Strawberry filled cupcakes are soft, delicate white cupcakes with fresh strawberry filling and whipped buttercream frosting. A crowd-favorite cupcake recipe.
I baked these tonight and they are amazing!! Delicious and beautiful. Will be saving and using this recipe all the time. ★★★★★ - Kolbi
Recipe summary
Flavor: Buttery vanilla cupcakes with fresh strawberry filling. Topped with sweet whipped buttercream frosting.
Texture: Cake flour creates a small, tender crumb that's soft and delicate when baked.
Made with simple ingredients. This recipe is made with baking essentials like sugar, eggs, butter, and vanilla.
Great for: Birthdays, Easter, Valentine's Day, picnics, and parties.
Cake version: Strawberry Filled White Cake
Similar to: Homemade Vanilla Cupcakes and White Cupcakes
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Ingredients and substitutions
- Cake flour - Cake flour creates a tender, small crumb. If you substitute with all-purpose flour, your cupcakes will, in comparison, have a coarser crumb that readers often describe as a 'cornbread' texture.
- Baking powder - Helps your cupcakes rise in the oven. Cannot be substituted with baking soda, the two are not interchangeable.
- Unsalted butter - If you need to substitute with salted butter, reduce the amount of salt to ¼ teaspoon.
- Granulated sugar - Sweetens your cupcakes and also helps them retain moisture. I do not recommend using sugar-free substitutes in this recipe because I haven't tested these alternatives and can't guarantee how they'll turn out.
- Vanilla extract - Enhances the flavor of your cupcakes.
- Egg whites - Egg whites can not be substituted with whole eggs. Using egg whites in this recipe makes your cupcakes light, fluffy, and white. If you want to use whole eggs (with the yolk) to make cupcakes, try my vanilla homemade cupcakes recipe. It uses the same ingredients (in slightly different measurements), is written to use two whole eggs, and can be filled with strawberry filling.
- Whole milk - This recipe will technically work with a lower fat milk, like 2%, 1%, or skim, but whole milk keeps your cupcakes moist from the added fat. For best results, use whole milk.
How to make strawberry filled cupcakes
- Mix dry ingredients and wet ingredients in separate bowls.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients along with the milk and mix just until just incorporated.
- Portion into 15 cupcake liners.
- Bake until the center pops back when gently pressed. Cupcakes will look barely browned around the edges.
- Once cupcakes have cooled, gently core the center of each cupcake (I like to use a cupcake corer). Take care not to core your cupcakes to the bottom.
- Fill with prepared strawberry filling. Use a piping bag or a plastic bag with the corner cut for easy filling.
- Top with your favorite frosting and serve.
Tips and tricks
Room temperature ingredients - Set out your ingredients ahead of time, about an hour before beginning. To warm up butter quickly, try slicing it into smaller pieces, then setting it out on the counter for 30 minutes. To warm up eggs, place in them in a bowl and cover with warm water for about 10 minutes.
Don't overmix the batter - Mix your batter until your ingredients are just incorporated. Overmixing the batter can whip extra air in, causing your cupcakes to rise quickly and then fall in the center when they bake.
Allow cupcakes to cool - Do not unwrap your cupcakes while they're still warm. Your cupcakes will stick to the liners until they are fully cooled throughout. Once cooled, your cupcakes will easily unwrap.
Coring cupcakes - I use a cupcake corer to core my cupcakes, which makes the process a breeze. I found a kit that includes this exact corer as well as a different style from OXO. If you don't have a cupcake corer, a knife can be used instead. To core cupcakes with a knife, carefully cut a small circle in the center of each cupcake and dig out the middle.
Do not frost warm cupcakes - Buttercream is sensitive to heat and will melt between 90 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Instead, allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
Storage
Fruit filled cupcakes must be stored in refrigerator. Allow them come to room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. Butter-based cupcakes will harden in the refrigerator because butter hardens when chilled, but will soften again once brought to room temperature.
Cupcakes will keep for up to 3 days in refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer.
