Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes
Strawberry Shortcake Cupcake Recipe
I created these moist and tasty cupcakes while trying to decide what to make for my Dad's birthday. I knew he loved Strawberry Shortcake, but I didn't want to be tied up in the kitchen assembling them after dinner and I was afraid they wouldn't keep well if I assembled them ahead of time. Also, since cakes and cupcakes are more of a traditional birthday fare, I was leaning in that direction. In the end, I went with a light and airy cupcake that I filled with strawberry pieces and topped with a sweet, strawberry-flavored icing. I put a few strawberry slices on top and - voila! - a yummy treat, a beautiful presentation, and a big hit!
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How to Make the Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes
(This is the recipe with step-by-step photos. For printable versions, scroll down!)
While I baked, the lovely almond and vanilla extracts in the cupcake batter filled my home with all kinds of enticing aromas! I actually made the cupcakes the night before and stored them in an airtight container, then added the strawberries and made the icing the next day, assembling them about an hour before my guests arrived. The few leftovers kept pretty well in the refrigerator for a couple days, though they were a little saturated with juice from the strawberries.
Cupcakes:
2/3 cup whole milk
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Frosting and Topping:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
1 to 2 tablespoons strawberry jam
1 - 16 oz. bag of frozen strawberries, thawed
Make Cupcakes:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners. Spray the paper liners with nonstick cooking spray.
Warm the milk in a saucepan over low heat until it is just hot; reading about 150°F on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl and set aside. With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the eggs and sugar until thickened and lightened to a cream color, about 3 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
Add the vanilla and almond extracts. Then, on low speed, mix in the flour mixture just until it is incorporated. Slowly add the hot milk and continue mixing for about 30 seconds, until the batter is smooth. It will be thin.
Fill each paper liner about 3/4 full. Bake 16 minutes, or until the top feels firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool the cupcakes for 10 minutes in the pan on a wire rack. They'll shrink a bit. Take the cupcakes out of the pan and put onto a wire rack to cool completely. When cool, remove the paper liners.
Make Icing:
Using an electric mixer, or handheld mixer, beat the butter at medium speed until smooth. Add the confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and salt and beat at low speed just until combined. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat until smooth. Add the milk or cream and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add in 1 teaspoon of the jam and taste.; add 1 more if you like. Set icing aside.
Slice enough of the strawberries to put 2 to 3 slices on each cupcake, making about 40 to 50 slices. (I found 2 were usually enough.) Then dice the rest of the strawberries. You won't really need the entire bag of strawberries, but my hubby finished them off before I finished assembling the cupcakes, so the leftover strawberry pieces mixed with the extra cupcake pieces make a great snack! :)
Assemble Cupcakes:
With a sharp knife, carefully cut of the center of the cupcakes. It's easiest if you carve out the top in a cone shape. It's not necessary to make the hole very deep (you don't want to go through the bottom), and make sure there's about a half inch of the top left around the hold. Discard the removed pieces (or eat as a snack with the extra strawberries - Yum!).
Fill the cupcake holes with a teaspoon or so of diced strawberry pieces. Don't worry about making the pieces level with the top of the cupcake - the icing will hold them in. Then spoon a generous tablespoon of icing on top and smooth it out to cover all of the strawberry pieces. A small, angled spatula is the easiest way to work with the icing.
Arrange 2 to 3 strawberry slices on top of the icing, pressing down lightly to secure.
Enjoy!
Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes
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Here are the printable versions:
Serving Size
Serves: 18
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup whole milk
- 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs
- 1 1/3 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 - 16 oz. bag of thawed frozen strawberries or fresh strawberries
- Strawberry Shortcake Icing (below)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners. Spray the paper liners with nonstick cooking spray.
- Warm the milk in a saucepan over low heat until it is just hot, about 150°F and remove from heat. In s separate bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer on medium speed to beat the eggs and sugar until thickened and lightened to a cream color, about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and almond extracts. Then, on low speed, mix in the flour mixture just until it is incorporated. Slowly add the hot milk and continue mixing for about 30 seconds, until the batter is smooth. It will be thin.
- Fill each paper liner about 3/4 full. Bake 16 minutes, or until the top feels firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan on a wire rack. They'll shrink a bit. Allow to cool completely on wire rack. When cool, remove the paper liners.
- Slice some of the strawberries to make about 40 to 50 slices. Then dice the rest. With a sharp knife, carefully cut of the center of the cupcakes. Fill the holes with a teaspoon of diced strawberry pieces. Spoon a generous tablespoon of icing on top and smooth it out to cover all of the strawberry pieces. Arrange 2 to 3 strawberry slices on top of the icing, pressing down lightly to secure.
Strawberry Shortcake Frosting - Printable Recipe
- 6 tablespoons unsalted softened butter
- 2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
- 1 to 2 tablespoons strawberry jam
Instructions
- Using an electric mixer, beat the butter at medium speed until smooth. Add the confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and salt and beat at low speed just until combined. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat until smooth. Add the milk and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add in 1 teaspoon of the jam and taste; add 1 more if you like.