Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Meringue Buttercream
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Happy 4th of July! I hope you have a fun day planned with lots of food, fireworks and fun with friends and family. If you’re looking for a last-minute dessert for today and have some strawberries in the fridge, these cupcakes are it. I honestly had never given strawberry cupcakes a thought up until a couple of years ago. My Chief Culinary Consultant and I ventured into Georgetown for an afternoon of cupcake hopping. After waiting in an insanely long line during one of the hottest days of the summer in D.C. for some Georgetown Cupcakes, we went off the beaten path and made our way to Baked and Wired. I chose a red velvet cupcake while my CCC went for the strawberry cupcake, which was noted as the bestseller on the menu. My red velvet was fabulous, but after one bite of his strawberry, I immediately regretted my decision. It was fabulous – a yellow cake with fresh strawberries in the batter and topped with beautiful pink buttercream. It’s taken me a couple of years, but I’ve finely baked up my own version and amped up with strawberry quotient even more!
My Chief Culinary Consultant proclaimed that this is the best cupcake I have ever made. That’s saying quite a bit, considering that the likes of chocolate salted caramel cupcakes, chocolate & peanut butter cupcakes, margarita cupcakes, pb&j cupcakes and many, many more have graced my kitchen. So what makes this cupcake so amazing? Two very important elements: An incredibly moist and light cake that’s loaded with tons of chopped fresh strawberries, and a strawberry Swiss meringue buttercream that is absolutely to die for.
I’ve seen Swiss meringue buttercream in many cookbooks and on tons of other blogs, but this was my very first time making it. To be perfectly honest, it always just seemed like a lot more work than was necessary for frosting. You can now consider me a total convert. This Swiss meringue buttercream is fluffy, has a light-as-air texture, isn’t overly sweet and completely melts in your mouth. The addition of pureed fresh strawberries makes it the perfect complement to the strawberry-studded cake beneath.
This recipe comes from the book Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes, which I love, but have one complaint about – the bizarre number of cupcakes that each recipe yields. Never one or two dozen, but usually larger quantities. This recipe will make 34 cupcakes, which is perfect if you’re making them for a crowd or taking them to a party. If you need to size the recipe down, know that one dozen cupcakes is about 35% of the total recipe below. My suggestion would be to utilize weight measurements to make sure that you scale down accurately. Alternately (and probably an easier option, in my opinion), you can make and freeze both the cupcakes and the frosting (separately) and then thaw as many as you need when you’re ready.
My guess, though? You’re going to want to make sure you have a full batch of these on hand, because once you eat one, you’re not going to be able to stop!
Have a safe and happy 4th of July!
Three year ago: Red, White and Blue Stained Glass Jello Stars
Four years ago: Classic White Bread
Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Meringue Buttercream
Yield: About 34 cupcakes
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 25 to 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
For the Cupcakes:
2¾ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2¼ cups granulated sugar
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 egg white
1 cup whole milk
2 cups finely chopped fresh strawberriesFor the Strawberry Meringue Buttercream:
1½ cups fresh strawberries (about 8 ounces), rinsed, hulled and coarsely chopped
4 egg whites
1¼ cups granulated sugar
1½ cups unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons, at room temperatureDirections:
1. Make the Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners.
2. Whisk together both flours, baking powder and salt; set aside.
3. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream together the butter, sugar and vanilla until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs and egg white, on at a time, beating until each is fully incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour in two batches, alternating with the milk, and beating until well combined. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold in the chopped strawberries by hand.
4. Divide the batter evenly among the lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake until golden and a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to pans to wire racks to cool for 15 minutes; turn out the cupcakes onto the rack and let cool completely. Cupcakes can be stored up to 1 day at room temperature in airtight containers before frosting.
5. Make the Strawberry Meringue Buttercream: Puree the strawberries in a food process or blender; set aside.
6. Combine the egg whites and sugar in the heatproof bowl of a standing electric mixer set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk constantly by hand until the mixture is warm to the touch and the sugar has dissolved (the mixture should feel completely smooth when rubbed between your fingertips).
