Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes {From Scratch}
Quick, easy fresh strawberry cupcakes recipe, homemade from scratch with simple ingredients. Pink, soft, moist, topped with strawberry buttercream frosting.
These cupcakes are so delicious and have the perfect light and airy texture. Their pretty pink color makes them the perfect dessert for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Summer weddings and anniversaries. Also, there is no cake mix boxes and no jelly in this recipe! They are just as delicious as these Mini No Bake Strawberry Cheesecakes and these Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes (Valentine’s Day Cupcakes).
Table of contents
How to Make Easy Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes Recipe From Scratch With Real Strawberries?
- Cream butter and sugar– Until light and fluffy.
- Mix in wet ingredients– Including eggs, strawberry puree, buttermilk, vanilla, strawberry extract, pink gel coloring.
- Whisk dry ingredients– Including flour, baking powder, baking soda separately.
- Combine mixtures– Dumping dry into wet.
- Pour batter– In cupcake liners and bake.
- Cool completely– Top off with swirls of strawberry frosting. Enjoy!
Key Ingredients
- Flour– I recommend cake flour for this recipe.
- Buttermilk– It really adds a lot of moisture.
- Eggs– I used 1 whole egg and 2 egg whites for best results.
- Leavening agents– Both baking powder and baking soda are needed.
- Strawberries– Whole and pureed are needed.
Variations
Strawberry shortcake or strawberries and cream style- They are best paired with whipped cream and lots of chopped fresh strawberries, similar to these Strawberry Shortcake (With Bisquick Mix).
Lemonade version- The best way to enjoy this flavor combination is by adding lemon extract or lemon zest in the batter and pairing them with lemon frosting.
Filled cupcakes- I didn’t fill them with anything, but they can be filled with fresh strawberries or jam or pie filling or even creamy frosting of your choice. Check out this post on How to Make Filled Cupcakes (Stuffed Cupcakes).
Add champagne– Use this Champagne Cupcakes recipe to help. You can add champagne to the batter or champagne extract, or both!
Add a chocolate covered strawberry– On top of the cupcake instead of a plain strawberry.
Try another frosting– Such as American buttercream, Cream Cheese Frosting, or White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting.
Add sprinkles– For an even more festive version. I picture heart sprinkles for Valentine’s Day, sanding sugar for a pretty sparkle for Mother’s Day or showers. White pearls for anniversaries. The possibilities are endless.
Add a drizzle– Such as this Easy Chocolate Ganache {2 Ingredients}, Hot Fudge Sauce {Chocolate Fudge Sauce}, or How To Make Homemade Caramel Sauce.
Tips and Techniques For Pink Strawberry Cupcakes
Can you bake strawberries in cupcakes? I don’t recommend it because the strawberries will release juices during baking and that will make the cupcakes very soggy. However, once they are fully baked and cooled down, hollow out the center and fill the center with chopped fresh strawberries or small whole strawberry. Top it off with frosting to seal the whole in the center.
How do you make strawberry frosting for cupcakes? First, cream together the butter and shortening. Then, mix in the strawberry puree and vanilla extract. Finally, add powdered sugar and mix until fluffy.
Use unsalted butter– Because this prevents the cupcakes from becoming too salty.
Strawberry extract is optional– However, it does enhance the flavor. You can buy it from Amazon.
Use gel food coloring– Because liquid food coloring is not as vibrant. It’s also thinner and can alter the consistency of the batter.
Use cake flour for the best texture– If you don’t have it, you can also easily make it at home. Recipe is in the link below.
Don’t replace the egg whites with whole eggs– Because that will make the batter very thin and alter the texture as well.
Don’t over-mix the cupcake batter– Because that yields tough cupcakes.
Don’t use whole milk– Because the buttermilk adds a lot of moisture.
Homemade buttermilk substitute- if you don’t have buttermilk, mix together 1 tsp lemon juice or white vinegar with 1/4 cup. Whisk and let it sit for 5 minutes and then, use in recipe.
Homemade strawberry puree- Puree fresh or frozen strawberries in a food processor. You can run it though a fine meshed sieve to remove seeds, if you like but I don’t do it.
Why are my cupcakes flat? This is often because there isn’t enough leavening agents, or expired ones are used. The fresher the better, and this recipe calls for both baking powder and soda.
Why did my cupcakes stick to liners? If you try to remove the liners before they have cooled completely, then the liners will stick.
Cool cupcakes completely before frosting– Because this prevents the frosting from melting and slipping right off the cupcakes.
Storage of Homemade Cupcakes
Refrigerate– In a sealed container for up to 3 days.
Freeze– I don’t recommend freezing these with the strawberry on top because it will become soggy and wet when thawed. However, you can freeze the cupcakes alone for up to 1 month, and then thaw to room temperature to enjoy.
More Strawberry Desserts
- Fresh Strawberry Cookies
- Easy Homemade Strawberry Jam
- Strawberry Coconut Bars
- Easy Strawberry Strudels
- Kit Kat Cake with Strawberries
- Strawberry Pie Filling
Easy Strawberry Cupcakes From Scratch
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Butter, Unsalted, Room temperature
- 3/4 cup Granulated sugar
- 1 Egg, Large
- 2 Egg whites, Large
- 1/2 cups Strawberry puree
- 1/4 cup Buttermilk
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp Strawberry extract, Optional
- Pink gel food coloring
- 1 2/3 cups Cake flour
- 3/4 tsp Baking powder
- 1/4 tsp Baking soda
- 4 cups Strawberry buttercream frosting
- 12 Strawberries, Washed and patted dry
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Mix in eggs until smooth.
- Add strawberry puree, buttermilk, vanilla extract, strawberry extract, pink gel coloring and mix until smooth.
- In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking powder and baking soda.
- Dump this dry mixture into the wet mixture and mix until just combined. Do not over-mix!
- Pour batter into cupcake liners.
- Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until an inserted toothpick in the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool down completely. Then, frost them in icing and decorate with a strawberry! Enjoy!
Notes
- Read all my tips above.
- Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Until next time, tata my lovelies!
These are gorgeous…perfect for Valentine’s Day!
This is the prettiest cupcake ever! Love your photos!
Please respond today.
We are only 2 people. Need to 1/2 the recipe. We only need a SMALL batch of these strawberry CUPCAKES. How do we do half of this cupcake recipe please.
You just have to halve ALL the ingredients.