Say goodbye to dense cupcakes and hello to six of the softest strawberry cupcakes full of strawberry flavor. The small batch of cupcakes gets their fluffy light texture from a special mixing method. And fresh (or frozen!) strawberries are reduced to a thick sauce to deliver pure flavor. The pretty pink cupcakes make wonderful centerpieces for your birthday, seasonal, or special celebrations.
For a double dose of strawberry, finish the cupcakes with rich strawberry buttercream made from freeze dried strawberries. Or try the lemon buttercream small batch frosting for a fun twist on strawberry lemonade!
I’ll be the first to admit, I hate to hear when people don’t care for my recipes. But that motivates me to try and perfect a light and fluffy cupcake that tastes like what I’ve said it should. I first published this recipe in 2020, and since then a few readers have noted they don’t taste the strawberry. So I’ve gone back into the ‘test kitchen’ and revised the recipe to deliver a stronger strawberry flavor.
Sure, we could use a flavored extract, but I can’t even wrap my head around what artificial strawberry taste like in a cupcake. Or chunks of strawberry, which may be fun for a little texture, but they’ll likely sink to the bottom and yield the dreaded ‘soggy-bottom’.
My favorite solution: use fresh strawberry puree, but cook it and reduce it by half. This removes excess moisture (which can dilute flavor and yield a dense cupcake) and leaves us with a thick, robust strawberry sauce. The result: strawberry cupcakes that taste like strawberry!
Bonus: I also changed the mixing method for the batter. My new favorite way to make light and fluffy cakes limits gluten development when preparing the batter. And you’ll have to read on to find out how this is accomplished (hint: I use the same mixing method for the lemon small batch cupcakes and the super light six-inch small vanilla cake)!
My Pro Tips On A Few Ingredients
- Fresh strawberries are ideal for bright natural flavor, but frozen strawberries will work out of season.
- To further enhance the flavor of the cupcakes, use salt. It is kind of magical how salt will balance sweetness in a way to lets other flavors shine.
- I have tested these cupcakes with a variety of milk types: whole, 2%, and even coconut milk impart enough moisture to keep the cupcakes soft and lofty.
How To Make Small Batch Strawberry Cupcakes (In Pictures)
Add the strawberries to a small blender or food processor. Pulse until smooth.
Pour the puree into a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the puree has been reduced by half.
Tip! Not a fan of seeds? Strain the puree through a fine mesh strainer set over the saucepan.
Tip! Make the strawberry puree ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator. Bring it to room temperature when you are ready to make the cupcakes.
Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and butter cubes to your mixing bowl.
Mix until the butter has been broken down into small pieces. The mix will resemble coarse sand.
Let’s Talk About Reverse Creaming
I’ve hinted at it long enough – now it’s time to spill the tea on reverse creaming. I first learned this technique from watching Food Network. After further research, I found that the talented Rose Levy Beranbaum perfected the method for making soft cakes.
So, what is it? Simply put, rather than creaming the butter and sugar first, both are added to the dry ingredients and mixed to a sandy texture. The butter coats the flour, which minimizes gluten development, which yields a pillowy soft cake.
Now, not only do we get the perfect, tight crumb, but reverse creaming is also easy with a capital E! Or in my words – my favorite was to make cake and cupcakes. Now, back to how to make these small batch strawberry cupcakes …
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, and vanilla so the egg is fully mixed. Add the strawberry puree and whisk.
Slowly drizzle the wet ingredients over the dry and mix until just combined.
Tip! To achieve the perfect soft and fluffy texture in the cupcakes, do not overmix the batter! Even though we use the reverse creaming method, mixing the batter too long will likely yield a chewy and gummy cupcake.
Tip! Worried about the cupcake liners sticking to the cupcakes? Two tips: 1. Let the cupcakes cool completely before removing the liners. And 2. Cheap cupcake liners are more likely to stick – even when completely cool.
FAQ
The strawberry puree will delicately hue the cupcakes. But if you want a brighter color, add a drop or two of pink food coloring to the batter.
A Cupcake For Any Celebration
With all the technicalities and how to make these small batch strawberry cupcakes discussed, let’s talk about when they’ll be the perfect dessert addition.
With spring and summer on the horizon, the lovely hue and flavor make sense for any Valentine’s Day celebration, 4th of July picnic, or summer pool party. My favorite – birthdays! Imagine these sweet little cakes topped with a single candle or arranged on a pretty cake platter!
Did you make these cupcakes for a special occasion? I’d love to hear about it (and how you decorated them!) Let me know in the recipe comments below!
Small Batch Strawberry Cupcakes
EQUIPMENT
- Hand Mixer (optional)
INGREDIENTS
Strawberry Cupcakes
- 6 ounces strawberries, fresh or frozen (about 3/4 cup)
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 7 tablespoons organic cane sugar (or granulated sugar)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature and cut into cubes
- 3 tablespoons milk, room temperature (any milk type will work)
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
- 6 tablespoons freeze dried strawberries, ground to powder (will yield approximately 3 tablespoons of powder)
- 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar (sift for best results)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 to 3 tablespoons heavy cream, room temperature
INSTRUCTIONS
Strawberry Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350F degrees and adjust oven rack to the middle position. Line a muffin pan with 6 cupcake liners.