7. Attach the bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Starting on low and gradually increasing to medium-high speed, mix until stiff (but not dry) peaks form. Continue mixing until the mixture is fluffy and glossy, and completely cool (test by touching the bottom of the bowl), about 10 minutes.
8. Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low and add the butter a few tablespoons at a time, mixing well after each addition. Once all the butter has been added, scrap down the sides of the bowl with a spatula and switch to the paddle attachment; continue beating on low speed until all air bubbles are eliminated, about 2 minutes. Add the strawberry puree and beat until combined. Stir the frosting with a rubber spatula until the frosting is smooth. Keep the buttercream at room temperature if using the same day, or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze up to 1 month. Before using, bring to room temperature and beat with paddle attachment on low speed until smooth again, about 5 minutes.
9. Decorate the Cupcakes: Spread or pipe the buttercream onto each cupcake. Store cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day, or refrigerate for up to 3 days.
(Recipe source: Martha Stewart's Cupcakes)
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These look yummy! Happy Independence Day to you too!
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These are beautiful, and look so tasty! I live in the DC area, and looove Baked and Wired. They’re definitely the best cupcakes I’ve tried here!
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funny – I was just on Martha’s site tonite perusing her cupcakes and noticed many of her recipes make dozens! Hope there’s a party
Seriously these look amazing!
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Love all those strawberries! (And I have the same complaint about Martha and a couple of other books that I have. Who need that many cupcakes lying about and it’s far easier to scale up a recipe than scale it down!)
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I LOVE Martha Stewart’s cupcake book! I made these a while ago and also got rave reviews! It did yield a crazy amount though. We both took a dozen to work each, and passed on to neighbors and family!
I have to say I’m crazy about the cupcakes, but I might try to add a little strawberry jam to the icing next time- for that intense flavour?
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These are simply lovely! Yum!
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These look so yummy! I’m glad you deviated, I find that those high profile places, usually do not live up to the hype:)
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this strawberry swiss meringue buttercream is my favorite!! it totally tastes like strawberry ice cream. absolutely delicious!!!
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Thanks for posting that, going to bake those up. I can use that wonderful buttercream on so many things. I don’t mind the odd number (34) because looking at the ingredients, I’m guessing that measurement wise, this was the easiest for the average cook to yield. Likely this was done to be able to “bring up” the ingredients like 1 egg white to a reasonable measurement. It would be really hard to 1/2 an egg white if you wanted to only have close to a dozen. This takes the guess work out of modifying things like egg whites which can’t be cut down by a percentage.
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Yum! Strawberry cupcakes sound so good. I love Swiss meringue buttercream but find Italian meringue buttercream is even better. Have you ever tried making it? Happy Fourth
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Michelle on July 4th, 2012 at 12:16 pm
I have not done Italian meringue buttercream; needs to be next on my list!
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Yum, I love strawberry cupcakes! Even from a box, it’s one of my favorite flavors. That buttercream looks to die for!
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Happy 4th to you, too! These cupcakes are adorable…
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Wow, these look amazing. I could totally eat all 34! But maybe shouldn’t do so all at once.
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Ok, I am going to have to give in and try this frosting. I have just written it off as too much work, for too long. Cupcakes look delicious!
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This is the most gorgeous cupcake I have seen all day! Perfect, I love it!
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I can’t wait to make this for my husband. He loves strawberry cupcakes!
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I need to try that strawberry meringue buttercream!
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Lovely! I’m planning on making strawberry daiquiri cupcake at the weekend, I might try your meringue buttercream on top.
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It’s almost like you know I have leftover strawberries in my fridge! These look delicious!!
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This is one of my favorite cupcake recipes too! The frosting is seriously amazing! I echo your complaint about MS’s book – it drives me crazy always having to scale back her recipe so much.
