Moist Strawberry Basil Cupcakes combine sweet and savory flavors, topped with a white chocolate lemon buttercream that makes this the perfect summer dessert!
This post and recipe was created for #SummerDessertWeek! I was sent samples by some of the sponsor companies but as always opinions are 100% my own.
Summer is the season of sweet, lucious strawberries, and all of the delicious treats we can make with them. Breakfast goodies, shakes or smoothies, pastries, pies, cakes and cupcakes…the options seem endless! With so many recipes out there, all the tried-and-true variations, I like to shake things up a bit sometimes. You know, throw a little curve ball that make people raise an eyebrow and wonder what in the world I was thinking.
Strawberry and basil is a great flavor combo – it works well is beverages (lemonade or martinins), even popsicles! But can I tell you the weird looks I got when I told some people I’d added basil to their precious strawberry cupcakes?? There were more than a few. And I get it. It sounds a little weird. But the flavors go so well together and it adds a hint of a savory flavor to balance out the sweet. Now, while I don’t feel that the basil flavor is overpowering, if you know someone who isn’t a fan of basil, in general, then they are probably not going to like these. I had that experience too, with a co-worker. Poor guy. He was so excited to eat a cupcake, and as soon as I mentioned the basil, he was like…I’m out. Nope, nope. He still at the frosting though – HA!!
Speaking of the frosting…creamy white chocolate buttercream with lemon juice and zest. On top of strawberry basil cupcakes. I mean, do you really need any more convincing???
What you need to make Strawberry Basil Cupcakes
This is just an overview. Full list of ingredients with measurements is available in the printable recipe card below!
For the cupcakes
- Freeze-dried strawberries
- Milk
- Egg whites
- Vanilla extract
- Cake flour
- Granulated sugar
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Unsalted butter
- Basil leaves
For the White Chocolate Lemon Buttercream
- White chocolate chips
- Powdered sugar
- Unsalted butter
- Vanilla
- Lemon juice and zest
It’s really not that many ingredients to make a phenomenal dessert!
How to make Strawberry Basil Cupcakes with White Chocolate Lemon Buttercream
Full Printable Recipe Below!
For the Strawberry Basil Cupcakes:
- Set oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake liners or spray with cooking spray, and set aside.
- Place your freeze-dried strawberries in a food processor and grind them to a powder. Set aside for later use.
- Pour milk, egg whites, and vanilla into 2-cup measuring cup, and mix with fork until blended.
- Mix cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in bowl of electric mixer on low speed. Add butter and continue mixing on low speed until mixture resembles moist crumbs, with no powdery streaks remaining.
- Add all but 1/2 cup of milk mixture to crumbs and beat at medium speed for 1½ minutes. Add remaining 1/2 cup of milk mixture and mix additional 30 seconds, scrape down the sides and then mix 20 seconds more.
- Mix in strawberry powder until just blended, then stir in minced basil.
- Divide batter evenly into prepared cups. Bake until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 15-17 minutes (8-11 for miniature).
- Cool completely before frosting.
For the white chocolate lemon buttercream:
- Place white chocolate in a small, heat-proof bowl and heat for 30 seconds. Stir very well, then return to microwave and heat in 15-second increments, stirring very well in between, until chocolate is completely smooth and melted.
- Set chocolate aside to cool for at least 15 minutes and no longer warm to the touch.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter on medium-high speed (scraping down the sides as needed) until completely smooth, about 2 minutes.
- With mixer on low-speed, gradually add melted, cooled chocolate and stir well.
- Add in the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, on low speed. Once all of the sugar has been added, add in the vanilla, lemon juice and zest, then beat on high-speed for a full 2 minutes until frosting is light and fluffy.
- Add frosting to piping bag with tip of choice and decorate as desired, then top with fresh strawberries and basil, if desired!
Sponsor product used in this recipe:
Dixie Crystals graunulated sugar and powdered sugar
And for my friends in states where you can’t find Dixie Crystals, Imperial Sugar is their sister brand and is what I am able to buy here in Texas! Same great product in a slightly different package!
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Make sure you check out more great #SummerDessertWeek recipes below, and enter the giveaway for a chance to win some great prize packages!
Strawberry-Basil Cupcakes with White Chocolate Lemon Buttercream
Ingredients
For the cupcakes
- 1 1/2 cups freeze-dried strawberries
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk, room temperature
- 6 large egg whites 3/4 cup, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups cake flour
- 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 4 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 12 Tbsp 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened but still cool
- 5 fresh basil leaves, minced
For the White Chocolate Lemon Buttercream
- 12 oz white chocolate chips
- 3 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
- Juice from 1 lemon
- Zest from 1 lemon
Instructions
- Set oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake liners or spray with cooking spray, and set aside.
