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 my Mini No Bake Strawberry Cheesecakes and these Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes (Valentine's Day Cupcakes).

Jump to:

• Key ingredients
• How to make easy fresh strawberry cupcakes recipe from scratch with real strawberries?
• Variations
• Tips and techniques
• Storage  
• Recipe FAQs
• More Strawberry Desserts
• Recipe

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.

How to make easy fresh strawberry cupcakes recipe from scratch with real strawberries?

1. Cream butter and sugar- Until light and fluffy.
2. Mix in wet ingredients- Including eggs, strawberry puree, buttermilk, vanilla, strawberry extract, pink gel coloring.
3. Whisk dry ingredients- Including flour, baking powder, baking soda separately.
4. Combine mixtures- Dumping dry into wet.
5. Pour batter- In cupcake liners and bake.
6. Cool completely- Top off with swirls of strawberry frosting. Enjoy!

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. However, they can be filled with fresh strawberries or jam or pie filling or even creamy frosting of your choice once they are baked. Check out this post on How to Make Filled Cupcakes (Stuffed Cupcakes).
• Add champagne- Use this Champagne Cupcakes recipe to help. You can add some champagne to the batter or champagne extract, or both.
• Add chocolate covered strawberries- Instead of a plain fresh one like I did.
• 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}.

Tips and techniques

• 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 teaspoon lemon juice or white vinegar with ¼ 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.
• Cool cupcakes completely before frosting- Because this prevents the frosting from melting and slipping right off the cupcakes.

Storage  

• Refrigerate- In a sealed container for up to 3 days.
• Freeze- I don't recommend freezing these with the fresh strawberry and frosting on top because they will become soggy and wet when thawed. However, you can freeze the cupcakes and frosting separately in sealed containers for up to 1 month. Thaw and assemble as per instructions below when you are ready.
• Room temperature- These can stay out no longer than 3-5 hours.
• Make ahead- These can be made 1-2 days in advance.

Recipe FAQs

More Strawberry Desserts

• Fresh Strawberry Cookies
• Easy Homemade Strawberry Jam
• Strawberry Coconut Bars
• Easy Strawberry Strudels
• Kit Kat Cake with Strawberries
• Strawberry Pie Filling

Recipe