Fresh strawberry cupcakes made with real fruit are the kind of spring and summer treat that vanishes off the counter quickly. This version skips the artificial pink food coloring and gets its gorgeous color from fresh strawberry puree in both the moist cake and the tangy cream cheese frosting, so every single bite actually tastes like a ripe, summer berry. They are light, sweet, and just tart enough to keep you sneaking back for a second (or third) one.
I first made these on a rainy Wednesday with a six-year-old sous chef calling the shots, and they have been my go-to ever since when strawberries hit their peak each year. If you love baking with berries as much as I do, bookmark my Double Strawberry Cinnamon Muffins for breakfast and my Mixed Berry Crisp when you need to use up several types of berries at once. And because this frosting is the same cream cheese dream I make constantly, anyone who loves my Best Carrot Cake recipe will feel right at home.
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Why You’ll Love these Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes
These are made entirely from scratch, no boxed mix and not artificial flavoring in sight. The fresh berry puree does double duty in the cake and the frosting, giving you bold strawberry flavor and a soft pink color that comes from actual fruit, not food coloring. They come together in under an hour, use pantry staples plus a pint of berries, and they are an easy crowd-pleaser for baby showers, birthdays, and the first warm weekend of the season. Tender crumb, tangy-sweet frosting, and a flavor that tastes like warm summer days in a wrapper.
Heather’s Recipe Notes
Drawing from 20 years of recipe development and my time co-founding a spice company, here’s what makes this recipe worth making exactly as written.
- Puree all your berries at once. You need strawberry for both the cake and the frosting, so process the whole batch in one go, then measure out what you need for each part of the recipe. Less cleanup, and more consistent flavor.
- Bring your butter, eggs, and cream cheese to room temp. Cold dairy fights the mixer and gives you a lumpy batter and a grainy frosting. Let everything sit out for about an hour before starting the recipe.
- Do not overmix the batter. Once the flour goes in, mix just until it disappears. Overworking develops the gluten and turns a tender cupcake into something dense and chewy. No thanks.
- Use real vanilla. As the co-founder of Spiceology, you know I want the real stuff. A good vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste rounds out the berry and keeps the frosting from tasting flat or one-note.
- Cool completely, then chill the frosting. Warm cupcakes will melt cream cheese frosting right off the top. Cool the cupcakes fully and keep the frosting in the fridge until you’re ready to pipe.
Equipment Needed
- Food processor or blender for the strawberry puree
- Stand mixer or hand mixer for the cupcake batter
- 12-cup muffin tin
- Cupcake liners or spray oil if not using liners
- Hinged scoop or large cookie scoop for even portioning of the batter
- Piping bag and tip or an offset spatula to spread the cream cheese frosting
- Wire cooling rack
Ingredients
- Fresh strawberry puree
- All purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Kosher salt
- Whole milk
- Vanilla extract
- Unsalted butter
- Granulated sugar
- Egg & egg whites
Ingredients in fresh strawberry cream cheese frosting
- Strawberry puree
- Unsalted butter
- Cream cheese
- Vanilla extract
- Confectioners sugar / powdered sugar
Recipe Variations & Add-Ins
- Frozen strawberries work beautifully when strawberries are out of season. Thaw them fully and drain off excess liquid before pureeing so the batter is not too wet.
- Freeze-dried strawberry powder stirred into the frosting deepens both the color and the flavor without adding moisture.
- Gluten-free bakers can swap in a good cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend with no other changes
- Not a cream cheese fan? Top with a simple vanilla buttercream or lightly sweetened whipped cream instead.
- Add brightness with a teaspoon of lemon zest in the batter to make the strawberry flavor pop even more.
How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat
- Room temperature: Unfrosted cupcakes keep in an airtight container at room temp for up to 2 days.
- Refrigerator: Once frosted, these need to be refrigerated because of the cream cheese. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freeze the cupcakes: Freeze unfrosted cupcakes, well wrapped, for up to 3 months.
- Freeze the frosting: The cream cheese frosting freezes for up to 3 months in an airtight container. Thaw in the fridge and re-whip before using.
- To serve: Pull refrigerated cupcakes out about 30 minutes ahead so they can come back to soft, room-temp perfection.
