These fluffy Strawberry Cupcakes are filled with homemade strawberry puree and topped with sumptuous strawberry buttercream frosting - the perfect summer treat!
Nothing says summertime like fresh strawberries! There are a lot of strawberry cake recipes out there using box cake mix or artificial flavorings - but you know I love to use the real deal in my recipes where I can - so these fresh strawberry cupcakes are flavored entirely using real strawberries.
We start by making an easy strawberry puree which will be used to flavor the sponge and the buttercream, and we'll also use it to fill the cupcakes too - so every bite is bursting with fresh strawberry flavor!
I love using fresh fruit purees to flavor my bakes, I use this same method in my Strawberry Brownies, as well as my Strawberry Angel Food Cake. Or if strawberry isn't your jam (see what I did there?), you can try my delicious Raspberry Cupcakes instead, which use the same method.
These strawberry cupcakes are great for strawberry lovers, for Valentine's Day, or just as the perfect treat for summer.
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Why You'll Love This Strawberry Cupcake Recipe
- All the flavor comes from REAL strawberries - nothing artificial.
- There is a delicious strawberry flavor in every element - the sponge, the frosting, and the delicious filling.
- The wonderful fruity surprise center of homemade strawberry filling.
Ingredients for Strawberry Cupcakes
As always, this recipe uses fresh and simple ingredients.
- Strawberries - I like to use fresh berries during strawberry season, and frozen the rest of the year for ultimate freshness and that real strawberry flavor.
- Sugar - Use extra fine white sugar (caster sugar in the UK).
- Butter - Use unsalted butter and make sure it is at room temperature before beginning to bake.
- Eggs - Use large and always free range if you can.
- Flour - I like to use cake flour in these cupcakes to make them extra fluffy and soft, but you can also use all-purpose flour.
- Milk - It's best to use whole milk in baking, but other kinds of milk will still do the job.
- Oil - I usually use vegetable oil in my baking. You can also use sunflower oil or any kind of flavorless oil.
- Vanilla - You can use vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.
- Condensed Milk - If you want to make the strawberry Russian buttercream, you'll need some sweetened condensed milk. Make sure it's condensed milk and not evaporated milk - the cans look similar!
See recipe card for quantities and the full recipe.
Measuring Ingredients
For best results, I always recommend weighing your ingredients with a scale rather than using cup measures. It's very difficult to get accurate measurements with cups, a scale is much more accurate and will give more consistent results.
Recommended Equipment
- High-sided Saucepan - It's best to use a saucepan with high sides for making the strawberry puree, as it can spit a little as it boils and make a bit mess.
- Stand Mixer - You can use a handheld electric mixer, but a stand mixer makes things a bit easier.
- Cupcake Corer - You can core out the center of your cupcakes with a knife or spoon, but is way easier and faster with a cupcake corer!
- Food Processor - In order to make the strawberry puree nice and smooth, you'll need a food processor or a blender.
How To Make Strawberry Cupcakes
There are three elements to this fresh strawberry cupcake recipe - the strawberry puree, the strawberry cupcakes, and the strawberry frosting. The puree will be used to flavor the cake and frosting, and it will also act as the strawberry filling.
Make the Strawberry Puree
The main ingredient in every element of these homemade strawberry cupcakes is the strawberry puree. It only has two ingredients and is incredibly simple to make. I use this Strawberry Puree recipe all the time in my bakes, so I have an entire post dedicated to it if you'd like more information on making it.
Heat Strawberries
Place the strawberries and sugar in a high-sided saucepan over medium-high heat.
If you are using fresh strawberries instead of frozen, add a small splash of water to make up for the missing moisture.
Break Down Strawberries
Keep stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves and the strawberries start to break down.
Boil
Bring to a boil, and keep boiling until the mixture has thickened and looks slightly gelatinous. This could take anywhere from 10-20 minutes.
Once the mixture has thickened, remove from the heat and leave to stand for 10 minutes.
Blitz
Put the strawberry reduction into a food processor or blender and blitz for a few seconds until smooth.
Strain and Cool
You can leave your puree slightly lumpy. If you'd prefer a perfectly smooth and uniform strawberry coulis, pass the pureed strawberries through a fine mesh sieve into a medium bowl to remove any pieces of fiber or seeds.