- Place your freeze-dried strawberries in a food processor and grind them to a powder*. Set aside for later use.
- Pour milk, egg whites, and vanilla into 2-cup measuring cup, and mix with fork until blended.
- Mix cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in bowl of electric mixer on low speed. Add butter and continue mixing on low speed until mixture resembles moist crumbs, with no powdery streaks remaining.
- Add all but 1/2 cup of milk mixture to crumbs and beat at medium speed for 1½ minutes. Add remaining 1/2 cup of milk mixture and mix an additional 30 seconds, scrape down the sides and then mix 20 seconds more.
- Mix in strawberry powder until just blended, then stir in minced basil.
- Divide batter evenly into prepared cups. Bake until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 15-17 minutes (8-11 for miniature).
- Cool completely before frosting.
For the White Chocolate Lemon Buttercream:
- Place white chocolate in a small, heat-proof bowl and heat for 30 seconds. Stir very well, then return to microwave and heat in 15-second increments, stirring very well in between, until chocolate is completely smooth and melted.
- Set chocolate aside to cool for at least 15 minutes and no longer warm to the touch.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter on medium-high speed (scraping down the sides as needed) until completely smooth, about 2 minutes.
- With mixer on low-speed, gradually add melted, cooled chocolate and stir well.
- Add in the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, on low speed. Once all of the sugar has been added, add in the vanilla, lemon juice and zest, then beat on high-speed for a full 2 minutes until frosting is light and fluffy.
- Add frosting to piping bag with tip of choice and decorate as desired, then top with fresh strawberries and basil, if desired!
Welcome to this year’s #SummerDessertWeek event hosted by Angie from Big Bear’s Wife. You’re going to be in for treat this year because we have 28 blogs/bloggers creating summer themed dessert recipes all week! We’re sharing them with the hashtag #SummerDessertWeek on social media and you’ll find some of the links in this post as well. Plus, we also have some great giveaways for you this week thanks to our amazing sponsors!
Scroll down to take a look!
Check out the amazing #SummerDessertWeek recipes from our bloggers today!
Strawberry Banana Cheesecake Salad from Big Bear’s Wife
Copycat Orange Julius from Semi Homemade Recipes
No Bake Raspberry Cheesecake from Eat Move Make
Birthday Crumb Cake from It’s Shanaka
Strawberry Cheesecake Poke Cake from Fake Ginger
Blueberry Muffin Cake from Blogghetti
Lemon Cheesecake Mousse from 4 Sons ‘R’ Us
No Churn Mint Chocolate Ice Cream from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
Strawberry Unicorn Puppy Chow from For the Love of Food
Brown Sugar Layer Cake with Peach Filling from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
Smore’s Ice Cream Torte from Family Around the Table
Strawberry Basil Cupcakes from Sweet Beginnings
Oreo Ice Cream Cake from Jolene’s Recipe Journal
Donut Bread Pudding from Savory Experiments
Flourless Chocolate Cake from Devour Dinner
Rhubarb Crumble from Shockingly Delicious
Japanese Strawberry Shortcake from SugarYums
Raspberry Cream Pie from Cheese Curd In Paradise
Instant Pot Twix Cheesecake from Baking up Memories
Lavender Honey Cake from Food Hunter’s Guide to Cuisine
Pineapple Upside Down Cake Dip from Sweet ReciPEAs
No Bake Key Lime Cheesecake from Comfortably Domestic
Peach Berry Eton Mess from Cookaholic Wife
PRIZE #1
Prize #1 — Dixie Crystals is giving away 1 (one) 4.2 Quart (4 Liter) Electric Air Fryer
PRIZE #2
Prize #2 — Circulon is giving away a TOTAL BAKEWARE 6-Piece Nonstick Bakeware Set – Two 9-Inch Round Cake Pans, 9-Inch Square Cake Pan, 9-Inch x 5-Inch Loaf Pan, 9-Inch x 13-Inch Rectangular Cake Pan, 10-Inch x 15-Inch Cookie Pan
Giveaway open to US Residents 18 years or older.. All entries will be verified. No PO Boxes Please. Prizes will be sent directly from sponsors to winners, bloggers are not responsible for prizes. This giveaway runs from July 26th until July 31st at 11:59PMEST. Winners will be selected soon afterwards and contacted by e-mail. Winners will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. There are a total of 2 (two) prizes and therefore we will have a total of 2 (two) winners. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law.
Disclaimer: These posts and recipes are part of the week long event, #SummerDessertWeek but all opinions are 100% mine! We would like Thank our amazing sponsors: Dixie Crystals and Circulon. These wonderful sponsors provided the prize packs for our giveaways and also sent samples and products to the #SummerDessertWeek bloggers to use in their recipes.
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