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You know, I’ve been wanting to make strawberry cupcakes for the longest time. I think you’ve just given me the little push I needed. These sound heavenly!
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I love all your recipes. I am getting ready to make these today. I know they are going to be delicious, like everything else you make.
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Kris on July 30th, 2012 at 5:59 pm
This isn’t actually “her” recipe. This is a Martha Stewart recipe. She credits her in the original post. I’m fairly certain it’s almost word for word from the Cupcakes book. I’ve become increasingly disappointed in the lack of original recipes being posted to Brown Eyed Baker. I prefer the recipes she develops herself.
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michelle these are the prettiest little cupcakes i’ve ever seen… fabulous job as always!
xo
http://allykayler.blogspot.ca/
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Oh my goodness, that frosting is so pretty! These cupcakes look wonderful!
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I’ve made this recipe before and it’s an excellent strawberry cupcake
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These cupcakes look delicious! And there is nothing like strawberries in a dessert: it’s fresh and it tastes Summer! Thanks for sharing, definitely a dessert to try!
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These look so good! I have always wanted to try a meringue buttercream…a little scared though! You might just get me there!
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Boy do these ever look delish and so pretty too! I think I’m craving them now.
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Looks delicious!
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I adore Swiss Meringue Buttercreams! They are always so creamy and not too sweet! Beautiful cupcakes, love the pink!
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I baked up a batch of these today, and they are so yummy! I was a little worried when I added the puréed strawberries to the meringue, because the texture got a little weird for a minute, but with a little elbow grease, it smoothed out. We’ll see what the workers at church say tomorrow, if I can keep my husband away from them until then!
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Can I use the same recipe to bake a layer cake? If so, how long should I bake?
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Michelle on July 24th, 2012 at 11:29 am
Hi Amy, It should work, although I have not tried it. I would start checking the cakes around the 20-25 minute mark, but I couldn’t say for sure the exact baking time since I haven’t done it.
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I rushed to the supermarket right after seeing your recipe, but strawberry season already ended over here! Would it be possible to use frozen strawberries for this recipe? Any tips? I can’t wait to make these..
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The photos are just lovely ……yum yum!
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Hi Michelle, I stumbled across your blog on google a while back and I have it bookmarked since. I love your blog and your gorgeous food photos. I have tried a couple of your sweet recipes in the past with the most recent one being the dark chocolate cupcakes (but I tried it with mocha buttercream instead of peanut butter). They tasted lovely and I got positive compliments with it. These strawberry cupcakes look divine and utterly mouthwatering!!! This definitely will be on my list to try next in a very near future! A small question: if I leave the frosted cupcakes with Swiss meringue buttercream out at room temp for a day, will the buttercream melt? Thank you for sharing the recipe!
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Michelle on July 24th, 2012 at 11:42 am
Hi Kat, No, it shouldn’t melt as long as when you say room temperature you mean somewhere in the 70 to 75-degree range. If you don’t have air conditioning, then it’s very possible that they could start to melt.
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You are right! That IS a lot of work for a frosting. Maybe you should just come over and make it for me?
Looks so delicious.
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Holy batman, I may have just tried to lick my computer screen. I’m always in search of the ultimate strawberry cupcake. Perhaps I have finally found it?
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I couldn’t agree more with your selections at Baked and Wired… Not only do they have more varieties, but they are also double the size for the same price of that “other” place. Can’t wait to try this recipe!
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I just made these and mine seemed to turn out with more of a muffin density, did I do something wrong?? They’re still quite tasty, just not really what you expect when biting into a cupcake. Good thing this was my test batch before I make these for my brother’s wedding shower.
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betty on July 22nd, 2012 at 9:51 pm
mine did too, they were less cake-y thank i’d expected. In fact, they didn’t rise as much either and the fresh fruit in the batter sort of gave it that muffin taste too. The frosting was amazing, so I’ll probably do a vanilla cupcake with this frosting on the next round. Still pretty good, though.