What to Serve with Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes
- Lemon Ice Cream for a bright, citrusy scoop alongside.
- Yellow Ombre Cake for a baby shower or large brunch gathering. More cake is never a bad thing.
- Sweet Green Tea Mojitos for a refreshing drink to sip.
- Check out my list of The Best Summer Desserts for more warm-weather sweets to round out the table.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Thaw them completely and drain the excess liquid before pureeing so your batter and frosting are not watery. If you want to put up your own summer berries for later, here is my guide on how to freeze strawberries.
The usual culprit is overmixing. Once the flour is added, stop as soon as it is incorporated. Cold ingredients and overfilled liners can also weigh them down.
Your butter or cream cheese was likely too warm, or the puree added too much moisture. Chill the frosting until it firms up, and stick to the small amount of puree the recipe calls for.
Yes you can. Bake the cupcakes and make the frosting up to a day ahead, store them separately in the fridge, then frost the day you serve for the freshest look and texture.
Yes, once they are frosted. Cream cheese frosting is perishable, so keep frosted cupcakes chilled and let them sit out briefly before serving.
You can. Divide the batter between two round pans and add a few minutes to the bake time, checking for doneness with a toothpick.
More Recipes to Try
Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes Recipe
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Ingredients
Strawberry Cupcakes
- ⅓ cup strawberry puree, from 1 pint fresh strawberries
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract, or vanilla bean paste
- 8 tbsp unsalted butter, (1 stick) room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 large egg whites, room temperature
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- 3 tbsp strawberry puree, about 1/2 cup whole strawberries
- 8 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
- 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 22 oz powdered sugar, about 1.4 pounds
Instructions
Strawberry Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line 12-cup muffin tin with liners (or spray with cooking spray) and set aside.
- Add 1 pint of cleaned and hulled strawberries to the bowl of a food processor. Puree until smooth. Measure out 1/3 cup of puree for the cake batter and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, add the milk, vanilla extract, and the 1/3 cup strawberry puree. Mix well to combine. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter and granulated sugar. Mix on medium-high until light, creamy, and fluffy. Turn down the mixer speed and add the whole egg and 2 egg whites slowly. Beat until just combined.
- With the mixer on low, add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Mix until just incorporated. Add all of the strawberry mixture and mix until just combined. Scrape down the sides and slowly add the remaining flour mixture. Mix just until incorporated. Don't overmix.
- Divide evenly among the lined muffin cups with a hinged scoop.
- Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire cooling rack before icing.
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Reduce the speed and slowly add the confectioners sugar, beating until well combined. Add the vanilla and 3 tablespoons of strawberry puree, mix until just blended. Place in the refrigerator until you are ready to frost the cupcakes.
- To Frost: use a piping bag or an offset spatula to frost the cooled cupcakes. Serve immediately or check storage instructions above.
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Nutrition
*Nutritional information is not guaranteed to be accurate.
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This strawberry cupcake recipe was originally published on May 20th, 2011. It has recently been updated with new photography, tips, and storing instructions. The recipe was slightly modified for better instruction readability.
Hi! I’m Heather
I’m Heather, a recipe developer and content creator based in Vancouver, Washington. I started Farmgirl Gourmet in 2006 because I believed weeknight dinners shouldn’t be boring and gourmet shouldn’t mean complicated. I’m also the co-founder of Spiceology, so safe to say I think about food for a living. Stick around for recipes that actually make it into your regular rotation.
A simple recipe I hope you’ll love
I would eat way to many of those in one sitting and your little one is cute as a button. Strawberries are just getting good here so I am ready to try some new recipes and I love cream cheese anything!
YUM!!!!!! I am going to make these for my picnic later on today. Cos I am – as we speak – having breakfast with strawberries and can’t imagine that soon they will be out of season again. NOOOO…. so better enjoy it while they’re still here! 🙂 PS: how many whole strawberries do I need??
Yeah, I know her! She’s pretty awesome.
What a face. Happy is the girl who holds a cupcake! I can’t wait to make my strawbabies into these lovely cupcakes. Yummy!
She is adorable and I love her attitude! Whatya want kiddo? CUPCAKES. Love love! Wonder if she’ll get me a glass of ice water? 😉