These strawberry filled cupcakes feature a light, fluffy vanilla cupcake swirled with diced strawberries and packed with a fresh strawberry filling. They are easy to make and perfect for strawberry season!
Fresh berries and cream is a winning flavor combination that is on display in these strawberry filled cupcakes! With diced fresh strawberries folded into the cupcakes, a fresh homemade strawberry filling, and a light, fluffy stabilized whipped cream frosting. They are delicious, easy to make, and bursting with fresh strawberry flavor!
INGREDIENT NOTES FOR STRAWBERRY FILLED CUPCAKES
- Cake flour: Cake flour has a lower protein content than all-purpose flour and is key for making the cupcakes light and fluffy. If you don't have any you can make an easy substitute with AP flour and cornstarch. See notes in the recipe card for details!
- Baking powder/ baking soda: Leaveners that make the cupcakes rise!
- Salt
- Unsalted butter: Softened to room temperature. Properly softened butter is key for creaming with the sugar. It should be firm enough to hold its shape but easily pliable when gently pressed in. The best way to soften butter is to leave it out at room temperature for a couple of hours. To speed up softening you can also cut it into small pieces.
- Granulated sugar
- Room temperature eggs: Room temperature eggs mix more easily and evenly into the batter. Cold eggs can also re-harden the butter and cause the batter to split. To quickly bring the eggs to room temperature simply place them in a bowl of lukewarm water for a few minutes.
- Vanilla extract
- Sour cream: Sour cream makes the cupcakes super moist without adding more liquid to the batter. Always use full-fat sour cream for baking! Full-fat plain yogurt will also work.
- Whole milk: Room temperature. I don't recommend using a lower fat or non-dairy milk, since they will make the batter too thin.
- Fresh diced strawberries: Along with the strawberry filling, these cupcakes also have fresh strawberries folded into the batter!
STRAWBERRY FILLING
- Strawberries: Fresh or frozen.
- Sugar: Adds sweetness and helps soften the strawberries so they release their liquid.
- Water + lemon juice: Lemon juice brightens and preserves the strawberry filling so it stays vibrant and fresh longer. If you don't have any lemons you can just use water.
- Cornstarch: Just a teaspoon to thicken the sauce slightly.
- Diced fresh strawberries: Folded into the strawberry sauce.
STABILIZED WHIPPED CREAM FROSTING
- Mascarpone cheese or whipped cream cheese spread: A little cream cheese adds structure to the whipped cream so it pipes easily and holds its shape for days longer than regular whipped cream.
- Heavy whipping cream: Very cold!
- Powdered sugar
HOW TO MAKE STRAWBERRY FILLED CUPCAKES
Arrange your oven rack to the middle position. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a 12-count muffin pan with cupcake liners.
In a medium bowl, mix the cake flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the softened butter until smooth. Add the granulated sugar and beat until well combined, light, and fluffy. Add the room temperature eggs, one at a time, and mix until well combined after each.
Mix in the vanilla extract and sour cream until combined. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the whole milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.
Mix until the batter is smooth, then fold in the diced fresh strawberries.
Scoop the batter into the cupcake liners.
Bake in the preheated oven for 15-17 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean.
STRAWBERRY FILLING
Add the fresh or frozen strawberries and granulated sugar to a medium saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until the strawberries soften and release their liquid.
In a separate bowl, whisk the water, lemon juice, and cornstarch, and add it to the pan with the strawberries. Cook and stir, mashing the strawberries as you do, until the sauce is bubbly and thick. Remove from heat and strain the sauce through a sieve.
Allow to cool slightly and then fold the diced fresh strawberries into the sauce.
Cut a hole out of the top of each cupcake and add a spoonful of the strawberry filling. Feel free to make the hole smaller or larger depending on how much filling you want the cupcakes to have!
STABILIZED WHIPPED CREAM FROSTING
Use an electric mixer to beat the cold mascarpone cheese or whipped cream cheese spread until fluffy and smooth.
Add the cold heavy whipping cream and beat until fluffy with soft peaks. Mix in the powdered sugar on low speed until the frosting is thick and billowy.
