Moist, extra juicy and super sweet Strawberry Filled Cupcakes are the most delicious way to celebrate summer! Made with the easiest vanilla cupcake batter with a whole strawberry baked inside! They’re topped with the simplest fresh strawberry buttercream. Bonus: these cupcakes are super easy to make. You just need some basic pantry ingredients and the freshest, sweetest strawberries you can find!
THE BEST SUMMER DESSERT
Ok….they might come in a first place tie with strawberry shortcake for best summer dessert. If you’re looking for something similar to but a little different than strawberry shortcake, look no further!
These cupcakes are so pretty, both inside and out. The strawberries become perfectly roasted as the cupcakes bake and give a burst of color, juice and sweet flavor with every bite!
MORE STRAWBERRY DESSERTS
Is there anything better than in season strawberries? I make my Roasted Strawberry Crumb Bars year round, but they are by far the best when made with in season berries!
Another sweet way to cool down and enjoy some strawberries is definitely with my sweet, creamy No Churn Raspberry and Roasted Strawberry Ice Cream! For my fellow Americans, check out the most delicious American Flag Cake with Fruit featuring blueberries for the stars and, of course, chopped strawberries as stripes!
I have to share one more strawberry recipe that I will definitely be making this summer and that is this Strawberry Chamomile Naked Cake! I love how it’s fancy and simple at the same time plus it looks delicious!
ABOUT THESE CUPCAKES
THE BATTER
I used my great grandmother’s tried and true vanilla cake recipe for these cupcakes. I first tested it out as cupcakes for my Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes. It’s a super simple, straight forward, foolproof recipe.
THE STRAWBERRIES
As delicious as the cupcake batter and frosting are, the strawberries in the centers are the real stars of the show! That said, use the freshest, sweetest, most beautiful berries you can get your hands on! You can use any shape or size. I tried to choose medium sized berries and chose the freshest, reddest ones out of my bunch. Cut the tops off and remove the white cores.
ADDING THE STRAWBERRIES IN THE MIDDLES
Once you have the batter mixed, spoon two tablespoons of batter into each cupcake liner. Next, place one berry in the middle of each cupcake then spoon one more tablespoon of batter around it. This is not at all hard, but it is….a little awkward…. Why? Because you want to use a hand or a finger to kind of hold the berry standing up straight in the middle while gently pouring the batter around it.
I spoon that last tablespoon in by dropping three teaspoons in around the sides of the berry/cupcake. I add it by the teaspoon since the teaspoon is smaller and easier to slide in there and three teaspoons make a tablespoon. After I get that last amount of batter in, I just smooth over the tops gently with my finger.
The strawberry in the middle of these cupcakes definitely reminds me of my Cupcakes with Hearts in the Middle recipe! They’re the cutest cupcakes baked with a red velvet heart in the middle. For a chocolate stuffed cupcake, definitely try these Nutella Stuffed Chocolate Cupcakes with Nutella Buttercream!
HOW TO MAKE THE STRAWBERRY BUTTERCREAM
To make the frosting, you’ll need a bowl, an electric mixer and the following ingredients:
- Room Temperature Butter: Butter that is not too soft and not too cold will help get the perfect consistency. Take the butter out no more than 20 minutes before making it.
- A Little Salt
- Powdered Sugar: Even though it’s going to go into a mixer, I highly recommend sifting it first. It only takes a minute and makes sure you don’t have any little bumps of powdered sugar in your frosting.
- Vanilla: For flavor and it ties in with the flavor of the cupcakes.
- Heavy Cream Or Milk: Optional. If you need to thin the frosting out a bit.
- Lightly Pureed Strawberries: They add flavor and color and hint at the big roasted strawberry tucked inside! See below for more info on the strawberries.
PUREED STRAWBERRIES
I’d recommend a few pulses in a food processor for the strawberries. It chops them up into perfectly sized specks which look so pretty when piped on cupcakes!
