Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

Strawberry buttercream frosting has a special place in my heart. From the whimsical pink color to its rich creamy consistency, I love whipping up a batch to top my favorite cupcakes and cakes. Perfect for a birthday cake, baby and bridal shower cupcakes, or for any occasion, it is incredibly versatile.

Your friends and family won’t believe you when you tell them no food coloring or dyes went into making that beautiful pink color. With a few handfuls of fresh or frozen strawberries and less than 30 minutes of your time, you can take lifeless butter and magically transform it into an incredibly decadent topping in no time. It’s that easy!

What makes this strawberry frosting so good?!

I truly love this frosting because it uses fresh (or frozen) strawberries instead of syrups, powders, or extracts. All of the wonderful strawberry flavor comes from the fruit itself, allowing it’s inherent flavor to shine through. 

The sometimes tart flavor of strawberries enhances the flavor of the rich butter. It also helps to tone down the sweetness of the powdered sugar, making this strawberry buttercream recipe less cloying than other frostings.

Because strawberries pair well with so many different flavors, this buttercream can be spread on nearly any sweet treat. From chocolate and vanilla to lemon and coconut, feel free to explore different combinations! You really can’t go wrong, since this buttercream could honestly make cardboard taste yummy. However, my all time favorite pairing is with these incredibly moist and flavorful almond cupcakes-- the best marriage of nutty and fruity flavor profiles!

Ingredients

1. Unsalted butter
2. Fresh or frozen strawberries
3. Powdered (confectioner’s) sugar
4. Salt
5. Vanilla extract

A few notes about the ingredients:

1. Always use real butter to get the best tasting buttercream. Margarine, oils, soy, or vegan butters don’t hold up as well and definitely don’t offer the same rich taste as true sweet cream butter.
2. If you’d prefer a strawberry cream cheese frosting, instead of a buttercream, swap out some of the butter for cream cheese and whip it until smooth.
3. It’s completely up to you whether you use fresh or frozen strawberries. When testing this recipe, I found no difference between the two. If using frozen, you do not need to let the strawberries defrost first since you’ll be heating them up anyways.

How do you make strawberry buttercream frosting from scratch?

To make this strawberry buttercream frosting, add strawberries to a sauce pan and cook over medium-low to medium heat until they start to break down. Once most of the strawberry chunks have broken up, continue stirring and allow it to reduce until it thickens to a saucy consistency. Take the sauce off the heat and strain it into a small bowl using a mesh strainer. Allow it to cool.

Beat softened butter in a stand mixer until it becomes whipped and airy. Pour in the cooled strawberry sauce (about 6 tablespoons) and beat it into the butter. Add 2 cups of powdered sugar and beat again. Add in the salt and vanilla. Then, slowly incorporate the powdered sugar, beating in a cup at a time until you reach the consistency you desire. 

When you reach the consistency you're looking for, frost your favorite cupcakes with the finished strawberry buttercream frosting by using a spatula or a piping bag. I absolutely love it on these perfectly sweet and nutty almond cupcakes.

How do professionals decorate cupcakes?

To get that professional, perfectly swirled frosting dome on top of your cupcakes, I highly recommend purchasing piping bags and larger decorating tips in the baking section at your local grocery store or craft store. (You can also use a plastic bag with one of the corners cut off, but you won’t get as crisp of a swirl that way).

Place the decorating tip at the bottom of your piping bag and cut off the pointy end of your bag so that the tip sticks out just a bit. Fill the bag with your frosting and lightly add pressure to the bag to release air pockets. Hover the bag on top of your cupcake and apply some pressure to the bag while swirling it around the top of the cupcake. Feel free to practice on a piece of parchment paper or a cutting board until you get the swirls you desire.

What type of icing is best for cupcakes?

So, this is a question that comes up a lot. However, I think it’s best to distinguish the difference between “icing” and “frosting.” Though the two words are used interchangeably, they are not the same. Icing usually has a thinner, glossier consistency and is used for adding details onto cakes and cookies, whereas frosting has a thicker, creamier consistency and is typically used to cover the entire baked good. To learn more, visit Martha Stewart’s guide: Frosting and Icing: What's the difference?. 

When talking cupcakes, you usually pair them with frosting, not icing. As previously mentioned, this strawberry buttercream recipe is absolutely one of my favorites. You definitely need to decorate your favorite cake with it ASAP! However, if you’re looking for something a bit more basic, I highly recommend checking out Sam Adler’s Classic Vanilla Buttercream on her blog Frosting and Fettuccine.

What makes this strawberry buttercream frosting healthy?

Okay, so you may be thinking that there’s no way this recipe can be considered healthy with all of the butter and sugar mixed into it. And my thinking is this: yes, this may be a calorie dense, decadent dessert, BUT at least it incorporates natural strawberries and real butter, as opposed to the many other recipes or store bought frostings that include junky ingredients with extra sweeteners and added preservatives. 

There are also SO MANY recipes that use artificial dyes to make pretty-colored frostings. However, there are so many wonderful colors found within fruits and vegetables, the added dyes that aren’t even good for you just aren’t necessary! Hence, this strawberry buttercream gets its beautiful pink hue directly from the fruit, making it healthier than those that don’t. So no, this recipe will not make you the epitome of health, but I strongly believe in “everything in moderation, even moderation!” So… treat. yo. self.

One more tip

• You can adjust the powdered sugar in this recipe for 2 main reasons:

1. Depending on your personal taste. If you like a sweeter frosting, add more.

2. Depending on the consistency you’re looking for. If you need a runnier frosting, use less of the powdered sugar. However, if you need a stiffer frosting for piping and decorating cakes or cupcakes, I recommend using the full 6 cups or slowly incorporating a cup at a time until you get the consistency you’re looking for.

Looking for more sweet recipes? Try these:

• Healthy Chocolate Popsicles
• (Whiskey) Peach Lemonade
• Almond Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting

Share your cooking with me! If you make this recipe, I'd love to know! Tag @yourhomemadehealthy on Instagram or leave a comment with a rating and some feedback at the bottom of this page.

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