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Vanilla cupcake with strawberry frosting and a glass of milk
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Vanilla Cupcakes with Fresh Strawberry Buttercream

These vanilla cupcakes with fresh strawberry buttercream are moist, tender and perfectly fluffy. With the delicate cupcake crumb and super creamy strawberry frosting, these cupcakes look absolutely beautiful and taste even better.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword Vanilla Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 15 minutes
Cooling 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours 15 minutes
Servings 12 cupcakes
Calories 411kcal
Author Fiona Dowling

Ingredients

Vanilla Cupcakes

  • 1 and ⅓ cup cake flour* (166.25 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter (112 grams) room temperature
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar (150 grams)
  • 2 large egg whites discard the yolks
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
  • ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt (60 ml) room temperature
  • ½ cup milk (120 ml) 2% or whole

Strawberry Buttercream*

  • 10 ounces fresh strawberries (283 grams) about 1 ½ cups whole berries
  • ¾ cup unsalted butter (165 grams) slightly softened
  • 2 ½ to 3 and ½ cups powdered sugar (275 - 385 grams) sifted
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1-2 tablespoons whipping cream (15-30 ml) as needed
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Vanilla Cupcakes

  • Preheat the oven to 350F (180C or 160C on a forced fan oven) degrees and line a 12-cavity muffin pin with cupcake papers. I typically get 12-14 cupcakes.
  • In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
  • Using an electric mixer cream together the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Continue beating and add in the egg whites and vanilla (another 30 seconds). 
  • Turn off the mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl and stir in the yogurt. 
  • Sift in the flour mixture, then mix on low speed until almost combined. Drizzle in the milk and continue beating until combined. Stop mixing as soon as everything is incorporated.
  • Spoon the batter evenly into the lined muffin tin filling each about two thirds of the way full. You should end up with 12-14 cupcakes.
  • Bake for 15-18 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Leave to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes then remove the cupcakes and continue cooling on a wire rack.

Strawberry Frosting

  • Haul the strawberries to remove the centers.
  • Process the strawberries in a blender or food processor until no lumps remain.
  • Pour the sauce through a wire sifter to remove the seeds. Do this a little at a time, using a metal spoon to push the puree through the sifter.
  • Transfer the puree to a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil while stirring.
  • Allow the sauce to boil for about 15-30 minutes (while occasionally stirring) and reduce to about ⅓ to ¼ of the original volume. It should look thick like jam. Remove from the heat and cool until it reaches room temperature. You can speed this up in the fridge if needed.
  • In a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until fluffy. Slowly add about 2 cups of the powdered sugar and continue beating until combined.
  • Beat in the salt and 3-4 tablespoons of the cooled strawberry sauce. Make sure your strawberry sauce is cold before adding it to the buttercream. 
  • Beat in the rest of the powdered sugar about ½ cup at a time until the desired sweetness & thickness is reached. If the icing seems too thick, add in a tablespoon of whipping cream.
  • Frost the cupcakes using a piping bag or by spreading the icing with an icing spatula. I used a piping bag with a 1M tip.

Notes

  1. If you don't have cake flour on hand, measure 1 and ¼ cups all purpose flour. Remove 2 and ½ tablespoons of the flour. Replace the 2 and ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour by adding 2 and ½ tablespoons cornstarch (AKA cornflour). Sift the mixture 3 times. 
  2. For the cupcakes, the butter, egg whites, yogurt and milk should be room temperature before getting started.
  3. Greek yogurt can be substituted with sour cream.
  4. The frosting recipe is enough to pipe 12-14 cupcakes with a large amount of frosting. If you plan to frost with a knife for a thin layer of frosting, you can divide the frosting recipe in half. You'll need:
    • 5 ounces strawberries
    • ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
    • pinch of salt
    • 1 ¼ - 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
    • 1-2 teaspoons whipping cream
  5. Fresh or frozen berries can be used for the frosting. If using frozen, they will take longer to boil down.
  6. Nutrition information is an estimate only and based on 1 cupcake, assuming the recipe yields 12 equal-sized cupcakes and all the frosting is used.
  7. Cupcakes are best if eaten the same day they're prepared. Cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 8 hours (if the room isn't too warm), or in the fridge for up to 3 days. Let the cupcakes sit on the counter and come to room temperature before enjoying. 

Nutrition

Calories: 411kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 140mg | Potassium: 114mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 44g | Vitamin A: 632IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 1mg