I used a blender the first time I made these and I found it too much liquid when fully pureed. As a result, I had to add a lot more powdered sugar to thicken it up. If you do use a blender, just use the chop option and very briefly.If you don’t have a food processor, finely chopping the berries is also an option.
I like to core the strawberries before pureeing them. This just means cutting out the tops and the white part in the top/middle. It doesn’t have any flavor and I’d rather have only the parts that add color/flavor.
FROM PINK TO MORE PINK
I’ve made this recipe several times now and have experimented with the color and amount of strawberries. Whether you make it light pink or bright pink will just depend on the amount of strawberry you add.
Add additional pureed strawberries a little at a time because they will change both the color and consistency. Add berries until you get the color and consistency you like.
FRESH OR ROASTED STRAWBERRIES
I recently put a poll on my Instagram to find out if people would prefer fresh or roasted strawberries in this buttercream recipe. I thought it would be kind of split, but an overwhelming majority of people voted for fresh!
FROSTING THE CUPCAKES
PIPE IT ON
With its strawberry specks and pretty pink color, this frosting will look amazing however you frost your cupcakes. Use your favorite frosting tip (I’ve made them with both my Wilton 6B and Ateco 808).
USE AN ICE CREAM OR COOKIE SCOOP
Short on time or pastry bags/tips? You can still make em super cute by using an ice cream scoop or even a smaller cookie scoop full of frosting on top! I see this style more and more in bakeries these days and love it!
DOUBLE THE RECIPE IF YOU LIKE
This recipe makes 8 cupcakes, but can easily be doubled. I settled on 8 for now since we are still somewhat in social distancing days and most people don’t have a need for 16 or 18 cupcakes. That said, it’s perfectly easy to double the amount. There is an option to double the recipe below or just use the recipe from my Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes.
These Strawberry Filled Cupcakes are so pretty and easy to make. They’re baked with whole strawberries in the centers and topped with the prettiest, freshest strawberry buttercream! They’re fun to make and even more fun to eat!
Print
Strawberry Filled Cupcakes with Fresh Strawberry Buttercream
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: About 8 cupcakes 1x
- Category: Dessert, Cupcakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Make these delicious Strawberry Filled Cupcakes with Fresh Strawberry Buttercream for the perfect summer dessert! Like strawberry shortcakes, these from scratch cupcakes have ALL the strawberry flavor. Featuring a whole strawberry roasted inside each cupcake and fresh strawberry buttercream, you’ll want to make this summer dessert all year long!
Ingredients
FOR THE CUPCAKES
- 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
- Strawberries (8 whole, hulled)
FOR THE STRAWBERRY BUTTERCREAM
- 3 fresh strawberries, hulled, lightly purred
- 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
- pinch of salt
- 2 1/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted (add more, if needed, to thicken)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon milk or heavy cream (if needed, to thin out frosting)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and place paper liners in muffin tins.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar with a mixer for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after the addition of each egg.
- Alternatively add the dry ingredient mixture and milk to the sugar mixture, mixing well after each addition and be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Fill cupcake liners with 2 tbsp of the batter. Place one strawberry in the middle of each cupcake. With one hand, hold the berry in place and with the other hand, carefully our one more tablespoon of batter around the strawberry.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of a cupcake. Cool for about ten minutes in the muffin tins and then remove to a rack to cool completely.
FOR THE STRAWBERRY FROSTING
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the butter and salt on medium for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl now and after each addition of powdered sugar. Turn mixer to low and add 1 cup of the powdered sugar until combined and smooth. Add the remaining powdered sugar.
- Turn the mixer up to medium and mix in the vanilla. Add the strawberries and whip on medium until combined. If frosting is too thin, add more powdered sugar. If it’s too thin, add milk or heavy cream.
Notes
For more of a pink frosting, add a bit more strawberries.
Keywords: Strawberries, strawberry, cupcakes, strawberry filled, frosting, icing, buttercream, fruit, summer
