The Easiest Recipe for Strawberry Cupcakes
Soft and tender strawberry cupcakes with rich strawberries and cream flavor, filled with strawberry preserves and topped with an easy strawberry frosting.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Make the Strawberry Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 375°F
- Set aside 2 tablespoons (you can estimate) of the granulated sugar. This will be used to help stabilize the egg whites later when whipped.110 grams granulated sugar
- In a large bowl, add all the rest of the granulated sugar, the cake flour, baking powder, and salt to a mixing bowl and stir to combine.120 grams cake flour, 110 grams granulated sugar, 1½ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Add the strawberry milk, oil, egg yolks, vanilla extract, and food coloring (if using) to the flour mixture and beat on medium speed for 2 full minutes.115 mL strawberry milk, 3 large eggs, separated, 60 mL neutral-flavored oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, red or pink food coloring
- In a separate medium bowl add the egg whites and whip on high speed until frothy. Once the egg whites are frothy, gradually sprinkle in the 2 tablespoons of sugar set aside earlier while continuing to whip on high speed. Whip until the egg whites reach soft peaks.3 large eggs, separated
- Gently fold in the whipped egg whites into the strawberry cupcake batter until completely incorporated.
- Pour the cupcake batter into a cupcake pan prepared with cupcake liners. Fill them about 80% of the way.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes at 375 °F or until the cupcakes spring back when pressed lightly.
- Make the frosting while the cupcakes cool.
The cupcakes should be completely cool before adding the ermine frosting, so the frosting doesn't slide off.
Make the Strawberry Ermine Frosting
- Make the roux base. Add the sugar, all-purpose flour & milk to a saucepan and whisk to remove any clumps. Whisk continuously over medium heat until the mixture is smooth and has a glue-like consistency.200 mL strawberry milk, 200 grams granulated sugar, 50 grams all-purpose flour
- Transfer the roux base to a heat-resistant bowl and cover with a lid or plastic wrap. Refrigerate until completely cooled.
- Once the roux base has completely cooled, transfer it to a mixing bowl and whip at high speed for 2-4 minutes to aerate. It should be very pale, almost white.
- Add the unsalted butter 1-2 tablespoons at a time and add food coloring as desired. Continue beating at high speed until the last chunk of butter has been completely incorporated and the frosting is smooth and fluffy.285 grams unsalted butter, red or pink food coloring
Place the roux base in the freezer to speed up the process, but be sure to set a timer so you don’t forget it!
Assembling the Strawberry Cupcakes with the Strawberry Ermine Frosting
- Transfer the ermine strawberry frosting to a piping bag with your favorite piping tip.
- Use a cupcake corer to remove a piece from the center of the cupcakes. Then fill with strawberry preserves. Replace a piece of the cupcake core on top to serve as a "cap."strawberry preserves
- Pipe the strawberry ermine buttercream onto the cupcakes in your desired styles and enjoy!
- Refrigerate leftover cupcakes in an airtight container for up to 3 days for optimal texture.
Nutrition
Notes
- If you opt for imperial measurements, spoon the flour into the measuring cups. This prevents packing the measuring cup and adding too much flour.
- Make sure the egg whites are whipped in a clean bowl and with a clean whisk free of any oil/grease. Also, ensure there are no egg yolks in the egg whites. Any fat will prevent the egg whites from whipping to full volume.
- Don't whip the egg whites past soft peaks. Soft peaks incorporate more easily into the batter than firm peaks, and with that reduced effort, you're less likely to deflate the egg whites.