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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Made over the weekend and my hubby could not get enough, wonderful recipe. Thank you
Fantastic!
Not sure if this has been asked already but I wanted to know if this same recipe could be used to make a 2 layered round cake. I love cupcakes but I love the feeling of slicing down a cake! Thanks so much! I’m looking forward to using this recipe!
Yes it totally can!
Hi, These looks delicious!
Planning on making them tomorrow but they’re actually for day after. Can they be stored for a couple of days after baking? If so, were?
Thanks so much!
Sure they can. I would wrap them super well in plastic wrap and freeze if you don’t want to use them right away.
These are so yummy! My daughter choose these for her birthday cupcakes and she was thrilled with how they turned out! Thanks for such a “scrumptious” recipe.
Hi,
I made 2 batches of your cupcakes..not intentionally. The first I substituted the butter with oil as cupcakes that I’ve made it the past called for oil and were moister. They all sunk in the middle, but DELICIOUS and MOIST. I made batch #2, decreased the amount of butter to 1 stick and added some oil. Some of them had a tiny sink, but were pretty much unnoticeable; especially after icing them. BUT they were very dry and with a tight crumb…totally different from batch #1 in moisture and texture. I read online afterwards that if you subsitute butter with oil, you need to use less oil than the amount of butter that’s called for. Other than this mishap, the taste was awesome.
Hi can these strawberry cupcake be made ahead and frozen then thaw. Will they taste just as fresh?
Yes I would just make sure they are wrapped very very tightly to prevent any air from getting inside of them when you freeze them.
I can’t wait to make this for my daughter’s 3 yr birthday! She loves strawberry everything. Can you tell me which brand of strawberry extract you use? I want them to taste as authentic as possible. Thanks!
Hi Brenda, absolutely! I really love Lorann Oils.
Do they taste artificial? Using strawberry flavoring always makes me nervous.
No they taste super natural! You can always leave that out if you wish. They are still super delicious.
Thank you for the input! I look forward to using this recipe!