Strawberry Cupcakes
With fresh strawberries incorporated into the batter and a strawberry buttercream frosting, these cupcakes will be a hit at your next summer party.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours (includes baking, cooling, and decorating time)
Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
Yield: 12 cupcakes
Ingredients
For the cupcakes
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs at room temperature
2 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional, but I love the flavor this adds)
1/2 cup full fat plain Greek yogurt at room temperature (or 1/2 cup sour cream)
1/2 cup whole milk at room temperature
2 cups whole, fresh strawberries, washed and dried
For the strawberry buttercream frosting
4 cups powdered sugar; also known as confectioner’s sugar
1 cup (two sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2-3 tablespoons of the juice from your macerated strawberries (see below for instructions)
Pinch of salt
Red food coloring (optional)
Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 350 °F and prep your cupcake pan with liners.
In a medium sized bowl, whisk dry ingredients together (flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt).
Add sugar to a large mixing bowl. Add melted butter and vanilla extract to the sugar and whisk together well. Add eggs one at a time, whisking after each addition. Add milk and yogurt, whisking until the batter is smooth.
Slowly add dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients and whisk until just combined, then set aside.
Finely chop 1 cup of your strawberries, then toss them in a bowl with about a tablespoon of flour. This helps them not sink to the bottom when added to the batter. Gently fold the coated strawberries into your batter.
Fill each cupcake liner until just a fraction below the brim with batter, gently tap the pan on the counter to release any air bubbles.
Bake cupcakes at 350 °F for 18-20 minutes or until slightly golden brown around the edges and a toothpick comes out clean. (I bake mine closer to 18 minutes to ensure they’re done but don’t dry out).
While your cupcakes are baking, prep your macerated strawberries. This is just the process of letting the strawberries sit in a bit of sugar for an hour or so to draw the juices out. Cut ½ a cup of strawberries into quarters and add to a bowl with 1 tablespoon of sugar and mix. Let rest for 1-2 hours or until juice has pooled at the bottom of the bowl.
Once the cupcakes are done baking, allow them to cool completely before frosting; at least an hour or two.
While the cupcakes are cooling, prepare your buttercream frosting. Add the softened butter to a stand mixer fixed with a paddle attachment and beat the butter on medium speed for 8-10 minutes. This will seem like a long time but it’ll get you that perfectly smooth texture! Once the butter is smooth, carefully add powdered sugar a cup at a time, mixing after each addition. When adding your last bit of sugar, add the vanilla, salt and juice from your macerated strawberries and beat well until fully combined. If you’d like your frosting to have more color, add a drop or two of red food coloring alongside the vanilla, salt and strawberry juice for a pretty, light pink shade.
Once the cupcakes are completely cooled, add frosting to a piping bag (or gallon ziplock bag if you don’t have a piping bag) and cut a hole in one of the corners about a ½ inch wide. This will give you a nice circular piping shape, but feel free to use a piping tip if you have them. Then, cut the remainder of your fresh strawberries in half.
Decorate your cupcakes with a swirl of frosting and top with a strawberry half for garnish, then enjoy!
Tips & Tricks
Ensure your ingredients are at room temperature; this helps everything come together smoothly and makes for a super smooth buttercream frosting!
Feel free to eat your macerated strawberries once you’ve used the juice! They’re delicious as-is or used as a topping for pancakes or ice cream.
It’s really important to make sure the cupcakes have fully cooled before frosting them. The frosting will melt if you try to decorate too soon. If you need to expedite the cooling process, you can throw the cupcakes in the refrigerator.
Nutrition Facts (per 1 slice serving)
Estimates. Will vary based on ingredients and serving size
Calories: ~550 kcal
Protein: ~4 g
Total Fat: ~29 g
Carbohydrates: ~70 g