Frequently asked questions
No. Instead, make a frosting that's made with less sugar like ermine frosting or homemade whipped cream. Buttercream frosting is made with two main ingredients: confectioner's sugar and butter. It's popular because it's no-cook and made with few ingredients. Since it's mainly made of sugar, it's very sweet. Using less sugar means you'll mainly taste butter, the other main ingredient.
Check your cupcakes for doneness by jiggling the pan - if they move, they're not done yet. If your cupcakes aren't jiggly in the center, gently press onto the top of one with a finger. If an indent is left, they need more time. When it pops right back, your cupcakes are done.
The toothpick method is another popular way to check for doneness. Insert a toothpick into the center of a cupcake. If the toothpick comes back dry or with crumbs (not wet batter), your cupcakes are done.
For years I've used this simple Wilton cupcake decorating kit (Amazon) to decorate my cupcakes. It comes with four piping tips, bags, and easy to read instructions. I also purchased this additional coupler (Amazon) to make it easy secure the piping tips and to change out tips halfway through decorating.
Yes, with adjustments. When doubled, this recipe makes a two-layer round 8 or 9 inch cake. Follow my recipe for strawberry filled white cake for detailed instructions.
Troubleshooting
Baked goods can turn out dry for a few reasons:
- Baking too long.
- Adding too many dry ingredients.
- Adding too few wet ingredients.
It's important to follow the recipe exactly, including the measurements and exact ingredients listed. I recommend using an instant-read thermometer to make sure your cupcakes don't get overbaked in the oven.
This can be caused by humidity in your home or storing cupcakes in a sealed container while they're still warm. This can't really be fixed, but can easily be covered with frosting.
Sinking can happen for many reasons. Overmixing the batter (which adds extra air that's released during baking), underbaking, using expired leavening, using the wrong leavening, or accidentally doubling the leavening can all cause your cupcakes to sink in the middle.
Cupcake can turn out dense from expired leavening, overmixing the wet and dry ingredients (this overworks the gluten), not whipping the butter and sugar long enough, or adding extra wet ingredients (like adding sour cream or applesauce to make cupcakes "extra moist"). If the balance of wet and dry ingredients is off, this can cause a change in texture, preventing your cupcakes from rising properly in the oven.
All cakes, even white cake, will brown on the outside edges due to a chemical reaction that happens when sugar is heated up. This is called a Maillard reaction and is completely normal. The insides will remain white and fluffy and the tops will be covered by frosting.
Recommended
📖 Recipe
Strawberry Filled Cupcakes
Ingredients
White cupcakes
- 1 ½ cups (168 g) cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup (198 g) granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
- 3 large (105 g) egg whites, room temperature
- ½ cup (114 g) whole milk, room temperature
Strawberry filling
- ½ pound (226 g) strawberries, hulled and diced
- 2 tablespoons (25 g) granulated sugar
- ½ tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ tablespoon cornstarch
Buttercream frosting
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4 cups (454 g) confectioner's sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup (75 g) heavy cream
Instructions
White cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350℉ and line a cupcake pan with liners. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk (or sift) together the dry ingredients: cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add butter and sugar. With a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add vanilla and beat until incorporated. Add egg whites and beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.
- Add flour mixture to butter mixture in thirds, alternating with the milk, until all ingredients are just incorporated and batter is smooth. Do not overmix.
- Divide batter between 15 cupcake liners. Bake in preheated oven for about 16-18 minutes, or until cupcakes pop back when gently pressed on top, or a toothpick comes out with crumbs/clean, not with wet batter.
- Remove pan from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before transferring cupcakes to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Strawberry filling
- In a saucepan over medium heat, add strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Stir to combine.
- Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for about 4-5 minutes, or until mixture has thickened. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
- Gently core the center of each cupcake (about a ¾" circle) and fill with cooled strawberry filling. Be careful not to core through the bottom of your cupcake. Leave about ½" on the bottom so your filling doesn't fall through when unwrapped.
