Strawberry Cupcakes Recipe

The Ultimate Guide to Perfect Strawberry Cupcakes: A Delightful Spring or Summer Treat

When it comes to dessert, few things evoke the joys of spring and summer like a batch of freshly baked strawberry cupcakes. These melt-in-your-mouth treats are not only visually stunning with their soft pink hue but also bursting with the fresh flavor of strawberries, making them a favorite for both casual gatherings and special occasions. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know to create the best strawberry cupcakes, from selecting the right ingredients to mastering the techniques that will ensure your cupcakes are soft, moist, and fluffy every time.

The Allure of Strawberry Cupcakes

Strawberry cupcakes offer a delightful contrast between the rich, buttery base and the vibrant, slightly tart strawberry flavor. The use of fresh strawberries in the batter not only enhances the flavor but also adds moisture, ensuring the cupcakes are light and tender. Paired with a luscious strawberry buttercream frosting, these cupcakes are the epitome of indulgence, perfect for celebrating the warmer months.

Essential Equipment for Success

Before diving into the recipe, it’s important to have the right equipment on hand to ensure your baking process is smooth and efficient. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Muffin Pans: Two 12-cup muffin pans are essential for this recipe, as it yields 24 cupcakes. Non-stick pans are ideal, but any muffin pan will work as long as you grease them well or use paper liners.
• Paper Cupcake Liners: These not only make cleanup easier but also help the cupcakes hold their shape and prevent sticking.
• Mixing Bowls: A set of large and medium mixing bowls will be needed to combine the wet and dry ingredients separately.
• Electric Hand or Stand Mixer: While you can mix by hand, an electric mixer makes the process quicker and ensures that the butter and sugar are creamed to perfection, leading to lighter cupcakes.
• Wire Cooling Rack: Allowing your cupcakes to cool on a wire rack ensures that they cool evenly and prevents the bottoms from becoming soggy.
• Piping Bag and Decorative Tip: For a professional finish, a piping bag fitted with a decorative tip will help you create beautiful swirls of strawberry buttercream on top of your cupcakes.

Ingredients: What Makes These Cupcakes So Special

The success of these strawberry cupcakes lies in the careful selection and combination of ingredients. Here’s a breakdown of what you’ll need and why each ingredient is important:

• All-Purpose Flour (3 cups/360g): The foundation of your cupcakes, providing structure and stability. It’s important to measure the flour correctly to avoid dense cupcakes.
• Baking Powder (2 teaspoons) and Baking Soda (¼ teaspoon): These leavening agents help the cupcakes rise, giving them a light and fluffy texture.
• Salt (½ teaspoon): Enhances the flavor and balances the sweetness of the cupcakes.
• Unsalted Butter (1 cup/227g): The key to a rich, moist cupcake. It’s crucial to use room-temperature butter for even mixing.
• Granulated Sugar (1 ½ cups/300g): Adds sweetness and helps to create a tender crumb. Beating the sugar with the butter until light and fluffy is essential for aerating the batter.
• Large Eggs (3): Provide structure and richness. They should be at room temperature to blend more easily into the batter.
• Vanilla Extract (1 tablespoon): Adds depth of flavor and enhances the strawberry taste.
• Sour Cream (½ cup/120g) and Whole Milk (½ cup/120ml): These ingredients add moisture and tenderness to the cupcakes, making them incredibly soft.
• Fresh Strawberries (1 cup/220g, finely chopped): The star of the show, fresh strawberries add bursts of flavor and moisture throughout the cupcakes. The fresher and more ripe the strawberries, the better the cupcakes.
• Soft Pink Food Coloring (optional, 1 drop): If you want to enhance the pink color of your cupcakes, a drop of food coloring will give them a beautiful hue.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Perfect Strawberry Cupcakes

Now that you have all your ingredients and equipment ready, it’s time to start baking. Follow these detailed steps to ensure your strawberry cupcakes turn out perfect every time.

1. Preheat the Oven: Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two 12-cup muffin pans with paper cupcake liners.
2. Prepare the Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. This ensures that the leavening agents are evenly distributed, which is crucial for even rising.
3. Cream the Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy. Add the sugar and continue to beat until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. This step is key to creating a light and airy cupcake.
4. Add the Eggs and Vanilla: Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure everything is fully incorporated. Beat in the vanilla extract.
5. Combine the Wet Ingredients: In a measuring cup or medium mixing bowl, stir together the sour cream and whole milk. This mixture will add moisture and tenderness to the batter.
6. Alternate Adding Dry and Wet Ingredients: With the mixer on low speed, gradually add a third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, followed by half of the sour cream mixture. Repeat, alternating between the flour and sour cream, until everything is combined. This method prevents overmixing, which can lead to dense cupcakes.
7. Fold in the Strawberries and Food Coloring: Gently fold in the finely chopped strawberries and a drop of pink food coloring, if using. Be careful not to overmix, as this could crush the strawberries and make the batter too wet.
8. Fill the Cupcake Liners: Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners, filling each about ¾ full. This ensures that the cupcakes rise to the top without overflowing.
9. Bake: Bake one pan at a time for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Rotate the pan halfway through baking to ensure even cooking.
10. Cool: Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.

Making the Strawberry Buttercream

No strawberry cupcake is complete without a generous swirl of strawberry buttercream. This frosting is rich, creamy, and full of fresh strawberry flavor, perfectly complementing the soft and fluffy cupcakes.

1. Cream the Butter: In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the butter and salt on medium speed until very creamy and pale, about 5 minutes. This step is crucial for achieving a light and fluffy frosting.
2. Add the Powdered Sugar and Strawberry Puree: With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the powdered sugar and strawberry puree until fully combined. The strawberry puree adds natural sweetness and a beautiful pink color to the frosting.
3. Add the Vanilla: Beat in the vanilla extract, then increase the mixer speed to medium and beat the frosting until it’s fluffy and spreadable, about 1 minute.
4. Pipe the Frosting: Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a decorative tip. Pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes in swirls or any design you prefer. For an extra touch, garnish with fresh strawberries.

Tips for the Best Strawberry Cupcakes

• Measuring Flour: Accurate flour measurement is key to avoiding dense cupcakes. Use a scale if you have one; otherwise, fluff your flour before spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off.
• Room Temperature Ingredients: Ensure your eggs, butter, and sour cream are at room temperature for easy blending and a smooth batter.
• Bake Evenly: Bake the cupcakes one pan at a time in the middle of the oven to ensure they bake evenly.
• Strawberry Substitutes: If you don’t have fresh strawberries, thawed frozen strawberries or strawberry jam can be used in the frosting.
• Coloring: A few drops of pink food coloring can enhance the visual appeal of your cupcakes, making them even more irresistible.

Storing and Serving

Strawberry cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerated for up to 1 week. If you plan to garnish with fresh strawberries, add them just before serving to prevent them from becoming soggy.

Whether you’re hosting a spring brunch, celebrating a summer birthday, or simply craving a sweet treat, these strawberry cupcakes are sure to impress. Their delicate flavor, moist texture, and beautiful appearance make them a standout dessert that’s as enjoyable to make as it is to eat. So gather your ingredients, follow these tips, and get ready to enjoy the best strawberry cupcakes you’ve ever tasted.