These strawberry cupcakes have the most perfect, fluffy texture, are bursting with fresh summery strawberries, are topped with a sweet, buttery champagne frosting. Perfect for New Years or a summer party.
After four years of living in our house, I have yet to grow a good crop of strawberries.
The first year, it was the hail. I mean, golf-ball sized hail like I've never seen! It took out everything in my backyard...strawberries, tomatoes, our car windshield{!}.
The second year, it was the squirrels. I watched a squirrel climb down the tree, bound over to the strawberry plant and pluck a not-quite-ripe strawberry right off the bush, then sit there and eat it right in front of me. The nerve!!
The third year, Ben built a squirrel cage for the strawberry plants. To keep the strawberries in and the squirrels out. That was the year the slugs got all sluggy on the strawbs. Gross!
And then, possibly because in my pregnant-induced-fatigue last summer, when it was 'survival of the fittest' in my garden and not much was watered, half of my strawberry plants died.
I am cursed.
Reasons you'll ♡ these strawberry cupcakes with champagne frosting
- they are bursting with fresh strawberry flavor
- the champagne brings a slight champagne flavor to the frosting that goes so well with the strawberries
- they are perfect for New Years or a summer party!
It is really too bad, strawberries, because I love you!
I will put you in sangria, muffins, smoothies, bruschetta, on salmon...and in cupcakes...
So for now, I will settle for the grocery store strawberries...they have nothing on the smallish, juicy, ultra-sweet ones that grow in the garden, but I will take what I am given 🙂
Even with grocery store strawberries, these strawberry cupcakes were still AH-MAZE-ING. So I can only imagine how good they'd be with freshly picked strawbs.
And fresh strawberry cupcakes topped with a sweet, buttery champagne frosting? So good. I mean, strawberries and champagne is such a perfect pairing, I knew this couldn't be a bad decision 😉
These cupcakes are a simple, fun, and delicious way to enjoy your summer strawberries. They are the perfect lightly sweet cupcakes for this warmer weather. You could serve them at a barbecue. You could have them for a girls night out or bachelorette party.
Or, like us, you could have them for no particular reason at all! {I don't need an excuse to make cupcakes :D} Just promise me you won't skip the champagne frosting!
Tips & equipment for these fresh strawberry cupcakes
- I love this muffin pan, and used this electric hand mixer
- to make these non-alcoholic, swap the champagne for milk
- looking for more cupcake recipes? Check out these Key Lime Cupcakes with White Chocolate Frosting & Pistachios, or these Lemon Angel Food Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream
Strawberry Cupcakes with Champagne Frosting
Ingredients
Strawberry Cupcakes:
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour (188 g or fluffed, spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 5-6 medium strawberries (stems removed)
- ½ cup unsalted butter (113 g; at room temperature)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200 g)
- 1 egg
- 2 egg whites
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ cup milk
Champagne Buttercream:
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (86 g; at room temperature)
- 4 cups powdered sugar (500 g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 4 tablespoons champagne (or more to taste)
Instructions
Strawberry Cupcakes:
- Pre-heat oven to 350 F. Line a standard muffin tray with paper and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- Process strawberries in a food processor until a smooth puree is formed. Measure out ⅓ of a cup and set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat butter until light and fluffy. Add sugar and beat until well combined.
- Add egg, egg whites and vanilla, mix until well combined.
- Mix together milk and strawberries; add to the egg mixture.
- Mix in dry ingredients.
- Divide evenly between 12 cupcake liners. Bake for 18-23 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool for 5 minutes in muffin pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Champagne Buttercream:
- Beat butter until smooth.
- Add 1 cup of sugar, and beat until completely combined.
- Add the vanilla and 4 tbsp champagne.
- Add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, scraping sides of mixer until everything is evenly combined.
- If desired, add more champagne by the tablespoon. See note.
Frosting:
- Scrape buttercream into an icing bag fitted with a tip {I used the Wilton 1M tip}.
- Frost cupcakes.
Notes
- I don't recommend exceeding 5 tbsp champagne unless you don't mind your frosting being a bit 'droopy'
- Champagne may be substituted with milk.