Cover with plastic wrap and let the strawberry puree cool completely before using it in your cake batter.
Make the Strawberry Cupcakes
The base of this Strawberry Cupcakes recipe is actually the same one I used for my go-to Vanilla Cupcakes. We will add the fresh strawberry puree to this for extra flavor.
Wet Ingredients
Preheat your oven to 335°F / 170°C and line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.
In a large bowl, lightly mix together the eggs, milk, and vanilla. Set aside.
Mix Dry Ingredients
In the separate bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt, and mix on a low speed using the paddle attachment.
Incorporate Butter
Gradually add the butter to the dry ingredients in small chunks, letting the butter incorporate for a few seconds in between additions.
The mixture should eventually look like chunky breadcrumbs.
Add the Puree
Add the oil and strawberry puree, then turn the mixer up to medium speed and beat for exactly two minutes.
Make Batter
Scrape down the sides, then turn the mixer back on low and slowly drizzle in the egg mixture. Mix on low - just until combined and no more.
The batter will be a pretty pink color, but this will fade as the cupcakes bake. If you want pink strawberry cupcakes, you can add a few drops of gel food coloring now.
Bake
Divide the batter into the cupcake liners. I like to use an ice cream scoop to do this evenly. Bake for 18 minutes or until the cupcakes are slightly springy to the touch.
Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack immediately to cool.
Strawberry Filling for Cupcakes
Once the cupcakes and the strawberry coulis have completely cooled, you can fill your cupcakes!
Cut Out
The easiest way to core out the center of a cupcake is with a cupcake corer, but if you don't have one, you can also use a knife or a teaspoon. Core out the center of each of your unfrosted cupcakes to leave a nice little hole.
Fill
Spoon 1 teaspoon of strawberry coulis into each cupcake.
Replace Top
Replace the little tops of the cupcakes if you want, or just eat them - it won't make a difference to the end result.
How To Make Strawberry Frosting for Cupcakes
You can incorporate the fresh strawberry puree into the buttercream recipe of your choice. I chose Russian buttercream for mine because it is super quick and easy with professional results. It also takes on flavor very well.
Make Buttercream
Make your favorite buttercream according to the recipe. I used my easy Russian Buttercream, but these cupcakes would also go well with French Buttercream or Italian Meringue Buttercream.
Add the strawberry puree to your prepared buttercream (you can alter the amount depending on how intense you want the flavor to be), and whip for a further minute to incorporate.
Decorate
Pipe or spread your beautiful strawberry buttercream on top of the cupcakes and enjoy!
Pop a fresh strawberry on top to garnish.
Strawberry Cupcake Recipe Variations
- Other fruits - This recipe works great with other kinds of fruit too! Check out my Mango Cupcakes or my Raspberry Cupcakes
- Easier Option - If you don't want to make your own strawberry puree, you could use a seedless strawberry jam; however, this is likely to be much sweeter and have less strawberry flavor.
Storage
Store your strawberry cupcakes at room temperature in a cardboard cake box or an airtight container (line with paper towels to absorb any excess moisture). Your tender strawberry cupcakes will stay fresh for 2-3 days.
Strawberry Desserts
Looking for more inspiration for using all those delicious strawberries?
Recipe
Strawberry Cupcakes Recipe
Ingredients
- 32 oz Strawberries 900g (fresh or frozen)
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar 200g
- ¾ cup Whole Milk 177g / 180ml
- ¼ cup Vegetable Oil 72g / 80ml
- 3 large Eggs
- 2 ¾ cups Cake Flour 312g
- 1 ¾ cups Granulated Sugar 350g
- 1 ½ tablespoon Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 sticks Unsalted Butter 227g (room temperature)
- ¾ cup Strawberry Puree as made above
- 4 sticks Unsalted Butter 454g (room temperature)
- 2 cans Condensed Milk 792g (2 x 14 oz cans)
- ¾ cup Strawberry Puree to taste
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- Place the strawberries and sugar in a high-sided saucepan over medium-high heat. If your strawberries are fresh rather than frozen, add a splash of water to the pan too.32 oz (900 g) Strawberries, 1 cup (200 g) Granulated Sugar
- Stir occasionally while the strawberries break down and the sugar dissolves. You can use a potato masher to help the strawberries along if you like.
- Let the strawberry mixture boil until it thickens and looks slightly gelatinous.
