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Strawberry Cupcakes with Fresh Berries

This recipe was updated in February 2021 to increase the amount of cupcakes from 9 to 12. You can make the strawberry puree up to 3 days ahead of time to make this easier.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 12 cupcakes
Calories 268kcal

Ingredients

Cupcakes

  • 12 oz fresh strawberries
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter (or coconut oil)
  • 1/3 cup maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs (lightly beaten)

Frosting

  • 8 oz cream cheese (softened at room temperature)
  • 4 tablespoons butter (softened at room temperature)
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 2-3 tablespoons seedless strawberry jam or preserves

Instructions

To make the cupcakes:

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners.
  • Wash the berries and remove the stems. Puree in a food processor or blender. You should have about 1 cup.
  • Combine the butter (or oil) and maple syrup in a glass, heat-proof measuring cup. Warm in 15 second increments in the microwave, stopping to stir, until the butter (or oil) is melted. Let cool slightly.
  • Stir in the vanilla, eggs, and strawberry puree.
  • Stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
  • Stir in the puree mixture.
  • Fill the prepared liners with the batter to about 3/4 full. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the centers comes out clean. Let cool for 2-3 minutes in the pan, then remove and let cool completely on a wire rack.

To make the frosting:

  • Use an electric hand-held mixer to beat the cream cheese, butter, jam, and powdered sugar in a large bowl. Taste and add more jam if necessary. Spoon into a quart-size zip top bag and store in the fridge until ready to frost.
  • When ready to serve, snip off a corner of the bag and pipe frosting onto each cupcake (or spread on with a butter knife). 

Notes

  • To make these ahead, store the cupcakes, fully cooled and without frosting, in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 24 hours. Frost right before serving.
  • Store any leftover frosted cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
  • You can make the puree up to 3 days ahead. (This makes this recipe really easy!)
  • Dairy-free: Use melted coconut oil instead of butter.
  • Gluten-free: Use cup-for-cup gluten-free flour instead of all-purpose.
  • You can use whole wheat pastry flour instead of all-purpose.
  • You can use honey instead of maple syrup.
  • Let the cupcakes cool before adding the icing.
  • To make the lightest color cupcakes possible (if that matters to you!), use honey and all-purpose flour.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupcake | Calories: 268kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 236mg | Potassium: 118mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 650IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 1mg