Buttercream frosting
- In a large bowl, add room temperature butter. With a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat until creamy, about 1 minute.
- Add confectioner's sugar and slowly mix until ingredients are fully combined. Then, whip at high speed for 2-3 minutes, or until light and fluffy.
- Add vanilla extract and heavy cream and whip for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add additional heavy cream as needed to reach desired consistency.
- Pipe or spread frosting with a knife onto cupcakes and serve.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Storage: Fruit filled cupcakes must be stored in refrigerator. Allow them come to room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. Butter-based cupcakes will harden in the refrigerator because butter hardens when chilled, but will soften again once brought to room temperature.
- Freezing: Cupcakes can be frozen up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature for 2 to 3 hours before serving.
- Tropical environment: Butter melts around 90 to 95 degrees, and so will your frosting. If your location is nearing this temperature, I'd recommend refrigerating your baked goods until an hour before you're ready to serve them. Refrigerating your frosted baked goods will not hurt them, but you will want to give them some time to come to room temperature before serving.
- More tips: Be sure to check out my 10 tips for baking cake, based on reader comments and questions!
I absolutely love this recipe. I did do my own icing that was a cream cheese recipe I have. It was delicious. Tasted a lot like strawberry shortcake.
Is it possible to turn this into a strawberry cake?
Yes, you can find the cake version here: https://thetoastykitchen.com/strawberry-filled-white-cake/
What tool did you use to get the filling inside the cupcakes?
Hi Rebecca. I spoon the filling into the cupcakes, but you could also use a plastic bag with the tip snipped off.
I baked them yesterday, they are delicious but a little too sweet for me, will try half the sugar next week 🙂 thanks for sharing
hi!! i’m excited to try these. gonna make them tomorrow i think! my question is, i’m making them for my two year olds birthday party and the theme is trains and i have a train mold (that are bigger than regular cupcakes) i know i can just make more batter/filling. my question is, do you think it will affect the recipe very much doing that?
either way, thankyou!!
Hi Kass, it should turn out fine other than an adjustment in baking time. I've used this cake base for cupcakes, sheet cake, and a round layer cake and it always turns out great. Let us know how it goes!
Hi, I'm planning on making these for a baby shower and wanted to make ahead of time and freeze. Was thinking of just making the cupcakes and freezing them - defrosting the cake and filling them and topping with the frosting a day before serving. Do you think that is best or could I assemble the entire thing and freeze (with the filling and frosting added)?
Thanks!
Hi Diane, either way will work! The cupcakes can be frozen on their own or filled and frosted.
Hello, I loved the cupcake itself, but the Buttercream icing did not turn out well - Are you sure the recipe calls for only 1 cup of butter? It just didn't come together as it should have. - also, I used Clear Vanilla, makes the icing much whiter
Hi Jeri, the measurements in the recipe card are correct. How exactly was the frosting not coming together? Is it too thin? If that is the case, I'd recommend refrigerating the entire bowl for about 20 minutes before whipping with a hand mixer again. the butter may have been too warm to whip. If the confectioner's sugar isn't incorporating into the butter, I'd recommend adding some of the heavy cream to help incorporate it with the butter before continuing.
If I use gluten free cake flour and non dairy milk will it still be okay?
I haven't tested this recipe with those substitutions so I can't say for sure how it would turn out.
Does the strawberry filling need to be refrigerated?
Hi Yari - yes, the strawberry topping should be stored in the refrigerator until ready to serve. "For best results, store in refrigerator until ready to serve. Let cupcakes set at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. Cupcakes will keep for up to 3 days in refrigerator."
Never put cornstarch in without making a slurry first, it will create lumps you can't get ride of. The filling was way way too thin using these measurements, even after letting the berries reduce for 45 min and cooling, had to add almost double the cornstarch.
Can you substitute flour for the cornstarch in the strawberry filling?
Yes, flour would work!
Can you use frozen strawberries for the filling?
Yes, frozen strawberries will work.
