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Strawberry Cupcakes Recipe with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
55 mins
 

My Strawberry Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting are ultra-moist, packed with real strawberry purée, and topped with rich, tangy frosting.

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 cupcakes
Author: Gemma Stafford
Ingredients
Strawberry Cupcakes
  • 1 cup plus 6 tablespoons (7 oz/200 g) cake flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup (4 oz/115 g) strawberry puree*
  • ¼ cup (2 oz/57 g) sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons (1 oz/28 g) butter , at room temperature
  • 1 cup (8 oz/225 g) granulated sugar
  • ⅓ cup (2½ fl oz/71 ml) vegetable oil
  • 1 large egg + 2 large egg yolks room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1-2 drops red gel food coloring
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
  • ½ cup (4 oz/115 g) butter , softened
  • 2 cups (16 oz/454 g) cream cheese , softened
  • 5 cups (1 lb 4 oz/575 g) powdered sugar , sifted
  • ½ cup (4 oz/115 g) strawberry puree*
  • 1 teaspoon strawberry extract, optional
  • 1 drop red gel food coloring
Instructions
To Make the Strawberry Cupcakes

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a 12-cup muffin tin.

  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside.

  3. In a measuring jug, add the strawberry puree and sour cream and whisk until combined. Set aside.

  4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or using an electric hand mixer) mix the butter, sugar and oil on medium speed for 1 minute.

  5. Add egg and yolks one at a time and mix for another minute. Then add the vanilla and food coloring and mix until incorporated.

  6. With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the puree mixture. Mix until combined.

  7. Divide batter evenly among the 12 cupcake liners.

To Bake the Strawberry Cupcakes

  1. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a tooth inserted into the center comes out clean.

  2. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan. Cool completely before frosting.

To Make the Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

  1. In a small sauce pan over low heat, add the strawberry puree and let it simmer, stirring constantly, for 3-5 minutes or until reduced in half. Let it cool completely before proceeding.

  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer) cream the butter, cream cheese and powdered sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

  3. Add in the cooled strawberry puree and strawberry extract (optional) and mix until incorporated. (If a deeper pink color is desired, add in a drop of food coloring).

To Frost the Strawberry Cupcakes

  1. Pipe or spread the frosting onto the cupcakes and decorate with sprinkles.

  2. Enjoy with a cup of tea! Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Recipe Notes
  • Cook carefully. When cooking the strawberries, be sure to stir frequently and keep the heat low so the berries don’t burn.
  • Have your cupcake ingredients at room temperature. This will make the smoothest batter and produce the best rise!
  • Make your own Homemade Cake Flour.  It’s easy with my 2-ingredient recipe.
  • DIY! You can easily make Sour Cream and Cream Cheese for a true homemade experience.
  • Soften correctly. The butter and cream cheese need to be softened to make the best frosting, but still be cool to the touch.
  • Intensify the frosting flavor. You can pulse a cup or two of freeze-dried strawberries and mix into the frosting to add even more strawberry goodness.