Strawberry cupcakes with a soft vanilla crumb, fresh strawberry pieces, and a creamy strawberry mascarpone frosting topped with fresh strawberries.
These strawberry cupcakes are soft, fresh, and full of real strawberry flavor with a light vanilla base that stays perfectly moist.
The strawberry mascarpone frosting gives them a creamy finish that feels lighter than classic buttercream and pairs perfectly with fresh berries.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Soft vanilla cupcakes with fresh strawberries
- Light strawberry mascarpone frosting
- Perfect for spring and summer desserts
Ingredients you need
These strawberry cupcakes are made with a soft vanilla cupcake base, fresh strawberries, and a light strawberry mascarpone frosting.
- Butter: Use softened unsalted butter.
- Granulated sugar: Regular white sugar.
- Eggs: Use room temperature eggs.
- Vanilla extract and salt
- Cake flour: Gives a softer crumb than all-purpose flour.
- Baking powder: For the rise.
- Buttermilk: Full-fat buttermilk preferred.
- Fresh strawberries: Diced for the batter and whole for the puree.
- Mascarpone: Keep cold before using.
- Heavy cream: Use full-fat heavy whipping cream.
- Powdered sugar: Sift before adding to the frosting.
Tips Before You Start
- Dry the strawberries: Pat the diced strawberries dry before folding them into the batter.
- Do not overmix: Mix the batter just until combined after adding the flour.
- Cool the puree: Let the strawberry puree cool completely before using it in the frosting.
- Keep ingredients cold: Use cold mascarpone and heavy cream for a stable frosting.
- Use a scoop: Fill the cupcake liners evenly with a cookie scoop.
How to Make Strawberry Cupcakes
Beat the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and creamy.
Add the eggs one at a time, then mix in the vanilla extract.
Incorporate the sifted dry ingredients, alternating with the buttermilk, until just combined.
Toss the diced strawberries with a little flour, then gently fold them into the batter.
Divide the batter into cupcake liners and bake at 350°F / 180°C for about 20 minutes.
Cook the strawberries with a little sugar until soft and thickened, blend into a puree, then strain through a fine mesh sieve for a smooth frosting texture before cooling completely.
Whip the mascarpone, heavy cream, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and strawberry puree until smooth and fluffy.
Pipe the strawberry mascarpone frosting onto the cooled cupcakes and decorate with half a fresh strawberry.
You can also top these strawberry cupcakes with my strawberry buttercream frosting or strawberry ganache.
Storage
Store the strawberry cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Recipe Variations
- Strawberry filling: Add a strawberry filling inside the cupcakes for extra flavor.
- Strawberry buttercream: Replace the mascarpone frosting with strawberry buttercream frosting.
- White chocolate: Add white chocolate chips to the cupcake batter.
- Mini cupcakes: Turn this recipe into mini strawberry cupcakes for parties.
- Freeze-dried strawberries: Add strawberry powder for a stronger strawberry flavor.
Try my strawberry filled cupcakes, or these strawberry crunch cupcakes.
Recipe Questions
Can I use frozen strawberries?
Fresh strawberries work best, but frozen strawberries can be used for the puree.
Can I make these cupcakes ahead of time?
You can bake the cupcakes one day ahead and frost them before serving.
How do I keep the frosting stable?
Keep the mascarpone and heavy cream cold before whipping the frosting.
Can I freeze the cupcakes?
Freeze the unfrosted cupcakes for up to 2 months.
More Strawberry Cupcake Recipes
- White chocolate strawberry cupcakes
- Chocolate strawberry cupcakes
- Strawbery lemonade cupcakes
I hope you’ll love this recipe. If you try it, feel free to leave a comment. Happy baking!
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Strawberry Cupcakes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 12 cupcakes
Description
Soft vanilla strawberry cupcakes filled with fresh strawberry pieces and topped with a light strawberry mascarpone frosting made with homemade strawberry puree.
Ingredients
Strawberry Cupcakes
- 100 g (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 150 g (¾ cup) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract
- 135 ml (½ cup + 1 tbsp) buttermilk
- 165 g (1â…“ cups) cake flour
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 80 g (½ cup) fresh strawberries, diced and lightly coated in flour
Strawberry Puree
- 300 g (2 cups) fresh strawberries
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
Strawberry Mascarpone Frosting
- 250 g (1 cup) mascarpone cheese, cold
- 250 ml (1 cup) heavy whipping cream, cold
- 120 g (½ cup) strawberry puree, cold
- 2 to 3 tablespoon powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pink food coloring, optional
Instructions
Strawberry Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C and line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until light and creamy.
- Add the eggs one at a time while mixing, then add the vanilla extract.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the batter in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk, and mix on low speed just until combined.
- Toss the diced strawberries with a little flour, then gently fold them into the batter using a spatula.
- Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners, filling them about â…” full.
- Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the cupcakes cool for a few minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
Strawberry Puree
- Place the strawberries and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Cook for several minutes while stirring occasionally until the strawberries are soft and slightly thickened.
- Blend into a smooth puree, then strain through a fine mesh sieve for a smooth texture.
- Let the strawberry puree cool completely before using in the frosting.
Strawberry Mascarpone Frosting
- Place the cold mascarpone, heavy cream, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and cooled strawberry puree into a large mixing bowl.
- Beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed until the frosting is smooth, thick, and fluffy.
- Add a small amount of pink food coloring if desired.
Assembly
- Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with your favorite piping tip.
- Pipe the strawberry mascarpone frosting onto the cooled cupcakes.
- Decorate each cupcake with half a fresh strawberry before serving.
Notes
Storage: Store the strawberry cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Tips:
- Pat the strawberries dry before adding them to the batter.
- Use cold mascarpone and heavy cream for the frosting.
- Let the strawberry puree cool completely before whipping the frosting.
- Do not overmix the cupcake batter.
- Keep the cupcakes refrigerated until serving.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Cupcakes
- Cuisine: American
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