Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes
These Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes combine the best flavors of traditional shortcake into a delightful, bite-sized treat. A fluffy, vanilla-infused cupcake base is filled with sweet and tangy strawberry filling, topped with creamy and fluffy buttercream frosting, and finished with a juicy, fresh strawberry slice.
Equipment
- Stand Mixer
- Blender or Food Processor
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 2 sticks salted butter, softened
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 3 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup 2% milk room temperature
Buttercream Icing
- 4 sticks salted butter, softened
- 3 tsp vanilla extract
- 8 cups powdered sugar
- 6-8 tbsp heavy cream
Strawberry Filling
- 4 cups frozen strawberries
- 1 cup water
Garnish
- ½ cup freeze-dried strawberries
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Prepare 2 cupcake pans (24 cupcakes) with paper liners.
- In a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar on high for 2-3 minutes until fluffy and lighter in color.Next, slightly lower the speed and beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla extract. Mix in the milk.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the all-purpose flour and baking powder to combine. With the wet ingredients mixing on low speed, add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients ⅓ cup at a time, stirring just until combined and scraping down the sides with a spatula as needed.
- Scoop the batter into the cupcake liners, divided evenly. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick or knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool for a minute or two in the pan before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Buttercream Icing
- Cream the butter in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer on high speed until fluffy. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- On medium speed, beat in the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, until combined. Be sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula as needed.
- Beat the heavy cream into the icing. You may need between 6-8 tablespoons, depending on your icing. Enough heavy cream has been added when the icing no longer looks dry and is light and fluffy.
Strawberry Filling
- In a medium saucepan, combine the frozen strawberries and water. Cook down over medium heat until the berries can be easily smashed and the mixture is bubbling, about 30 minutes.
- Lightly crush the berries with a spoon until a rough strawberry sauce is created.
Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes
- Using a melon-baller or small spoon, scoop out a 1 inch sphere of cake from the center of each cupcake.Fill each cupcake with a teaspoon or two of strawberry filling.
- Using a piping bag or a zip-top bag with a corner snipped off, swirl the buttercream icing to cover each cupcake.
- Blend the freeze dried strawberries using a blender, food processor, or spice grinder, then dust the top of each cupcake with the strawberry powder using a sieve. (If you can't blend the strawberries into a powder, place them in a plastic bag and crush them as best you can with a rolling pin)
- Slice the fresh strawberries and garnish each cupcake with a strawberry half.
- Serve and enjoy!