This is the best strawberry buttercream frosting! Fresh strawberries are pureed in a food processor to give this frosting a fresh strawberry flavor. It would go great on cupcakes, cakes, or even just eating by the spoonful.
This fresh strawberry buttercream is hands down the best homemade frosting you can make. It only requires 4 ingredients, but promises so much real strawberry flavor.
The frosting is smooth, creamy, and is ideal to make during strawberry season when you can get fresh strawberries from your local grocery stores or farmers market.
I highly recommend topping your favorite cakes and cupcakes with this homemade strawberry frosting.
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Buttercream
- It's made with real strawberries.
- All you need are 4 simple ingredients.
- You can pipe it onto your favorite vanilla cupcakes.
- It would go perfect on a sheet cake or layer cake!
Fresh berries give this buttercream a natural pink color too; no artificial flavors or ingredients are used!
Ingredients Needed
Here are some notes on the ingredients we'll be using. For the full ingredients list, look at the recipe card below.
- Strawberries: Fresh strawberries are used to make this homemade strawberry buttercream.
- Unsalted Butter: Softened butter is a must when making a really creamy frosting.
Instructions
Here are the step by step instructions on how to make this strawberry frosting recipe.
Step 1: Strawberry puree. In a food processor or blender, puree the strawberries for 5 seconds.
Step 2: Cream the butter. In the large bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment (you could also use a hand mixer), beat the butter together on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy.
Step 3: Add the other ingredients. Add the powdered sugar, strawberry puree, and vanilla extract and mix on low speed just until it all starts to clump together.
Step 4: Increase speed. Then, increase the speed to high and beat for another 1-2 minutes until smooth and creamy.
Storage Tips
If you plan on using this frosting within 24 hours, you can keep it stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
Otherwise, you can keep it in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Just pull it out at least 30 minutes before you want to use it so it's not cold.
You could also rewhip it in an electric mixer for 30 seconds to make it light and fluffy again.
Ways To Use This Frosting
This recipe makes enough to frost 12 cupcakes (or one dozen).
I used this same recipe to top my strawberry cupcakes, but you could also use it on chocolate cupcakes, a vanilla cake, and even with a chocolate strawberry cake.
If you want to layer a cake with it, I recommend 1.5x the recipe for any 2 or 3 layered cake. If making a sheet cake or one layered cake, there's no need to make extra!
Expert Baking Tips
- Room Temperature: The butter needs to be at room temperature in order to create the right consistency of buttercream frosting. If you start with cold butter, you'll have a difficult time getting the frosting to come together.
- Strawberries: All you need are fresh strawberries for this recipe. There is no need for strawberry extract.
- Baked Desserts: Make sure any dessert you use this frosting on is completely cooled before frosting. If not, the frosting will melt right off.
Recipe FAQs
You can follow my recipe here if you'd rather use freeze-dried berries. It's also really good!
I guess to make this recipe even easier you could use store bought jam in place of the pureed strawberries.
Yes, you just need them to be thawed enough so that they can be pureed in a blender. Once pureed, if the mixture seems too watery, strain through a fine mesh strainer to remove some of the excess water.
After 24 hours, yes, because of the fresh strawberries.
If you made this recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below. I love hearing from you! Also, please tag me on Instagram and check out my Pinterest for even more recipe ideas.
It brings me so much joy to see you make my recipes. 🙂
Happy baking!
Recommended Recipes
📖 Recipe
The Best Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
Equipment
- Food Processor or Blender
- Electric Stand Mixer
- Rubber Spatula
- Piping Bag
Ingredients:
- ½ cup strawberries, pureed (will be about ¼ cup)
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions:
- In a food processor or blender, puree the strawberries for 5 seconds.
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer using the paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until creamy (about 1-2 minutes). Add the powdered sugar, pureed strawberries, and vanilla extract and mix on low speed until combined (about 30 seconds).
- Then increase the speed to high and beat for another 1-2 minutes until light and creamy.
- Use it to frost your favorite cakes and cupcakes!
Notes:
- Room Temperature: The butter needs to be at room temperature in order to create the right consistency of buttercream frosting. If you start with cold butter, you'll have a difficult time getting the frosting to come together.
- Strawberries: All you need are fresh strawberries for this recipe. There is no need for strawberry extract.
- Baked Desserts: Make sure any dessert you use this frosting on is completely cooled before frosting. If not, the frosting will melt right off.
I had this frosting today and it truly is the best! Highly recommend.
Can this frosting be made the day before needed? I would like to pipe it into meringue nests for a dessert on Christmas Day.
Hi Sandra, yes it can. I'd recommend making it the night before Christmas and then leaving it in the piping bag overnight. That way it's ready to go for you. You just don't want this frosting sitting out longer than 24 hours at room temperature because of the fresh strawberries.