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These strawberry shortcake cupcakes have everything you enjoy about the classic dessert, in convenient cupcake form. You’ll love the light, moist cake, sweet strawberry filling, and fluffy whipped cream topping!
Strawberry shortcake is a classic summer dessert that pairs fresh berries with whipped cream and a dense, crumbly biscuit-like cake. This recipe for strawberry shortcake cupcakes swaps the traditional shortcake with a soft, tender vanilla cake for a new spin on the classic.
It still has the real strawberries—they’re in the strawberry filling in the middle—and the fluffy whipped cream. But, if I’m being honest, the moist vanilla cake is so much tastier than the traditional bland biscuit. Plus, who doesn’t love a dessert in convenient handheld form?
The other reason you’ll love strawberry shortcake cupcakes is that they’re perfect for a party. You don’t have to assemble each serving on-the-spot since cupcakes can be made in advance. They’re perfect for casual summer parties and picnics, but they’re also pretty enough for a baby or bridal shower.
Can’t get enough strawberry desserts? Try my Strawberry Cake, Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes, and Strawberry Poke Cake too!
What You’ll Need
Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Cupcakes:
- Unsalted butter – Let this come to room temperature.
- Granulated sugar
- Egg whites
- Sour cream – Be sure to use full-fat sour cream, which yields a moist, tender crumb.
- Milk – Use skim, 1% or 2%.
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
Strawberry Filling:
- Strawberry sauce – Use this homemade strawberry sauce recipe.
Whipped Topping:
- Heavy whipping cream
- Vanilla extract
- Powdered sugar – Also known as confectioners’ sugar.
What Does Sour Cream Do for a Cake?
Sour cream is a key ingredient in this recipe, as it adds flavor, richness, and moisture to the cake. The reason you’ll find sour cream in so many cake and muffin recipes is because it allows you to add moisture to a batter without making it thinner.
How to Make Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes
If you’ve never made filled cupcakes before, don’t worry—it’s easy! Here’s what you’ll need to do.
Make the cupcakes:
Prepare. Preheat your oven to 350º F and line a muffin pan with muffin liners.
Mix the wet ingredients. Combine the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl, then beat with an electric mixer for a minute or two, or until they’re fluffy. Beat in the egg whites, sour cream, milk, and vanilla extract.
Mix the dry ingredients. Sift the dry ingredients into a second mixing bowl; this will help produce extra fluffy cupcakes.
Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients a few spoonfuls at a time, mixing just until combined.
Bake. Fill the muffin liners halfway full and bake for 17 to 19 minutes, or until a few moist crumbs remain on a toothpick when inserted into the center.
Cool. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before adding the filling and topping.
Make the whipped topping:
Chill the equipment. Place a metal or glass mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer for 15 minutes.
Whip the cream. Add the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract to the chilled bowl and beat for 4 to 5 minutes, or until it forms stiff peaks and you can scoop it with a spoon and it still holds its shape.
Transfer to a piping bag. Scoop the whipped cream into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip.
Assemble:
Fill the cupcakes. Use the back of a large piping tip to remove the center of each cupcake. Fill with 1-2 tablespoons of the strawberry filling. At this point, you can either discard the center or press it back into the cupcake.
Frost. Pipe the whipped cream onto each cupcake, then garnish each with a small amount of strawberry sauce and a fresh strawberry.
What Is the Easiest Way to Fill Cupcakes?
The answer to this question depends on the type of filling. With these strawberry shortcake cupcakes, since we’re using a sauce, I recommend using a small measuring spoon. A larger spoon has the potential to make a mess, but a small one will help you be more precise.
Tips for Success
Here are a few tips and pointers for perfect strawberry shortcake cupcakes:
- Don’t overdo it with the whipped cream. Whip the cream for the topping until it forms stiff peaks, then stop. If you keep going, it will turn into sweet butter! As soon as you can lift the beaters and the peaks stand straight up without curling, the topping is ready.
- Smart shortcuts. If you’re in a time-crunch, you can use store-bought strawberry filling instead of making your own, along with store-bought whipped cream.
- No piping bags or tips? No problem! Use a small spoon or melon baller to remove the centers of the cupcakes. When it’s time to frost them, you can either place the whipped cream in a zip-top bag and clip off the corner or use an offset spatula to gently spread the whipped cream onto the cupcakes.
How to Store
Strawberry shortcake cupcakes are best eaten the day they’re made, but they’ll keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a day or two.
Can This Recipe Be Frozen?
While the unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen, I don’t recommend freezing them with the whipped topping. If you want to get a head start on your strawberry shortcake cupcakes, make and freeze the cupcakes, then thaw them in the fridge and make the whipped topping the day you plan on serving them.
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Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature (1/2 cup)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large egg whites
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup milk, skim, 1% or 2%
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- Strawberry Filling
Whipping Topping
- 1 pint heavy whipping cream, 2 cups
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350º F. Line a muffin pan with muffin liners.
- In a mixing bowl combine the butter and sugar, beat using an electric mixer, 1-2 minutes until fluffy. Add in the egg whites, sour cream, milk, and vanilla extract. Beat lightly with the electric mixer. In a separate mixing bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Sift the dry ingredients together, this will help produce extra fluffy cupcakes. Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients a few spoonfuls at a time. Mix until just incorporated. Fill the muffin liners 1/2 full.
- Bake for 17-19 minutes at 350º F or until a few moist crumbs remain on a toothpick when inserted into the center. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before adding the filling and whipped topping.
Strawberry Filling
- See our dedicated post on making homemade strawberry sauce. Follow as directed.
Whipped Topping
- Place a metal or glass mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer for 15 minutes.
- Remove the bowl from the freezer. Add the heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract and beat with an electric mixer for 4-5 minutes, or until stiff peaks form / it’s scoop-able with a spoon and holds its shape. Transfer the whipped cream to a piping bag fit with a large round tip.
Assemble
- Use the back of a large piping tip to remove the center of the cupcake. Fill with 1-2 tablespoons of strawberry filling. It’s your choice if you want to place the center of the cupcake back on – either is fine. Pipe whipped cream onto each cupcake. Garnish with a small amount of strawberry sauce and a fresh strawberry.
Notes
- To save time you can use store bought strawberry filling and store bought whipped cream.
- You can also use a spoon or small melon baller to remove the center of the cupcake.
- These cupcakes are best eaten the day they’re made, but they’ll keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a day or two.
In the list of ingredients u have a/p flour but in directions u have gluten free flour
Please explainÂ
Hi Camille! My apologies. You can use AP flour or gluten free flour. I mistyped, but I have fixed it.