Strawberry Cupcakes

Absolutely perfect for spring or summer, these Strawberry Cupcakes are an easy, from-scratch recipe you can make for every occasion. Topped with a cream cheese frosting and real chunks of strawberries in the cake, this is one stand-out dessert.

Now there is nothing wrong with using store-bought ingredients, including cake mixes. I do it all the time. But there is something extra special when you can bake from scratch, and these Strawberry Cupcakes are one from scratch recipe we can’t get enough of.

Strawberries are one of my favorite berries, they always have been and always will be. So I wanted to make another all-time favorite of mine, cupcakes, and merge the two together.

Now, you know I’m no stranger to cream cheese, it is just so versatile I love to use it in appetizers, desserts, and even main dishes. Wherever I can sneak it in, I do because I love the slight tang and creaminess it adds to recipes.

My cream cheese frosting on these cupcakes really stands out. It just works. And adding strawberry extract and food coloring makes it irresistible to look at and devour as well!

Since we have the tang from the cream cheese frosting and the tartness from the strawberries, both aspects help offset the sweetness that naturally comes from cupcakes making this particular recipe just right and not overly sweet.

I’m always in the mood to make these Strawberry Cupcakes, and I know your friends and family will enjoy them just as much as mine do!

Some of our other favorite strawberry recipes that we have on our site include: Strawberry Butter, Strawberry Earthquake Cake, and Easy Strawberry Shortcake Recipe.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:

1. It makes a large batch but can easily be doubled if needed
2. Pantry staple ingredients make this recipe come together easily.
3. The popular flavor combination makes this a crowd-pleasing dessert.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED (FULL RECIPE BELOW):

• Unsalted butter
• Granulated sugar
• Large eggs
• Vanilla extract
• Strawberry extract
• Milk
• Vegetable oil
• Baking powder
• Sea salt
• All-purpose flour
• Fresh strawberries
• Cream cheese
• Powdered sugar
• Pink food coloring (optional) 

HOW TO MAKE STRAWBERRY CUPCAKES:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 18 sections of a cupcake pan with liners and set aside.
2. Place the butter and sugar into the body of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and beat until combined.
3. Add in the eggs and extracts. Mix until well combined and scrape down the sides as needed.
4. Add the vegetable oil and milk, and stir well until combined.
5. Once mixed, add the baking powder and salt. Mix until fully incorporated.
6. Add the flour in ½ cup increments until all the flour is fully incorporated into the batter with no dry patches. 
7. Pour in the chopped strawberries and fold them into the batter. 
8. To the prepared cupcake pan, fill each liner 2/3 of the way full of batter.
9. Place in the oven and allow to bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
10. While the cupcakes are cooling, prepare the frosting. In a mixing bowl, add the cream cheese and butter. Beat until smooth and creamy.
11. Add in the extracts and mix.
12. Next, add in the powdered sugar in ½ cup increments until all the powdered sugar is fully incorporated. If you wish to add food coloring, add it now, and mix until the frosting is streak free. 
13. Place the frosting into a piping bag prepared with your desired tip. Pipe the frosting onto each cupcake. Top each cupcake with a strawberry half if desired, and serve. 

DO STRAWBERRY CUPCAKES NEED TO BE REFRIGERATED?

Yes, this recipe needs to be refrigerated because we are topping it with a cream cheese frosting.

Any dessert made with cream cheese always needs to be refrigerated.

However, these cupcakes are best enjoyed at room temperature, so I suggest placing them on the counter and letting them come to room temp before enjoying.

You can store unfrosted cupcakes at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

DO I HAVE TO USE STRAWBERRY EXTRACT?

No, you absolutely do not need to use strawberry extract.

We use this extract because it helps to amp up the overall strawberry flavor but it is not a necessity. Sometimes you may not have this extract flavor on hand but still want to make these cupcakes, so just go ahead and skip it.

Other extract flavors that would be good in place of strawberry would be more vanilla or almond.

WHAT OTHER FROSTING WOULD BE GOOD?

If you don’t have cream cheese or don’t care for cream cheese frosting, you can top it with other frostings. 

My strawberry buttercream from my lemon cupcakes with strawberry buttercream would be amazing on top of these. Or, use my lemon buttercream recipe from my Lemon Layer Cake. 

White chocolate, fluffy vanilla buttercream, chocolate buttercream, or brown sugar frosting would all be good.

CAN YOU PUT STRAWBERRIES IN CUPCAKES?

Yes, we put berries in cupcakes all the time, including fresh strawberries in these Strawberry Cupcakes.

They add a lot of moisture to the cupcakes helping them not to dry out. That is one little tip I absolutely love about adding strawberries to cupcakes.

My only advice is to cut them into small pieces, so you have a little bit of strawberry in every bite. Also, don’t be surprised if most of the strawberry pieces sink to the bottom of the cupcake. This is normal since the pieces are heavier than the cupcake batter.

HOW TO STORE:

Place any leftover cupcakes into an airtight container and put it in the fridge for up to 5 days. I suggest letting them come to room temperature before enjoying them again, but that is a personal preference.

You can store unfrosted cupcakes at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Freeze unfrosted cupcakes for up to 3 months. I like to place the cupcakes without frosting onto a sheet tray and place it in the freezer until frozen solid.

Wrap the cupcakes individually with plastic wrap, then foil, then place them into a freezer-safe container or bag where they will keep for up to 3 months.

I make the frosting fresh and pipe it on the cupcakes after they have thawed in the refrigerator overnight or on the countertop.

TIPS AND TRICKS:

• This makes a large batch, but you can easily double it to feed more or halve the recipe as needed.
• The cupcakes can be frozen, see my tips above on that.
• Best enjoyed at room temperature.
• These cupcakes need to be refrigerated due to the cream cheese frosting.
• Add optional food coloring to the frosting if desired, I suggest gel food color for the most vibrant colors.
• You can frost these with other frostings, see my recommendations above.
• Garnish with a fresh strawberry or enjoy as is.

Have a bunch of leftover strawberries and don’t know what to do with them? Try them in my Strawberry Cupcakes, you will not be disappointed!

If you like this recipe, you might also like:

• • • • Monster Cookie Cupcakes
      • Red Velvet Cupcake Recipe
      • Angel Food Lemon Cupcakes

If you’ve tried these STRAWBERRY CUPCAKES, let me know how it turned out in the comments! You can follow me over on PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM OR FACEBOOK to find some more of our mouthwatering recipes!