-high speed for about 6 minutes, until very pale yellow and fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time to your stand mixer, combining well after each addition and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
Step 2: Reduce your mixer speed to low and mix in the strawberry puree.
Step 3: Don’t worry if it looks a little curdled. It will definitely fix itself.
Step 4: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add 1/2 of the flour mixture to your stand mixer. Mix on the lowest speed until combined.
Step 5: In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream and oil. Add to your stand mixer bowl.
Step 6: Add the remaining flour mixture to your stand mixer bowl and mix on low speed until well incorporated. Be careful not to overbeat. Add the vanilla and strawberry extracts and food coloring, if using. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix the batter until just combined. Be careful not to overmix. Your finished batter should look like this.
Step 7: Using an ice cream scoop (with trigger release) or a spoon, scoop the batter into the cupcake liners until each is 3/4 full. Be careful not to overfill.
Step 8: Bake for 17 to 21 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out mostly clean but still moist. Let the cupcakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Let cool to room temperature. Lightly cover the cupcakes with foil or plastic wrap so they do not dry out.
For the Buttercream
Step 9: Clean your stand mixer bowl and whisk attachment. Add the confectioners’ sugar and butter and mix on low speed, increasing the speed to medium-high once the sugar is fully incorporated. Continue to mix until light and fluffy.
Step 10: Add the strawberry puree, strawberry extract, and salt and beat until the mixture is cotton-candy pink and the puree is fully incorporated.
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Step 11: Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, pipe them with the buttercream (Here, I used a large star tip) and serve.
Strawberry Cupcakes Recipe
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Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 1 1/2 sticks
- 2 cups fresh whole strawberries pureed
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup sour cream room temperature
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon strawberry extract
For the Buttercream:
- 3.5 cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 2 sticks
- 1/4 cup pureed fresh strawberries
- 1/2 teaspoon strawberry extract
- Pinch salt
Instructions
For the Cupcakes:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two 12-well muffin pans with 20 to 24 cupcake liners.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the granulated sugar and butter and beat together on medium-high speed for about 6 minutes, until very pale yellow and fluffy.
- Add the eggs 1 at a time to your stand mixer, combining well after each addition and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Reduce your mixer speed to low and mix in the strawberry puree.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add 1/2 of the flour mixture to your stand mixer. Mix on the lowest speed until combined.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream and oil. Add to your stand mixer bowl.
- Add the remaining flour mixture to your stand mixer bowl and mix on low speed until well incorporated. Be careful not to overbeat.
- Add the vanilla and strawberry extracts and red food coloring if you want to amp up the flavor but I leave it out. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix the batter until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
- Using an ice cream scoop (with trigger release) or a spoon, scoop the batter into the cupcake liners until each is 3/4 full. Be careful not to overfill.
- Bake for 17 to 21 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out mostly clean but still moist.
- Let the cupcakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Let cool to room temperature. Lightly cover the cupcakes with foil or plastic wrap so they do not dry out.
For the Buttercream:
- Clean your stand mixer bowl and whisk attachment. Add the confectioners’ sugar and butter and mix on low speed, increasing the speed to medium-high once the sugar is fully incorporated. Continue to mix until light and fluffy.
- Add the strawberry puree, strawberry extract, and salt and beat until the mixture is cotton-candy pink and the puree is fully incorporated.
- Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, pipe them with the buttercream (Here, I used a large star tip) and serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- Quality Strawberries: Use the best strawberries you can find! Go for the brightest red, plump berries for the best result. If your strawberries are slightly under ripe, you’ll want to hull them, to make sure those flavorless white parts don’t find their way into the cake or frosting.
- Go Room Temp: This means butter, eggs and sour cream for your batter so it ends up smooth and well blended.
- Bake in the Middle: Bake the cupcakes in the middle of the oven. If splitting the pans between two racks, rotate them halfway through baking so its nice and evenly baked in the end.
- Don’t Overmix: Once you add in your dry ingredients, just fold everything together but don’t overdo it so it becomes dense.
Recipe Help
If you feel like this just might be too hard, you can swap in my easy strawberry cake recipe and turn into cupcakes. I start with a white cake mix but I really add a ton of strawberry flavor with freeze dried strawberries AND puree.
Yes go with red and just a few drops so it doesn’t look too intense.
Yep! Thaw and drain the extra liquid before you puree so the cupcakes don’t get watery.
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Hi! The cupcakes look so delicious!! I have been looking for a strawberry cupcake recipe which does not require frosting but it will still taste delicious. Mostly the recipes which i have found are pretty plain and basic and I’m not sure who will they taste without a cream cheese frosting/buttercream frosting.
The recipe i found on your page looks very interesting!
I shall definitely try this out and share my experience!
I have just a small query- point no 2 under instructions talk about whisking cream with butter and sugar. However cream is not listed under ingredients section. Can you please confirm how much should the quantity be?
Thanks a lot!
Hi Sadaf, I’m so excited you will be trying this recipe! The term cream in the recipe is another way of saying “mix” in baking terms. There isn’t any cream in the actual recipe. I hope that helps.
I made the mistake of trying these the day off my friend’s birthday party, when I haven’t been sleeping well. Totally read the recipe wrong and put the sour cream in with the butter and sugar. They’re so dense. Sadly, I don’t have enough sour cream to do them again and no way to the store. Fibro wins again.
Have you considered adding coconut and pecans? It makes it sooooo Southern. So sad the coconut gets such a bad name!!! This takes the cake to a whole other level of moist and yummy!
That sounds so awesome. Will give it a try soon!
Oh my oh my! Made these with store-bought strawberries for my oldest daughter’s 7th birthday party today.. BIG hit! Will be making these again next weekend with fresh picked strawberries for my youngest daughter’s 2nd birthday party.
Hooray Summer! I’m so so glad you enjoyed these!!! They are my faves!
OMG! I made this on Valentines Day for my family and friends. It was light and fluffy (thanks to the whisk) and not too sweet. I used Raspberry extract instead of strawberry and it was perfect! Thank you Joycelyn. Loved this and will definitely make it again! (Next ‘Cream Cheese Pound Cake’?)
I’m so so happy you enjoyed it!
Just made theses for Valentine’s day. They are AH-MAZING!!! I will be making these again and again and again!
Hooray I am so so so glad you enjoyed them!
Looks fantastic!
As a chocoholic, how would you add chocolate to the recipe?
Gosh I don’t think it would be that great in the cake batter. Maybe you can replace the strawberry buttercream with chocolate. That would be a super fun idea!
Thanks! I think I’ll stick with your recipe for tomorrow, my daughter’s 2nd birthday. I’ll experiment from there. Can’t wait!
I pureed a bunch of strawberries and put the puree in the freezer to have on hand, but I don’t know how many strawberries I pureed and how much puree they made. So, my question is this…do you know…after you take the 2 cups of fresh strawberries and you puree them, how much puree does that give you? I’d like to just measure out the puree since I already have some that I can just thaw from the freezer…any ideas?
Hi Tracie, I actually don’t recall the exact amount that it creates. Ugh gosh I hope you aren’t in a pickle.
Im making these for a baby shower and I’ve got mine in the oven right now, and if they taste as good as the batter does, they’re going to be a hit!!! I can’t wait to see the smile on the new Mommy’s 🙂
Hooray I hope you enjoyed them. Let me know how they turned out for you.
OH! Never mind. Cream it together, not “cream”. Sorry.
Sure no worries! I hope you enjoy the cupcakes!