Name: Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 1/4 cup 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); 1 cup diced strawberries; 1/2 cup freeze-dried strawberries; 1 cup unsalted butter, (softened to room temp); 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar; 3 Tbsp heavy cream; Fresh strawberries for topping, (optional)

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These fresh Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream are the perfect summer treat for any get together!

There are so many great ways to eat fresh strawberries, and these Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream are a great way to enjoy strawberries this summer!

You won’t find any jello or strawberry flavoring in these, just fresh strawberries and freeze dried strawberries to give these a big punch of strawberry flavor!

Normally when I make cupcakes, I send them to school with Nat to share with her friends and teachers, but since we are currently at home due to this pandemic mess, we had a whole batch here at the house. Well, mostly. We did share some with her teacher and a couple of little friends that she goes to stay with a few hours, a couple of days each week. And that little girl of mine loves her some cupcakes. She also loves helping mommy bake, and we had so much fun making these!

In most cases, I much prefer making hand-held or bite size desserts. Partly because making cakes and frosting them where they are pretty is not my forte, and partly because they’re just fun and cute! No slicing or scooping, you just pick one up and devour it! And that makes them a great party or BBQ dessert, too!

What do you need to make fresh Strawberry Cupcakes?

Milk
Egg Whites
Vanilla extract
Cake flour
Granulated sugar
Baking powder
Salt
Unsalted butter
Fresh strawberries
Freeze-dried strawberries

What do you need to make Strawberry Buttercream?

Powdered Sugar
Butter
Freeze-dried strawberries
Vanilla extract
Heavy cream

The freeze-dried strawberries are heaven-sent. You could use strawberry puree, but the strawberry powder you get from grinding the freeze-dried strawberries is 1) easier 2) so flavorful! It also doesn’t add extra liquid to your frosting, which is an added bonus.

How to make Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream?

Full Printable Recipe Below!

1.) 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.
2.) Place your freeze-dried strawberries in a food processor and grind them to a powder*. Set aside for later use.
3.) Pour milk, egg whites, and vanilla into 2-cup measuring cup, and mix with fork until blended.
4.) 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.
5.) 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.
6.) Mix in strawberry powder until just blended, then stir in diced strawberries.
7.) Divide batter evenly into prepared cups. Bake until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 15-17 minutes (8-11 for miniature).
8.) Cool completely before frosting.
For the Strawberry Buttercream:
1.) Place your freeze-dried strawberries in a food processor and grind to a fine powder.
2.) 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.
3.) 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 and strawberry powder, then beat on high-speed for a full 2 minutes until frosting is light and fluffy.
4.) Add frosting to piping bag with tip of choice and decorate as desired, then top with fresh strawberries, if desired!

I could seriously just eat the frosting out of the mixing bowl. and my toddler may have licked the spatula, whisk, and scraped the bowl after I had scooped out most of the frosting to the piping bag. I mean, that IS the best part of baking with mom, right??? Getting to lick the beaters?? Yep, some of the best childhood memories, right there, friends.

Make these cupcakes for your next get together. Or just because it’s the weekend. Or on a Wednesday. Any excuse to make them, really.

Need more delicious cupcake recipes? Of course you do! Try my Lemon Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream and White Cupcakes with Blueberry Frosting!

Make sure you check out the rest of the great recipes from #BBQWeek below!

Follow me on Pinterest for more great recipes!

Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream

These fresh Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream are the perfect summer treat for any get together!

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Strawberry Cupcakes

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Cooling Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Servings: cupcakes

Calories: 321kcal

Author: Jaida

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

1/4 cup 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
1 cup diced strawberries

For the Strawberry Buttercream:

1/2 cup freeze-dried strawberries
1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temp
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 Tbsp heavy cream
Fresh strawberries for topping, optional

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 diced strawberries.
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 Strawberry Buttercream:

Place your freeze-dried strawberries in a food processor and grind to a fine powder.
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. 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 and strawberry powder, 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, if desired!

Notes

*You can grind all the freeze-dried strawberries for the cupcakes and frosting at the same time – you will only use about 2 tablespoons of the powder in the cupcakes and the rest in the frosting.