To frost the cupcakes, add the frosting to a large piping bag fitted with a large piping tip. I used a Wilton 1M piping tip for these cupcakes.
HOW TO STORE & FREEZE STRAWBERRY FILLED CUPCAKES
Once frosted and filled, these cupcakes taste best within 1-2 days and stay fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days. You can also easily freeze the cupcakes for up to 3 months. For the best results, freeze unfilled and without frosting.
To freeze the cupcakes (without filling and unfrosted): Once the cupcakes have cooled, arrange them on a baking sheet in a single layer. Set the sheet flat in the freezer until the cupcakes are solid. Transfer the frozen cupcakes to a large plastic bag and keep frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before adding the strawberry filling and whipped cream frosting.
To freeze cupcake batter: Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners and add the cupcake batter to the liners. Set the muffin pan flat in the freezer until the batter is completely frozen. Remove the batter-filled liners from the pan and add them to a large plastic bag. Keep frozen for up to 3 months.
When you're ready to bake the cupcakes, add the batter-filled liners to the muffin pan and bake in a 350°F oven, a few minutes longer than the normal bake time, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
MORE CUPCAKE RECIPES
📖 RECIPE
Strawberry Filled Cupcakes
Equipment
- Electric mixer
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
- 1 and ¼ cups cake flour*
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature*
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup full-fat sour cream
- ¼ cup whole milk
- ½ cup diced fresh strawberries
Strawberry Filling:
- 1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons water
- 1 teaspoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ½ cup diced fresh strawberries
Stabilized Whipped Cream Frosting:
- ½ cup mascarpone cheese or whipped cream cheese spread, cold
- 1 and ½ cups heavy whipping cream, cold
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a 12-count muffin pan with cupcake liners.
Make the Cupcakes:
- In a medium bowl, whisk the cake flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the softened butter until smooth. Add the granulated sugar and beat until well combined, light, and fluffy.
- Mix in the room temperature eggs, one at a time, until well combined after each. Mix in the vanilla extract and sour cream.
- Mix in about half of the dry ingredients until just combined, then mix in the whole milk, and then add the rest of the dry ingredients. Mix until the batter is smooth. Fold the diced fresh strawberries into the batter.
- Scoop the cupcake batter into the liners. Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Make the Strawberry Filling:
- Add the fresh or frozen strawberries and granulated sugar to a medium saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until the strawberries start to release their liquid.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the water, lemon juice, and cornstarch until the cornstarch is dissolved. Add it to the pan with the strawberries. Cook and stir, mashing the strawberries as you do, until the sauce is bubbly and thick.
- Remove from heat and strain the liquid through a sieve and into a bowl. Discard the cooked strawberries left in the sieve.
- Let cool slightly and then stir the diced fresh strawberries into the strawberry sauce.
- To fill the cupcakes, cut a hole in the middle out of the top of each cupcake. Add a spoonful of the strawberry filling inside.
Stabilized Whipped Cream Frosting:
- Use an electric mixer to beat the mascarpone cheese or whipped cream cheese spread until fluffy and smooth. Add the cold heavy whipping cream and beat until starting to thicken and form soft peaks. Add the powdered sugar and beat until billowy, thick peaks form.
- To frost the cupcakes, add the whipped cream frosting to a large piping bag with an extra large piping tip (I used Wilton 1M). Pipe the frosting onto each cupcake. Top with a sliced strawberry to garnish, if desired.
Notes
- *Cake flour: To make your own cake flour, sift 1 cup + 2 tablespoons AP flour with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Sift them together back and forth a couple of times to get a lighter texture.
- Butter: Use unsalted butter for the best results. If all you have is salted butter reduce the salt in the recipe to ¼ teaspoon.
- *Room temperature eggs: Room temperature eggs mix more easily into the batter. Cold eggs can re-harden the butter and cause the batter to become lumpy. To quickly bring the eggs to room temperature simply place them in a bowl of lukewarm water for a few minutes.
- Mascarpone cheese or whipped cream cheese spread: These stabilize the whipped cream so it pipes easily and holds its shape for days longer than regular whipped cream. For a taste closest to real whipped cream use mascarpone cheese, if you want a slight tangy flavor then use whipped cream cheese spread.
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