Strawberry White Chocolate Cupcakes
These Strawberry White Chocolate Cupcakes are soft, fluffy, and bursting with fresh strawberry flavor. Made with a concentrated strawberry reduction, juicy strawberries, and creamy white chocolate, then topped with a luscious strawberry buttercream, they're the perfect bakery-style dessert for birthdays, holidays, baby showers, or any special occasion.
Servings 12 cupcakes
Calories 565kcal
Cost $15 for entire recipe
Equipment
- 12-cup muffin pan
- Paper cupcake liners
- Small saucepan
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Kitchen scale (recommended)
- Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
- Whisk
- Rubber spatula
- Cooling rack
- piping bag
- Large star piping tip (such as Wilton 1M or 2D)
- Cupcake corer or small paring knife (optional, for filling)
Ingredients
Strawberry Reduction
- 1 cup fresh strawberries chopped
Cupcakes
- 1½ cups plus 2 tablespoons 190 g all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 6 tablespoons 85 g unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup 150 g granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil canola, vegetable, or avocado
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract optional
- ½ teaspoon strawberry emulsion optional
- ⅓ cup 80 g full-fat sour cream, room temperature
- 3 tablespoons whole milk room temperature
- 1½ tablespoons cooled strawberry reduction
- ⅔ cup 100 g finely diced fresh strawberries, patted completely dry
- 4½ ounces 128 g white baking chocolate, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour for coating the strawberries
Strawberry White Chocolate Buttercream
- 1 cup 226 g unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups 360 g powdered sugar
- ¼ cup freeze-dried strawberry powder sifted
- 2 ounces 56 g white baking chocolate, melted and cooled
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of fine sea salt
- 2–3 tablespoons heavy cream
Optional Filling
- Strawberry preserves or thick strawberry compote
Instructions
- Place the chopped strawberries in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10–15 minutes until reduced to about 1½ tablespoons and thick like jam. Cool completely.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed for 4–5 minutes until very light and fluffy.
- Beat in the oil until fully incorporated.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla, almond extract (if using), strawberry emulsion (if using), sour cream, and cooled strawberry reduction.
- Add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the milk. Begin and end with the dry ingredients, mixing just until combined after each addition.
- Toss the diced strawberries with 1 tablespoon flour, then gently fold the strawberries and chopped white chocolate into the batter using a rubber spatula.
- Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners, filling each about ⅔ full.
- Bake for 20–22 minutes, or until the tops spring back lightly and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
- Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the buttercream, beat the butter until creamy. Gradually add the powdered sugar, freeze-dried strawberry powder, melted white chocolate, vanilla, and salt. Beat in enough heavy cream to create a light, fluffy, pipeable frosting.
- If desired, core each cooled cupcake and fill with about 1 tablespoon of strawberry preserves or strawberry compote.
- Pipe or spread the buttercream onto the cooled cupcakes. Garnish with white chocolate curls, freeze-dried strawberry crumbs, or a fresh strawberry.
Notes
These Strawberry White Chocolate Cupcakes are designed to be soft, moist, and packed with fresh strawberry flavor in every bite. A few simple techniques will help ensure they turn out perfectly every time.
- Reduce the strawberries first. Simmering fresh strawberries into a thick reduction concentrates their natural sweetness and flavor without adding excess moisture to the batter.
- Pat the diced strawberries dry. Fresh strawberries contain a lot of water, so drying them well helps prevent soggy cupcakes.
- Toss the strawberries with flour. Coating the diced strawberries in a little flour helps keep them evenly distributed throughout the cupcakes instead of sinking to the bottom.
- Use room-temperature ingredients. Butter, eggs, milk, and sour cream blend together more easily, creating a smooth batter and a tender crumb.
- Cream the butter and sugar thoroughly. Beating them for 4–5 minutes incorporates air into the batter, resulting in lighter, fluffier cupcakes.
- Mix gently once the flour is added. Overmixing develops gluten, which can make cupcakes dense instead of soft.
- Use high-quality white baking chocolate. Baking chocolate melts more smoothly than white chocolate chips, giving every bite a creamy, rich flavor.
- Cool the strawberry reduction completely. Adding warm reduction can soften the butter mixture and affect the cupcake's texture.
- Don't overbake. Begin checking the cupcakes around the 20-minute mark. They're done when the tops spring back lightly and a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool completely before frosting. Warm cupcakes will melt the buttercream and make decorating difficult.
- Pipe like a bakery. Use a large star tip for tall swirls of strawberry buttercream and finish with white chocolate curls, freeze-dried strawberry crumbs, or a fresh strawberry for a beautiful presentation.
- For even more strawberry flavor, fill each cupcake with a spoonful of strawberry preserves or homemade strawberry compote before frosting.