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Someone already asked this, but I’ll ask it again. Do you think it would work with frozen strawberries (thawed)? Here in Seoul, fresh strawberries are about $5/lb right now, and the quality isn’t great. I would still like to make them, though.
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Michelle on July 27th, 2012 at 5:48 pm
Hi Andrea, I think that would be fine, just be sure to drain them well so any excess moisture is removed.
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best. frosting. ever!
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Hi Michelle,
I this was my first time making this frosting. Everything went well until I added the purée. The frosting became very liquidy I put it in the freezer hoping that it will thicken. What did I do wrong and can I fix it!!!! Thanks for your help
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Michelle on July 28th, 2012 at 10:55 pm
Hi Eryka, The meringue frosting can be tricky the first couple of times around because of its tendency to separate. Mine did too once I added the puree, but just keep really mixing and stirring and it will come back together.
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Kris on July 30th, 2012 at 6:06 pm
I had the same problem the first time I made the Strawberry Meringue Buttercream and I think the main problem was that I added the puree way too quickly. A slow drizzle works well. I recently had a similar issue with some espresso meringue buttercream I was making. I could tell when I added the liquid (espresso) too quickly it would pull away from the bowl and start to get clumpy so I held off adding any more and let it whip back to the proper consistently, then slowly added more. My first batch of the strawberry meringue buttercream had to be thrown out as I couldn’t get it smooth after a good 30 minutes of whipping it. My second batch was glorious!
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I love your recipes. I tried the strawberry meringue buttercream and everything went wrong. My meringue would not get the peaks you were talking about. I wisked for 20 minutes. I finally added the strawberry puree to see what would happened and it got worse. Please help.
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Michelle on July 29th, 2012 at 8:34 pm
Hi Erica, I’m wondering if perhaps there was just a little bit of yolk that got into your egg whites? If anything other than egg white gets in that bowl, it could keep it from ever getting peaks. This is a great post by Rosie over at Sweetapolita about making Swiss meringue – she has a completely step-by-step with photos that might be helpful: http://sweetapolita.com/2011/04/swiss-meringue-buttercream-demystified/
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I just made these and all I can say is WOW! They are so delicious. Light and sweet, not overly dense and rich. Perfect for summertime
The buttercream was a lot of work, but totally worth it.
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I am making these tomorrow evening to take to work for “Cupcake Wednesday”! I have been dying to make them since the recipe was posted (like almost everything else you post, hehe!). I really hope the icing comes out right! Oh and I actually am thrilled that it makes so many in 1 batch, more to share and no doubling the recipe like I had to do with the last ones I made, which were also to delish!
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Susan on July 31st, 2012 at 10:33 pm
Oh My!!!! All I cam say is Yum!
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Hello, do you think this would work with raspberries? This sounds great but I’d like to make use of the very short raspberry season around here… thank you! Sounds delish!! Re the amount it makes, yeah that annoys me too but I’m getting a new upright freezer delivered tomorrow and it has a vented tray hanging beneath one of the glass ones which they said was for pizza but I’ll be using it to flash freeze baked goods. Can’t wait!!!!!!! Cause you know, otherwise I’d be forced to eat all 34 by myself…
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Michelle on August 17th, 2012 at 10:51 pm
Hi Heather, I don’t see why you couldn’t use raspberries in place of strawberries for this. Enjoy! And have fun with that new freezer, I’m jealous!
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Hi, these cupcakes
Look fabulous especially the buttercream. Just wondered if you knew the uk equivalent to cups either grms or ounces? And is all purpose flour same as plain flour here or self raising? Many thanks
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Michelle on August 18th, 2012 at 4:04 pm
Hi Laura-Anne, I don’t know the conversions off the top of my head, but this weight chart should help with the ounces: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipe/master-weight-chart.html. All-purpose flour is definitely different than self raising flour. I assume it would be similar to plain flour, but I have never used plain flour. If that’s your general, all-around flour, then that’s what I would use.
