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A partially eaten strawberry cupcake with pink strawberry frosting sits on a small white plate, surrounded by fresh strawberries. The cupcake’s liner is peeled back, revealing its moist, textured interior.
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Strawberry Cupcakes Recipe

These homemade strawberry cupcakes were tested over several days to get the flavor and texture just right. I experimented with strawberry purée (too mild), a reduction sauce (more flavor, totally worth the extra step), and freeze-dried strawberries (a game changer).
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time17 minutes
Cooling Time1 hour
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: strawberry cupcakes
Servings: 24 cupcakes
Author: Beth

Ingredients

Strawberry Cupcakes

  • 1 pound fresh strawberries reduced down to ⅔ cup, see first step
  • 1 oz (28g) freeze dried strawberries
  • 2 ½ cups (300g) all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup (28g) cornstarch
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter room temperature
  • 1 ¾ cups (347g) granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (118ml) vegetable oil
  • 5 large egg whites room temperature
  • ½ cup (114g) sour cream
  • ½ cup (118ml) milk I used whole milk

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 16 oz (452g) full fat cream cheese room temperature
  • 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter room temperature
  • 4 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 4-6 cups  (454–680g) powdered sugar
  • 2 oz (56g) freeze-dried strawberries

Instructions

Strawberry Reduction Sauce

  • Wash and hull 1 pound (16 oz) of fresh strawberries.
    1 pound fresh strawberries
  • Blend or puree the strawberries until smooth—you should have about 2 cups of strawberry puree.
  • Pour the puree into a medium saucepan. Set over medium-low heat.
  • Simmer the mixture, stirring occasionally, for 25–30 minutes. The puree should gently bubble and reduce in volume.
  • Continue cooking until the mixture has thickened and reduced to about 1 ⅓ cups. It will coat the back of a spoon.
  • Cool the reduction to room temperature before using. For this recipe, you’ll need ⅔ cup (163g) of the reduced sauce.

Strawberry Cupcakes

  • This recipe yields 24 cupcakes. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180°C). Line a muffin pan with liners and set aside.
  • Add freeze-dried strawberries to a high-speed blender or food processor. Blend or pulse until the strawberries break down into a fine powder.
    1 oz (28g) freeze dried strawberries
  • In a small mixing bowl combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and strawberry powder.
    2 ½ cups (300g) all-purpose flour, 2 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt, ¼ cup (28g) cornstarch
  • In a large mixing bowl combine the butter, sugar, and vegetable oil, beat using an electric mixer, 1-2 minutes until fluffy.
    ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, 1 ¾ cups (347g) granulated sugar, ½ cup (118ml) vegetable oil
  • Add in the egg whites, sour cream, and milk. Beat with the electric mixer.
    5 large egg whites, ½ cup (114g) sour cream, ½ cup (118ml) milk
  • Add in ⅔ cup strawberry reduction sauce, mix to combine.
  • Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing just until the flour is incorporated.
  • Fill the muffin liners halfway. Bake for 15-19 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

  • Add freeze-dried strawberries to a high-speed blender or food processor. Blend or pulse until the strawberries break down into a fine powder.
    2 oz (56g) freeze-dried strawberries
  • Place the softened cream cheese and unsalted butter in a mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer on medium speed and beat together for 1-2 minutes, until whipped and fluffy.
    16 oz (452g) full fat cream cheese, 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter
  • Add in the vanilla extract, salt, and 4 cups of powdered sugar, beat again on low for 1-2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl, until everything is incorporated.
    4 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tsp salt, 4-6 cups  (454–680g) powdered sugar
  • Taste the frosting and if you prefer it more sweet, add in 1 more cup of powdered sugar.
  • Add in the freeze dried strawberry powder, beat on medium speed until fully incorporated.
  • Fit a piping bag with a piping tip, I used an Ateco 809. Fill the bag about 3/4 full with frosting. Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes. Add a smear of strawberry reduction to each cupcake if desired.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupcake | Calories: 449kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 329mg | Potassium: 146mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 39g | Vitamin A: 708IU | Vitamin C: 54mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 2mg