Thanks for all the tips and reasons why substitution isn't good. I used a GF cake mix and followed the recipe for the filling. I used a pineapple cover and it worked great. After filling, I replaced a little bit of what I removed and put in fridge to set.
I'm icing them the next day.
Looking forward to more baking recipes!
Glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe!
Hello, our store didn't have cake flour, we live in a rural, Alaskan town, one grocery store. I read online you could add a certain amount of cornstarch to normal flour as a substitute, will that work? Thank you for any help 🙂
All-purpose flour will technically work, but will give the cupcakes a coarser texture than when using cake flour. I have not tested the cornstarch method myself, but readers have had success using it in my other cupcake recipes. I'd say it's worth trying if you have cornstarch on hand!
Thank you for the quick reply. It did work 🙂 thank you for putting together this recipe
Glad to hear they turned out!
Is there any way to turn these into a cake version?
Yes, you can find a recipe for a layer cake version here: https://thetoastykitchen.com/strawberry-filled-white-cake/
okay thank you!
Hi! I'm making a bulk version of this recipe for a 21st. Would I be able to use frozen strawberries for the filling? And could I make the frosting in the morning if I'm using it in the afternoon, or is that too long?
Yes, frozen strawberries will work to make the filling (it will be easiest to allow them to thaw first, then dice and cook), and the frosting can be made in the morning. Hope you enjoy the cupcakes!
Hi! Do you think strawberry pie filling would work as a filler? Trying to make it as simple as possible. And do you have any recipes where you use a box cake but add ingredients to make it better? Wanting to just use a box cake for the actual cupcake as well.
Thank you!!
Hi Katie, strawberry pie filling should work fine as a cupcake filling. I do not have any recipes that use boxed cake mixes, so unfortunately I can't help with that part. Good luck with your cupcakes!
Hi Heather, how much does a cup and 1/2 of cake flour weigh?
Hi Kate, you can find the gram measurements in the recipe card by clicking the 'metric' button under the list of ingredients. 1 1/2 cups of cake flour is 168 grams. Hope you enjoy the cupcakes!
Can I fill the cupcakes 2 days before the event? I made homemade orange jam but I don’t want the cupcakes to get soggy
I'd prepare and fill your cupcakes a maximum of two days before an event, anything longer and your cupcakes will begin to degrade in quality. As long as the filling is not watery, it should not make your cupcakes soggy.
This recipe didn’t work for me, I followed it exactly and they sunk really bad in the middle
Hi Kam, It's hard to say without being in the kitchen with you to know what exactly went wrong. Here are a few reasons why cupcakes may sink in the middle:
- Expired leavening agents (or too much/too little of a leavening agent).
- Underbaked - they look done, but when removed from the oven they sink in the middle.
- Overmixed batter - whipping extra air into the batter will cause that extra air to escape and deflate during the baking process.
- Adding more wet ingredients can cause the batter to be too moist/heavy to rise properly (probably not the case since you followed the recipe as written).
Can I use this recipe for a cake?
Hi Jacquie, I have a recipe for a strawberry filled layer cake here: https://thetoastykitchen.com/strawberry-filled-white-cake/
Can you substitute buttermilk for the regular milk or will that ruin them? Thanks!
I would not recommend using buttermilk in this recipe, it would change the chemistry of the batter. Instead, I'd look for a cupcake base that does use buttermilk, then core and fill it with the strawberry filling. Here's an option: https://sugargeekshow.com/recipe/vanilla-cupcake-recipe/
I’ll just stick with the regular milk. Thanks for your quick reply!
That other recipe gives a great texture, but I cannot get them to not sink! And I followed it exactly.
I baked these tonight and they are amazing!! Delicious and beautiful. Will be saving and using this recipe all the time;
can i add 1/2 cup of sour cream to the batter for moisture? or will that ruin them.
Since the recipe is written with just enough dry and wet ingredients to work together perfectly, I would not add more moisture to the batter. This could cause the cupcakes to turn out dense or sink in the middle, because there aren't enough dry ingredients to support all the liquid that has been added.