- In a blender or food processor, pulse the strawberries to a puree. Add the puree to a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until it is reduced by half (6 tablespoons). The strawberry sauce will be thick, almost like applesauce. Optional – Strain the puree through a fine mesh strainer set over the saucepan to remove the seeds.6 ounces strawberries, fresh or frozen
- Transfer the strawberry puree to a small bowl and refrigerate to cool completely – at least 30 minutes. The puree needs time to cool down so the butter doesn't melt and the egg doesn't scramble! Note – You can also make the strawberry puree ahead of time – like the night before – and bring to room temperature when ready to make the cupcakes.
- In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Give the dry ingredients a quick mix to combine. Note – If using a stand mixer, I recommend the 3-quart mixing bowl (link above) for the small batch batter. Otherwise, you can use a hand mixer and medium mixing bowl.3/4 cup all-purpose flour, 3/4 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 7 tablespoons organic cane sugar
- Add the butter cubes to the dry ingredients. Mix on medium-high speed until the butter is broken up and the mix resembles coarse sand.2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature and cut into cubes
- In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, add the milk, egg, and vanilla. Whisk to mix the egg. Add the strawberry puree and whisk to combine.3 tablespoons milk, room temperature, 1 large egg, room temperature, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 6 ounces strawberries, fresh or frozen
- Turn the mixer on low speed. Slowly drizzle the wet ingredients into the dry until incorporated and no dry streaks remain. It is ok if the batter is a little lumpy.
- Pour equal amounts of batter into the prepared cupcake liners. Tip – Use a small cookie scoop to help with portioning and less mess!
- Bake for 16 to 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes in the pan set on a wire cooling rack for 5 minutes. Then transfer the cupcakes to the wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
- Unfrosted cupcakes can be covered and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days. Frosted cupcakes, 2 days. Beyond that, I recommend refrigerating them if they are frosted.
Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
- In a small blender or food processor, add the freeze-dried strawberries and 1/4 cup of powdered sugar. Pulse for a few seconds until the strawberries have been ground into powder. The freeze-dried strawberries have a robust flavor, and depending on your taste preference, you can add 1 to 2 more tablespoons to suit your taste. If you add more strawberry powder, I recommend adding a few extra drizzles of cream to make creamy frosting.6 tablespoons freeze dried strawberries, ground to powder
- Add the butter to a medium mixing bowl. See the Notes below to use a stand mixer. Use a hand mixer with beater attachments and beat the butter on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy – about 2 minutes. Sift the strawberry powder mix over the butter, then add the salt, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon of cream. Beat on medium speed until combined and the frosting begins to get creamy. Sift in the remaining powdered sugar and beat until combined.1 ¼ cups powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 2 to 3 tablespoons heavy cream, room temperature
- Switch to the whisk attachments on your mixer. Turn the mixer on medium-high speed and continue to mix for about 3 to 5 minutes – the frosting will start to get fluffy and light. At this point, you can add a little more cream or powdered sugar to get your desired frosting consistency. I prefer my frosting lighter and often add a little more than 2 tablespoons of cream.
- The frosting is ready to use immediately and is room temperature stable for up to 2 days. Alternatively, it can be stored in a covered container and refrigerated for up to 1 week. If refrigerating, bring the frosting to room temperature to use. I also recommend giving it another mix to lighten and loosen.
RECIPE NOTES
- Serving Size – This is a small batch recipe that can be doubled.
- Strawberry Puree – After readers have mentioned the strawberry flavor really doesn’t come through, I have re-tested the recipe with cooking and reducing the strawberry puree. This removes extra moisture and leaves a more pronounced flavor.
- Stand Mixer – For the cupcakes and frosting, you can use your stand mixer with standard bowl and attachments. However, because this is a small batch recipe, both cupcake batter and frosting will mix more evenly when you use a 3-quart mixing bowl.
- Reverse Creaming Method – You will notice we mix the butter and sugar with the other dry ingredients first. This method of mixing limits gluten development and yields fluffy and airy cupcakes.
- Make Into A Cake – The recipe will work to make a small single layer 6-inch cake using a round 6-inch cake pan.
- Freeze Dried Strawberries – Pulse the strawberries with the powdered sugar so they don’t clump when mixing the frosting.
- Frosting Consistency – I prefer a lighter, fluffier frosting. I usually add a splash or two more of the cream to make the frosting lighter. Otherwise, as written, the frosting will be sturdy and easily piped.
- Frosting Mix Time – After adding all the ingredients, you will want to mix the frosting for at least 3 to 5 minutes to achieve a light and fluffy frosting. This is where using your stand mixer comes in handy!
- Storing – Unfrosted cupcakes can be stored covered at room temperature for up to 3 days and frosted cupcakes for 2 days. I recommend refrigerating frosted cupcakes after day 2 because of the frosting.
- Freezing – The baked, unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen for up to 3 months. Wrap individually in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag. Thaw in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature to serve.
NUTRITION ESTIMATES
about the author ...
With years of experience baking for two in my own small household, I know about the love for desserts without the leftovers! I’ve tested, written, and photographed the hundreds of small batch dessert recipes on my website. From traditional to gluten free desserts for two, I have the recipe for you!