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I made these substituting buttermilk for the whole milk. They were fantastic!
However, I could not make the frosting come out right. It was way too thin and gritty. The next batch I substituted with a whipped cream frosting thats made with cream cheese so it doesn’t melt away. The frosting uses no butter or shortening , just cream cheese, a little bit of powdered sugar, some vanilla and heavey whipped cream. Delicious! I wonder if you can substitute another fruit like peaches or even mangos for the strawberries?
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Michelle on September 27th, 2012 at 12:40 pm
Hi Martha, I think mangoes would be great. Of course, any other type of berry would work too!
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Update: made the recipe with frozen strawberries (thawed). I used one package for the cake and one package for the frosting, and it turned out fine. This was my first time making a swiss meringue buttercream, and I have mixed feelings about it. When I tasted the buttercream on its own, I didn‘t care for it. It tasted more buttery than sweet to me, and I like sweet frostings. Paired with the cake, though, it was pretty good. I have another recipe that I am making today that calls for a swiss meringue buttercream, so I‘ll see if it grows on me.
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hi ive made this cupcake twice and its amazing!! but they seem to be more of like a muffin, what can i do to make it more moist?
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Michelle on September 30th, 2012 at 10:47 pm
Hi Lizbeth, I’m glad you’ve enjoyed the cupcakes! Make sure that you don’t overmix the batter or overbake the cupcakes. It could also have something to do with how juicy your strawberries are (the more in-season the more plump and juicy, vs. drier berries).
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These look perfect for a summer party!
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Hi Michelle,
I’m so sad right now as I’ve just had an epic frosting fail! I thought this was going well until I added the strawberry. I made the strawberries into puree as instructed. I did everything else step by step but the strawberry puree just curdled once it hit the frosting and now it looks terrible, there is absolutely no saving it. I had hoped to present these cupcakes for my co-worker’s birthday today, now I will be empty handed and I’m late for work! Where did I go wrong, I don’t understand? Any thoughts??
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Michelle on October 10th, 2012 at 5:36 pm
Hi Mieke, I’m sorry that you had some problems with your buttercream. Did you continue beating even after it curdled? Curdling is a common stage when making meringue buttercream; the trick is to keep mixing, and it eventually comes back together again.
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Mieke Schrijvers on October 11th, 2012 at 1:24 am
Hi, thanks so much for your reply, Michelle. I did try pumping up the volume on my Kitchenaid and gave it a good burst of higher speed beating for a minute or so… perhaps I didn’t persevere long enough? I chucked it pretty soon after that and then rushed off to work with a major frowny face (haha). I will have to give this another try. I really want to make this frosting (more than I want to make the cake), as it just looks so devine and I want to try it for myself!
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These cupcakes look mouthwatering and I’m delighted with them! I’ve featured this recipes on my blog! I hope you don’t mind! If you don’t agree with that please contact me and I will remove it. All the best.
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Can I use strawberry jam or strawberry preserve instead of fresh strawberries for the cupcake recipe and the swiss meringue buttercream?
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Michelle on November 20th, 2012 at 12:40 pm
Hi Aimee, I would definitely not use it in the actual cupcake, as the texture would be completely different. You could try the preserves for the frosting, though.
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These cupcakes taste DELICIOUS!! If you want the full review of how they turned out and the small difficulties you might face, check out the post I just put up on my blog; http://scarvesandcookiedough.blogspot.com/2012/11/cupcakes.html
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Just tried making this recipe last night but the frosting didn’t work out well. The strawberry purée separated from the meringue and it wasn’t very fluffy and fell in on itself when it was pipped on to the cupcake. What did I do wrong??
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Michelle on January 17th, 2013 at 6:44 pm
Hi Susan, Meringue buttercream does separate when you first begin mixing it; it just takes some patience and perseverance to keep at it until it comes back together again. This particular frosting won’t get “fluffy” like a butter and powdered sugar buttercream, though.
