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These sweet and fluffy homemade Strawberry Cupcakes with Buttercream Strawberry Frosting are made from scratch with a homemade strawberry puree in both the cupcakes and frosting!
These light, and fluffy cupcakes with a creamy strawberry frosting are both made with real fresh strawberries without a strawberry cake mix or a box of strawberry gelatin. They are perfect to impress that special someone on Valentine’s Day or Mom on Mother’s Day!
I love strawberry desserts as you can tell by my numerous Strawberry Recipes like Strawberry Crumb Bars, Strawberry Cheesecake Salad, and Strawberry Upside Down Cake, just to name a few. You get the idea.
I have been testing strawberry cake and cupcake recipes for years because of the strawberry cake that my Brother-in-Law’s mother brought to an Easter holiday dinner one year many years ago.
I asked her for the recipe but she didn’t have it. Her next door neighbor, who was a caterer made it and because this was her business, she did not share the recipe.
Therefore, I tweaked and experimented with various strawberry cake and cupcake recipes over the years trying to achieve the awesome strawberry flavor that was in that recipe. However, over time my priorities changed and I ended up adapting a vegan recipe to get what ended up being my favorite Strawberry Cupcake recipe!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Cupcake Recipe
- Flavor. Both the cupcakes and buttercream frosting are bursting with strawberry flavor due to the strawberry puree that is in both.
- Real Strawberries. It is made using a Strawberry Puree, made with real, fresh strawberries.
- Texture. It has that perfect light and fluffy cupcake texture.
- Homemade. It is made from scratch with a puree made from fresh strawberries.
- Easy. It is really much easier to make than it looks.
- Appearance. If you want to impress Mom on Mother’s Day or that special someone on Valentine’s Day, then these pretty strawberry cupcakes are pretty and beautiful and perfect for someone you love.
How to Make Strawberry Cupcakes
Equipment
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- Food Processor – If you make the strawberry puree from scratch, then this food processor will make the job much easier.
- Saucepan – This saucepan is also used to make the strawberry puree from scratch.
- Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer – These will make the cupcake making process faster and easier.
- Mixing Bowl Set – A mixing bowl set is needed for this recipe and you use them frequently.
- Whisk – A necessity for baking.
- Cupcake Baking Pan – You can’t have cupcakes without a cupcake pan!
- Cupcake Liners – These are some very popular, reusable silicone cupcake liners in multiple colors.
Ingredients
Below, I discuss the ingredients and possible substitutions if you don't have a specific ingredient. However, if you are looking for the specific measurements of each ingredient, scroll down to the bottom of this article, just above the comments, for the printable recipe card, which includes all the ingredients and the specific amounts of each one.
Strawberry Cupcake Ingredients
- Strawberry Puree – You can use a store-bought version of strawberry puree. However, it is easy to make strawberry puree from scratch. It consists of only one (1) ingredient, and that is strawberries. Mommys Home Cooking has a good recipe for How To Make Strawberry Puree. For the best results, use fresh strawberries. However, frozen strawberries could be used as well. You’ll need to set aside 2 tablespoons of the strawberry puree for the frosting.
- Sugar – You can use granulated sugar or raw cane sugar.
- All-Purpose Flour
- Oil – Vegetable oil or canola oil.
- Milk – I use whole milk.
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Strawberry Extract or Vanilla Extract (Optional) – I like to use strawberry extract to add that extra strawberry flavor. However, this is optional.
Strawberry Frosting Ingredients
- Powdered sugar
- Butter
- Strawberry Puree – 2 tablespoons only.
- Strawberry Extract (Optional)
Directions
- Fill a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
- Strawberry Puree. If making strawberry puree from scratch, then I recommend following the detailed steps in this Strawberry Puree recipe from Mommys Home Cooking.
- Add or sift the dry ingredients to a bowl.
- Whisk the dry ingredients together.
- Add the oil, vinegar, and strawberry puree, and mix well.