- Remove from the heat and let cool for 10 minutes, then transfer to a blender or food processor and blitz until smooth.
- If you want super smooth strawberry coulis with no bits of fibre, pass the puree through a fine mesh sieve. If you'd like some small chunks of strawberry, then you can leave it as is.
- Cover in plastic wrap and let cool completely before using.
- I have a full recipe post about how to make strawberry puree if you'd like more details.
- Preheat oven to 335°F / 170°C and line muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- Mix the milk with the eggs and vanilla. Whisk together lightly and set aside.¾ cup (180 ml) Whole Milk, 3 large (3) Eggs, 1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
- Place the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into the bowl of your mixer and turn on low with your paddle attachment.2 ¾ cups (312 g) Cake Flour, 1 ½ tablespoon (1 ½ tbsp) Baking Powder, ½ teaspoon (½ tsp) Salt, 1 ¾ cups (350 g) Granulated Sugar
- Slowly add the butter, one small chunk at a time. Once it's all in, it should look kind of like chunky breadcrumbs.2 sticks (227 g) Unsalted Butter
- Add the oil and strawberry puree and slowly turn your mixer up to a medium speed. Beat for exactly two minutes.¼ cup (80 ml) Vegetable Oil, ¾ cup (175 g) Strawberry Puree
- Scrape the sides of your bowl to make sure there are no lumps, then turn the mixer back on low.
- Add the milk/egg mixture slowly and mix on low until just combined.
- Divide the batter into your cupcake liners and bake for 18 minutes or until slightly springy to the touch.
- Let sit for five minutes in the muffin pan and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- 4 sticks (454 g) Unsalted Butter
- Turn the mixer down to medium speed and slowly drizzle in the condensed milk as it mixes.2 cans Condensed Milk
- Once all the condensed milk is added, turn the mixer up to high speed for 1 minute. The frosting should be thick and glossy.¾ cup (180 ml) Whole Milk
- Add vanilla and strawberry puree and whip for another minute.¾ cup (175 g) Strawberry Puree, 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- For more in depth info about this frosting - read my Russian Buttercream recipe post.
- Once cupcakes have completely cooled, use a cupcake corer or spoon to core out the middle of the cupcakes.
- Fill each cupcake with 1 teaspoon of strawberry coulis. You can either put the 'tops' back in the middle or just eat them - it doesn't make a difference.
- Frost the cupcakes with the strawberry buttercream - you can pipe the frosting on or spread it on with a palette knife.
Teri
Can the unfrosted cupcakes freeze well?
Jules Grasekamp
Hi Teri,
Yes you can freeze the unfrosted cupcakes for up to 3 months - just make sure they are airtight to stop them from drying out. Then let them come back to room temperature before frosting.
Jules
Lynda
What do we do with the milk? You dont say.
Jules Grasekamp
Hi Lynda,
The milk is mixed in with the eggs and vanilla in step 2 of the 'making the cupcakes' section.
Hope this helps!
Jules
lynda
I must have read this recipe 5x and never saw the milk! Thanks for pointing it out.
Jules Grasekamp
No worries at all! Hope you enjoy the cupcakes 🙂
Jules
Mike
Thank you so much for your recipes, they're delicious! I was wondering if you weigh or measure your ingredients. There are small discrepancies in the measurements vs weights for the ingredients. For example cake flour in the States generally weights 4 oz (113 g) per cup or 283 grams but you list 312 g. I'm assuming you weigh the ingredients and so use the weights you list which I usually do when I bake. Thanks again!
Mike
Ok, now that I read the WHOLE post, I see that you do weigh the ingredients! I'll continue to use the weights rather than volumes.
Jules Grasekamp
Hi Mike,
You're absolutely right, thank you for noticing this! Yes I weigh the ingredients so 312g is correct - which should actually be 2 3/4 cups of cake flour, not 2 1/2. I have now updated this in the recipe. Thank you!!
Jules
Tawnya
Hi, could you make these sugar free?
Jules
Hi Tawnya, You could in theory replace the sugar with some kind of sugar substitute like stevia, but i haven't tested the recipe this way so I can't say with confidence how it would taste. If you try it, do let me know how it turns out 🙂
Kay
such beauty
such grace
I would put these in my face
Lewis Dickson
Can't wait to try making these!