Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes

Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes are bursting with flavor and topped with a whipped vanilla buttercream frosting. Made with fresh strawberry puree for the ultimate pop of strawberry flavor and diced strawberries enveloped in a fluffy vanilla cake batter.

These beautiful cupcakes are perfect for a birthday party, baby shower, mother’s day treat, or summer picnic. Strawberry recipes are some of our favorite treats and we know you will love the delicious flavor and adorable aesthetic that these cupcakes bring.

How do you get super moist cupcakes?

Soft, fluffy, moist cupcakes are what everyone wants. Here some tips and tricks for how to bake the best cupcakes and keep them moist and soft long after they are done.

Warm all of the ingredients to room temperature to ensure smooth and creamy batter. Eggs, butter, even the sour cream; be sure to set them out ahead of time to warm up. This will prevent over mixing which results in flat and dense cakes.

Mix the ingredients in stages and on low speed so that everything is mixed until only just combined. Gentle mixing will create air bubbles that will cause the cupcakes to rise and remain fluffy after they are done baking.

Always use high quality fresh ingredients like full fat dairy and top tier vanilla extract. Freshness will also matter when talking the quality of your cupcakes and the texture and flavor intensity.

Be careful not to over bake cupcakes as this will result in a dense, tough texture and will most likely affect the flavor poorly as well. It’s best to keep a close eye on them during the baking process, check them by inserting a toothpick in the center, and when in doubt er on the side of underdone.

How long can fresh strawberry cupcakes keep?

For the best flavor and texture quality, cupcakes are best enjoyed as fresh as possible, but cupcakes can stay fresh for up to one week if they are stored properly. To retain optimal flavor and moisture be sure to keep your cupcakes in an airtight container and place them in a cool, dry area of your kitchen.

If you are making the cupcakes ahead of time for a party, it is recommended that you wait to frost and decorate them until the day of the event. Buttercream is best enjoyed the same day it is made, and the cupcakes will be easier to store when they are unfrosted.

Should you refrigerate cupcakes with fresh fruit?

Our fresh strawberry cupcakes are made with a fresh strawberry puree and bits of diced fresh strawberries. Because they incorporate fresh fruit, and are topped with a dairy based buttercream we do recommend placing them in an airtight container in the fridge for extended periods of time.

Any cupcakes that contain perishable toppings or frostings need to be kept chilled to avoid spoiling.

Can I ice cupcakes a day ahead?

Yes, cupcakes can be decorated and finished a day ahead of your scheduled event, but for optimal freshness it is not recommended unless absolutely necessary. Buttercream is always best when enjoyed as fresh as possible. Buttercream is whipped with cold ingredients that will warm and breakdown over time, losing flavor and structure.

If you need to make these fresh strawberry cupcakes early try and wait to ice them until the day of your event. If that is not possible, store them in an airtight container in the fridge to preserve the buttercream and prevent the cupcakes from drying out.

Is strawberry puree and strawberry jam the same thing?

These fresh strawberry cupcakes use a fresh strawberry puree that flavors the batter with a beautifully strong flavor and adds a slight pink hue to the mini cakes. Many get confused when discussing purees and jams because they are very similar. But, there are differences and we are breaking it down for you.

Strawberry puree

Strawberry puree is not cooked, and does not have a sweetener added to it. We use a blender to mash the strawberries into a soupy puree that is added to the batter to infuse the strawberry flavors. You can also use an immersion blender or small food processor. Fresh purees are typically added into recipes to enhance and intensify the flavor in a healthy way, or used to top foods like scones, waffles and crepes.

Strawberry jams

Strawberry jams are made by cooking down the strawberries in a mixture of water and some sort of sweetener, most often granulated sugar. Jams will keep longer than a puree, but they do have a higher sugar content and take more work to prepare. Jams are used to top biscuits, toast, and other pastries or baked goods.

How do you make an American buttercream?

We use a fresh American buttercream to top our fresh strawberry cupcakes because it is easy to make, tastes divine, and can be decorated and flavored in a multitude of ways. American buttercream is made by creaming together butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and heavy cream. The mixture is whipped on high speed for several minutes until a fluffy whipped frosting is achieved.

You can add additional flavor extracts to American buttercream throughout the mixing process as well as concentrated food dyes to achieve any hue of color. We have made these fresh strawberry cupcakes with a simple white buttercream and finished them with soft pink sprinkles. A delicate finish to these delicious cupcakes.

How do you decorate cupcakes as a beginner?

Although it can be daunting, piping buttercream and decorating your delicious cupcakes can be simple and stress free. We are sharing our best tips, techniques, and ideas for you to use when you decorate your fresh strawberry cupcakes.

• Using a Wilton 2D tip affixed to a decorators bag, begin on the outside edge of each cupcake and swirl inward in a circular motion. We have a full video tutorial linked in the recipe card at the bottom of this post demonstrating this technique.
• Change up the color hue of your buttercream to reflect the theme or color scheme of your event.
• Decorate with sprinkles that enhance the aesthetic you are going for. Sophisticated pearls, sparkling sugar sprinkles, or soft pink sprinkles all finish these fresh strawberry cupcakes beautifully.
• Garnish with slices of fresh strawberry.
• Fill each cupcake with frosting, freshly washed whole strawberries, or a bit of fresh strawberry puree.
• Use decorative liners to enhance the look of each cupcake.
• Top with white chocolate covered strawberries.
• Decorate with white chocolate shavings.
• Serve alongside fresh strawberry lemonade and light options like wafer cookies.

Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes Recipe

Fresh strawberry cupcakes from scratch infused with a fresh puree, bits of strawberries and topped with a fluffy vanilla buttercream.

This delicious recipe for strawberry cupcakes are made with chopped strawberries folded in. What a tasty burst of flavor in the vanilla cake.

Frosting and decorating fresh strawberry cupcakes

• This is an easy buttercream to make. You will want to mix your buttercream until it is light and fluffy which will take several minutes.
• Put the frosting into a piping bag and pipe immediately onto cupcakes with a Wilton 2D Tip. The video in the recipe card demonstrate the basic technique for you

These fresh strawberry cupcakes makes a lovely presentation when the frosting is piped on and topped with a gorgeous strawberry slice, but play around with the decorations and use them to enhance and elevate your event.

We recommend you use good quality tools and baking supplies to help you achieve the very best cupcakes with minimal stress and frustration. Muffin tins that are high quality will conduct heat evenly, and protect the bottoms of your cupcakes from burning.

Ice cream or cookie scoops can be used to dispense uniform and even amounts of batter into each liner which will prevent over done or under baked cupcakes.

Strawberry Cupcakes From Scratch Printable Recipe Card

Check out more of our favorite strawberry recipes by clicking any of the pictures below

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