- The batter will be thick but you can add 1 tablespoon of milk at time to get everything to blend evenly. The end result should still be a thick batter that is mixed well but not overly smooth.
- Fill in each liner about ¾ of the way full.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes in a 350 degree F preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cupcake comes out clean.
- Let the cupcakes cool on a baking rack.
- While the cupcakes are cooling, make the strawberry frosting by combining butter, powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of strawberry puree, and if desired, you can add the optional strawberry extract.
- For the frosting, using an electric mixer or hand mixer, and place the butter, sugar, and strawberry puree in a bowl.
- Mix well on a slow speed building up to a medium high speed until the frosting is pink and has a smooth and creamy consistency.
- Once the cupcakes are cooled, using a piping bag and tip or cut the corner out of a larger zip lock bag. Pipe frosting onto each cupcake.
- Garnish with some fresh strawberries and serve!
Recipe Tips
- Make The Strawberry Puree Ahead of Time. Make it easy on yourself and make the strawberry puree a day before. Refrigerate it overnight before using it in the cake batter. If you make it right before, it will require time to cool off before using it in this recipe.
- Thin Out Batter. If the cupcake batter is a little too thick, then add in a tablespoon of milk and stir. Repeat until you have the desired consistency.
- Piping The Frosting. Don’t have a piping bag? No problem. Cut the corner out of a large plastic zip lock bag. Spoon the frosting inside the bag and squeeze the top until the frosting comes out of the corner that you cut and then pipe the frosting onto each cupcake.
What To Serve With This Recipe
- Serve with fresh strawberries on the side, or slice some to put on top of the cupcakes.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Yes. It is possible to make this recipe ahead of time. I recommend not frosting the cupcakes until shortly before you plan to serve them.
Store the leftover cupcakes in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Yes, you can use vegan butter, or oil, or avocado. Same for the frosting.
Yes, you can use gluten free flour 1:1.
No, you can leave it out. The strawberry puree will make the cupcakes with that strawberry flavor but the extract would enhance that flavor.
More Recipes You’ll Love
- Strawberry Shortcake
- Chocolate Strawberry French Toast Casserole
- Strawberry Mini Pavlova
- Strawberry Mini Pretzel Dessert
Recipe
Ingredients
Strawberry Cupcakes
- 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup strawberry puree (See Note below. Set aside 2 tablespoons)
- 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil (or avocado oil or other neutral oil)
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon strawberry extract or vanilla extract (optional)
Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
- 2.5 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup butter
- 2 tablespoons strawberry puree
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a cupcake pan by lining it with cupcake tins or spraying it with baking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl add flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda, and whisk or mix thoroughly.
- Add the oil, vinegar, strawberry puree, milk, strawberry extract (if desired) and mix well. (NOTE: The batter will be thick but you can add 1 tablespoon of milk at time to get everything to blend evenly. The end result should still be a thick batter that is mixed well but not overly smooth.)
- Fill in each liner about ¾ of the way full.
- Bake for 20 minutes and check with a toothpick or knife to come out clean.
- Remove the cupcakes and allow to cool on a cooling rack.
Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
- For the frosting using an electric mixer or hand mixer place the butter, sugar, and strawberry puree in the bowl of a mixer. Mix well on a slow speed building up to a medium high speed until the frosting has a smooth and creamy consistency.
- Using a piping bag and tip or cut the corner out of a larger zip lock bag. Pipe frosting onto each cupcake.
Jacquelene says
Baking soda or baking powder? Because I used what the actual recipe said-powder and my cupcakes are gross. I went back through the blog post to see what I possibly did wrong and it says baking soda.
Michele says
Hi Jacquelene,
Baking powder is correct. It is a standard ingredient in cake and cupcake recipes. It helps the cake rise. Some things that can cause problems are if the baking powder is past the expiration date. In that case the cupcakes won’t rise and won’t have the correct texture. Before baking, it is always a good idea to check the expiration dates on your baking ingredients, such as baking powder and baking soda.
Thanks,
Michele