Fresh strawberry buttercream frosting made with real strawberries and homemade strawberry purée for a naturally fruity, smooth, and creamy texture.
This recipe is based on my classic vanilla buttercream, carefully tested and flavored with fresh strawberry purée to keep a clean, natural strawberry taste without artificial flavoring.
It’s an easy homemade strawberry buttercream made with real strawberries, not jam or extracts, perfect for frosting cakes, cupcakes, and layered desserts.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Real strawberry flavor – Made with fresh strawberry purée for a natural, bright berry taste.
- Light and creamy texture – Smooth, whipped buttercream that pipes and spreads easily.
- Versatile frosting – Perfect for cupcakes, layer cakes, fillings, and summer desserts.
Ingredients You Need
- Butter - Unsalted butter (80% fat), softened but still cool for a smooth whipped buttercream.
- Powdered Sugar - Only powdered sugar (confectioners/icing sugar) for a light and creamy strawberry frosting.
- Heavy Cream - A splash of full-fat heavy cream to keep the buttercream soft and prevent crusting.
- Strawberry Purée - Thick homemade strawberry purée made from fresh or frozen berries — not coulis — for real strawberry flavor.
- Vanilla - Pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean seeds for extra depth.
- Food Coloring (optional) - The purée gives a natural pink hue; add a tiny drop of gel coloring if you want a brighter shade.
Tips for the Best Strawberry Buttercream
- Use soft butter – Butter should be softened, not melted, to get a smooth and creamy strawberry buttercream.
- Blend and strain the purée – Make a thick strawberry purée and strain it to remove seeds for a silky, even texture.
- Adjust the consistency – If the frosting is too soft, add a little powdered sugar. If it’s too thick, add a small splash of heavy cream.
- Add the purée gradually – Mix in the strawberry purée little by little to keep the buttercream stable and prevent it from becoming runny.
How to Make Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
This strawberry frosting is made with my homemade strawberry purée and a classic American buttercream base for a smooth, creamy texture.
Place fresh or frozen strawberries in a saucepan with sugar and lemon juice.
Cook over medium heat for 10–15 minutes until thickened and jam-like, with small strawberry pieces remaining.
Blend the strawberry purée until perfectly smooth, then let it cool completely before mixing it into the buttercream.
Beat the softened butter in a large bowl or stand mixer for 3–5 minutes until smooth, creamy, and pale.
Add the sifted powdered sugar in batches on low speed, then mix in the vanilla. Increase to high speed and whip 5 minutes until fluffy.
Add the cooled strawberry purée and heavy cream, then whip about 3 minutes until the buttercream turns smooth, creamy, and evenly pink.
Mix at low speed for a few minutes with the paddle attachment to smooth the frosting and remove air bubbles.
Serving Suggestions
- Cupcakes – Pipe or spread this strawberry buttercream frosting on vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry cupcakes.
- Layer cakes – Use it to frost and fill vanilla, chocolate, or berry layer cakes.
- Desserts – Spoon it over brownies, cheesecake, or any dessert that needs a fresh strawberry frosting.
Recipe Variations
- Strawberry jam buttercream – Use seedless strawberry jam for a quick strawberry frosting shortcut.
- Freeze-dried strawberry buttercream frosting – Add crushed freeze-dried strawberries for a deeper strawberry flavor and brighter color.
- Strawberry cream cheese frosting – Blend cream cheese into the strawberry buttercream frosting for a tangy, richer texture.
- Strawberry Swiss meringue buttercream – Fold strawberry purée into Swiss meringue buttercream for a lighter, less sweet frosting.
- Berry buttercream frosting – Swap strawberries for raspberries, blueberries, or mixed berries.
I love using it to frost and fill my strawberry buttercream cake, where the strawberry flavor really stands out.
If you’re looking for more frosting and filling ideas for cakes, you can find them all here.
Recipe Questions
Can I use frozen strawberries for strawberry buttercream frosting?
Yes, frozen strawberries work perfectly for making the purée.
Why is my strawberry buttercream frosting too soft?
The purée may be too liquid. Reduce it longer or add more powdered sugar.
How do I get a brighter pink strawberry frosting?
Use a more concentrated purée or add a tiny drop of pink gel food coloring.
Can I use strawberry jam instead of purée?
Yes, use seedless jam. The flavor will be sweeter and less fresh.
Why is my buttercream grainy?
Always strain the purée and finish mixing on low speed to smooth the frosting.
More Buttercream Recipes
I hope you’ll love this recipe. If you try it, feel free to leave a comment. Happy baking!
Print
Strawberry Buttercream Frosting with Fresh Strawberries
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 10 portions
Description
This whipped American fresh strawberry buttercream is a quick and simple frosting made with real strawberry purée. Perfect to frost 12 cupcakes or to fill and decorate a 2-tier 6-inch (15 cm) cake.
Ingredients
- 200 g (¾ cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 350 g (2 ¾ cups) powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 80 ml (⅓ cup) heavy cream
Strawberry Purée (for the frosting)
- 100 g strawberries (fresh or frozen)
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp lemon juice.
Instructions
Make the strawberry purée
- Cook the strawberries with sugar and lemon for about 5–7 minutes until soft.
- Blend until smooth, then strain through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds.
- Let the purée cool completely before adding it to the frosting.
Strawberry buttercream
- Place the softened butter in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on high speed for 5 minutes, scraping the bowl halfway, until the texture is smooth, creamy, and pale.
- Add the sifted powdered sugar in batches, keeping the mixer on medium speed, and mix until fully incorporated.
- Pour in the heavy cream and vanilla extract, then whip again on high speed for 5 minutes to lighten the buttercream.
- Add the cooled strawberry purée and mix for about 2 minutes until the frosting is pink, smooth, and creamy.
- Use the frosting immediately, or refrigerate it covered. Bring it back to room temperature and re-whip before piping.
Notes
Storage : Keep in the fridge for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 3 months in an airtight container.
Tips:
- Use a kitchen scale for accurate ingredients and consistent texture.
- Make sure the purée is fully cooled before adding it.
- If the frosting is too soft, add a bit more powdered sugar.
- If too thick, add a splash of heavy cream.
- For a smoother texture, mix 1–2 minutes on low speed at the end.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Buttercream, frosting, icing, fillings
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 portion
- Calories: 297
- Sugar: 34.7 g
- Sodium: 4.1 mg
- Fat: 17.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 35.5 g
- Protein: 0.3 g
- Cholesterol: 47.6 mg
Susan D
This buttercream is heavenly!! I made it as the recipe states but added more of the strawberry puree for a bigger strawberry flavor. It holds up really well too for piping even though it is light & fluffy. I also added pink pitaya powder for a bolder pink flavor. Love this so much!
Fadela
Thank you so much! I’m so glad you loved it! Adding more strawberry purée and pitaya powder sounds delicious — and that bold pink must have looked amazing!