Strawberries and Cream Cupcakes

Strawberries and cream cupcakes are the perfect spring and summer dessert! Made with vanilla cupcakes, homemade strawberry filling, stabilized whipped cream frosting, and fresh strawberries, these cupcakes are light, fresh, and one of my favorite cupcake recipes!

Ingredients for Strawberries and Cream Cupcakes

Vanilla cupcakes

• All-purpose flour: For structure. Level the measuring cups!
• Granulated sugar: Adds sweetness to the cupcakes.
• Baking powder: Leavening agent to help the cupcakes rise.
• Salt: Enhances the flavor of the cupcakes.
• Milk: Room temperature. Use your favorite milk.
• Egg: Large egg, room temperature.
• Vegetable oil: Or any other neutral baking oil.
• Sour cream: Room temperature. Creates moist cupcakes with a delicate crumb.
• Vanilla extract: Pure vanilla extract adds amazing floral vanilla flavor.

Strawberry filling

• Frozen strawberries: You can also use fresh strawberries, if preferred.
• Granulated sugar: For sweetness.
• Lemon juice: Adds brightness to the strawberries.
• Cornstarch + water: Creates a slurry to thicken the strawberry juices.

Stabilized whipped cream frosting

• Unflavored gelatin + water: Unflavored gelatin serves as the stabilizer for this whipped cream frosting. The gelatin helps the whipped cream maintain shape and not melt or wilt. You will not taste it and will not even know it is there!
• Heavy cream: Cold heavy cream or heavy whipping cream.
• Powdered sugar: For sweetness. You can adjust to taste.
• Vanilla extract: For delicious vanilla flavor!

Additional ingredients

• Fresh strawberries: For decorating the cupcakes!

How to Make Strawberries and Cream Cupcakes

Vanilla cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt.
3. Add the remaining wet ingredients (milk, egg, vegetable oil, sour cream and vanilla extract) to the dry ingredients. Whisk until combined and smooth.
4. Portion the cupcake batter into the cupcake liners using a large cookie scoop.
5. Bake the cupcakes for 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Strawberry filling

1. In a small saucepan, combine frozen strawberries, granulated sugar, and lemon juice over medium-low heat.
2. Simmer until the strawberries have broken down and are bubbling. Use a wooden spoon to break up the strawberries.
3. In a small bowl, mix together cornstarch and water.
4. Add the cornstarch slurry to the strawberry mixture and stir to combine. Immediately remove from the heat.
5. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature before transferring to a bowl and chilling in the fridge for at least one hour before use.

Stabilized whipped cream frosting

Stabilized whipped cream frosting is whipped cream that is enhanced with a bit of unflavored gelatin to help hold shape and prevent wilting. Once you pipe the whipped cream, it will last in the refrigerator for a couple days!

To make the stabilized whipped cream frosting, you will need a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or an electric hand mixer.

1. Combine unflavored gelatin and water in a small bowl. Mix and set aside.
2. Add heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract to a large mixing bowl. Mix on low speed until combined and then slowly turn the mixer to medium speed.
3. Whip the cream until soft peaks form. 
4. Microwave the gelatin mixture for about 15-20 seconds until the gelatin dissolves.
5. Slowly drizzle the melted gelatin into the whipped cream while mixing on medium speed. 
6. Turn the mixer to medium-high and whip until stiff peaks form. 

Assembling the cupcakes

1. Use an apple corer to remove the center of each cupcake.
2. Add the cooled strawberry filling to a piping bag. Pipe the strawberry filling into the center of the cupcakes.
3. Use a piping bag fitted with a Ateco 826 piping tip (or your preferred piping tip) and filled with the stabilized whipped cream frosting to create a generous swirl of whipped cream on top of the filled cupcakes.
4. Add a halved strawberry to the top of the whipped cream swirl.