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My daughter said these were the best I have ever made. Thank you for the great recipe!
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My frosting wasn’t thick enough. Any tips?
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Kayla on March 14th, 2013 at 11:09 pm
I totally agree.
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Michelle on March 21st, 2013 at 2:16 pm
Meringue buttercream frostings don’t get super thick like traditional powdered sugar-based buttercreams. They have more a silky smooth texture.
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I tried yours and I was really disapointed. We tried everything, starting from adding powder sugar to refrigating it. It seems like the picture is fake and I really hated the frosting recipe. Do you try this recipe yourself? I was so disappointed! I don’t think I am gonna use this site anymore. I was hoping to be able to trust this site, but I lost my faith >:(
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Michelle on March 21st, 2013 at 2:17 pm
Yes, I made this recipe myself and the photo is real, not fake, taken in my kitchen.
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LOVE this cake recipe. My cupcakes came out beautifully. The Meringue buttercream is so different than anything Ive tried before. I had a little problem with it once I added the last of the butter and strawberries. But after reading the reviews here I continued to whisk it and it did turn out. Its still really, really different and Im not sure how I feel about it. BUT I will be taking it out and sharing and getting some feedback. BUT the cakes were beautiful.
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Hi,
This may be a dumb question, but do I need 2 cups of entire strawberries or should they fill 2 cups after they have been finely chopped?
Thanks,
Cindy
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Michelle on April 11th, 2013 at 12:38 pm
Hi Cindy, They should fill the 2 cups after being finely chopped.
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I just made the icing today and it is the best. If I wasn’t fixing this for my daughter’s picnic this weekend, this icing would be gone. Just fyi, the mixture does seperate as others have stated once you start to add the strawberry puree. Just keep working it, it will become thick and fluffy. Can’t wait to make the cupcakes for this weekend.
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I tried out this recipe a few months ago right from Martha’s website and for some reason my frosting turned to liquid. : ( it was very sad- I made it work by adding confec. sugar but I think it took away from the yummyness of the strawberry flavor. I have made Meringue Buttercreams many times before and never had an issue. Any ideas on why this might have happened or what I can do to prevent it again? Thanks!
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Michelle on April 16th, 2013 at 4:37 pm
Hi Jessica, Meringue buttercreams can be finicky beasts. I have found twice where I thought a meringue buttercream was too “loose” only to start piping or frosting with it, to find that it was in fact the perfect consistency. It’s hard to get used to after making a lot of “American” buttercreams (butter and powdered sugar). I would just urge you to practice and get a feel for the textures. Many times meringue buttercream can look as though it’s “broken” but if you keep beating, it will come together again.
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Made these beauties for my nieces 24th birthday and they were a huge hit. Although my meringue buttercream did curdle
Awe shucks!! I usually always read comments and reviews to see what others have to say about a recipe but this time I didn’t. And I should have. Didn’t stop from using the frosting though, it was so full of yumminess, sprinkled them with pink sugar crystal they were gorgeous! Next time I’ll keep the beat going.
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Hi Michelle just wanted to thank you for this scrumptious recipe I ate 8 or 10 cupcakes at once and still want to eat more.they were so tempting even without the buttercream coz I went out of strawberries but love them sooooo much thanks again:)
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I made theses cupcakes and the bread part was delicious! My only problem was with the icing. I made it 3x and it never worked. The icing was perfect until I added the strawberry purée. It turned into a mess after tat point. I even tried placing it the refrigerator and beating it again nothing worked. Do you have any advice?
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These are by far and away the best cupcakes I have ever made. Ever. The recipe is so beautiful I just have to ask: have you tried duplicating its success with other fruits? I’m thinking about substituting peaches for the strawberries and giving that a try. Or maybe mango. Oh man the possibilities are overwhelming.
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Michelle on May 17th, 2013 at 11:01 pm
Hi Kia, I haven’t tried these with other fruits, but I’m sure it would be fabulous. Love the mango idea!
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