These super easy strawberry shortcake cupcakes are the simplest recipe to match your craving! The quick shortcake cupcake base paired with creamy strawberry buttercream icing is truly irresistible. Top your cupcakes with more sliced strawberries for even more fruity flavor!
Why I Love These Easy Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes
These cupcakes are pure joy in a muffin tin! It’s well documented that I love strawberry shortcake, but today I decided to shrink down – and slightly alter – the recipe into individual servings. I used a shortcake base for the cupcake and made a sweet strawberry buttercream frosting to smear on top! Finish it off with sprinkles, some sliced strawberries, and maybe even some whipped cream, and these easy strawberry shortcake cupcakes are complete!
I know that strawberries are in season in spring and summer, but absolutely nothing stops me from making these year-round. They’re such an easy way to whip up a strawberry shortcake, I truly can’t resist when the dessert craving hits.
A lot of strawberry shortcake cupcake recipes include filling the cupcakes with a bit of strawberry jam, but I skipped that step and beat the strawberries into the icing! The gently crumbly vanilla shortcake base pairs so irresistably with the thick and creamy strawberry buttercream – I doubt you’ll be able to stop at one (I can’t)!
Ingredients to Make Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes
You’re truly going to be amazed by how easily these shortcake cupcakes come together! You only have to make two components and there’s such little fuss.
Shortcake Cupcake
- All-Purpose Flour
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Sugar
- Softened Butter
- Eggs
- Milk
Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
- Softened Butter
- Sliced Strawberries
- Powdered Sugar
How To Make Strawbery Shortcake Cupcakes
Step 1: Preheat and Prep
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line a muffin pan with cupcake liners. Set the pan aside.
Step 2: Make Shortcake Cupcake
Combine all the cupcake ingredients in a large bowl and beat the batter with an electric or stand mixer on low for 30 seconds. Scrap the bowl several times to make sure everything is incorporated. Beat on high for 3 more minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally, and then spoon the batter into the cupcake liners. Bake for 20 minutes, or until lightly golden.
Step 3: Start Buttercream Frosting
To prepare the frosting, beat the butt in a large bowl until it’s pale and fluffy. Then, stir in the powdered sugar.
Step 4: Make Strawbery Buttercream
In a small bowl, mash the sliced strawberries and then add them to the butter mixture. Beat until the frosting is smooth and spreadable. If the frosting is too thick, beat in a little milk, just a few drops at a time. If the frosting is too thin, beat in a small amount of powdered sugar.
Step 5: Frost Cupcakes
Once the cupcakes have completely cooled, frost them, top them with strawberry slices (optional), and enjoy!
FAQs
You could use a cake mix, however, the cupcake would lose its shortcake essence. If you’re okay with that and you’d rather just have an easy vanilla cake as the base, more power to you!
Yes, you can make these cupcakes into a strawberry shortcake. I’ve actually made a full-sized strawberry shortcake before!
Oh, the options are endless. You can use any kind of berry, of course. I love the idea of a blueberry shortcake, but mixed berries would be yummy too. Peaches also sound refreshing, but you could leave fruit in the dust and swap the strawberry buttercream for a rich chocolate buttercream frosting. Imagine the shortcake base, chocolate buttercream, and maybe crumbled brownies or Oreos on top! Oh my….
It’s super easy to store these babies, but first things first – don’t frost your cupcakes until you’re ready to serve them. The shortcake can stay at room temperature in an airtight container for 3-4 days, and the frosting can stay in the fridge for the same amount of time!
More Cupcake Recipes To Try
- Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream
- Easy Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- German Chocolate Cupcakes
- Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Chocolate Fudge Raspberry Cake
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Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes
Ingredients
- Cupcake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup butter softened
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 cup milk
- Frosting
- 3/4 cup butter softened
- 3/4 cup sliced strawberries
- 5 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners and set aside.
- Combine all cupcake ingredients in a large bowl and beat with an electric or stand mixer on low for 30 seconds, scraping the bowl several times. Beat on high for 3 minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally. Spoon into cupcake liners and bake for 20 minutes or until lightly golden.
- To prepare the frosting beat the butter in a large bowl until pale and fluffy. Stir in the powdered sugar.
- In a small bowl mash the sliced strawberries and add to the butter mixture. Beat until the frosting is smooth and spreadable. If frosting is too thick beat in a little milk a few drops at a time. If the frosting is too thin beat in a small amount of powdered sugar.
- Frost the cupcakes when completely cooled.
These are delicious! You’re right, they’re the perfect way to to hit that craving without making a whole cake 🙂
Thank you so much!!