How thick is the filling supposed to be?
The filling should be about as thick as jam, or slightly thinner, but not watery.
Do you know if this recipe would work for large cupcakes? I am not sure what changes would be needed for bake time/temp.
Hi Angie, I haven't tried to make larger than standard size cupcakes, so I can't say for sure. The temperature would stay the same (I use the same temperature to bake cakes), but you'd likely need to add a few minutes to the total baking time. If you give it a try, let us know how it goes!
Thank you. I'll keep your Strawberry feeling recipe.
Hi, want to give this recipe a try. looks delicious
Can i substitute Milk with Champagne? I'm asked to make strawberry Champagne cupcakes.
Thanks in advance
Hi Emy, I don't think champagne would work as a substitute for the milk in this recipe. I would recommend trying a recipe like this (https://www.littlesweetbaker.com/champagne-cupcakes-champagne-buttercream/) and adding the strawberry filling.
I’m wondering if these can be frozen for a day. I’m traveling 4 hours in the car but wanted a to frost these before I leave. I thought they might travel better if they were frozen?
Yes, they can be frozen for a day.
Can you freeze with filling in cupcake?
Yes, cupcakes with fruit filling can be frozen! They should last up to three months if stored properly.
Can I make these with regular flour? I can't find cake our.
The texture will be slightly different (more of an open crumb and a little less tender), but all-purpose flour will technically work.
Can these be frozen a week or 2 ahead of time? Wanting to make them for a shower...
Hi Kelly - yes, these cupcakes can be frozen for up to 3 months! Once you bring them back to room temperature, they'll be ready to serve.
Am I able to make the cupcakes a day in advance before being served?
Hi Kat, yes your cupcakes should be fine if made the day beforehand.
Can the recipe be doubled and then used in 2 9" cake pans and the filling be used in the middle layer? I wanted a birthday cake and your recipe sounds delicious!
Hi Marilyn, this recipe would make a great layer cake! If doubling, you might have a little extra batter - about 24 cupcakes worth of batter should make a 9-inch 2 layer cake. I'd suggest adjusting the servings to 25 cupcakes (to get a round number for your egg whites) and use that amount of batter so that none goes to waste.
Can I make the frosting a day before, refrigerate and frost cupcakes the next day? If so, do I frost cold or defrost?
Hi Xiomara, yes you can make the frosting a day ahead of time, and you'll need to bring it to room temperature before frosting your cupcakes. Hope this helps!
Yummy and pretty. I ended up making 2 separate batches of the cupcakes because I needed 15 and both times I made them I got exactly 12 out of them! I followed the instructions and tips to the letter, including using the 1/4 cup cookie scooper (I don't know why I had never thought of that before...so much easier than a spoon and even sized cupcakes result!)
So for proportions here is what I did - 2 batches of cupcake batter, double the strawberry fillings proportions, and 1.5 times the icing and makes 24 perfect cupcakes AND just a little left over icing and strawberries for making "deconstructed cupcakes" with the cake you core out of the cupcakes 🙂
so yummy!
Hi there! For the whipped buttercream (which I am SUPER excited about), would you recommend using the whisk attachment on the kitchenaid for "whipping it"? I don't make a lot of cupcakes/buttercreams so coming from a beginner stand point I just don't want to mess it up!!!
Hi Rachel, the whisk attachment or regular beater will both work for the frosting!
Thank you so much!
Any suggestions if I have no lemon juice for the filling?
The lemon juice will brighten the flavor of the strawberries but is not required to make the filling work- it can be replaced with water if needed!
Hi! What kind of cupcake pan do you use for this recipe?
Thanks
I use Wilton's 24-cavity nonstick cupcake pan, you can find it on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/3S1d5IY
Can frozen strawberries be substituted for fresh?
Yes, frozen strawberries will work.
Can I make filling ahead of time?
The strawberry filling will be good for about 3-4 days (the strawberries will eventually start breaking down), so you could make it the day before without any issues.
I tried this and my family loved them! I am planning on making more.. but I have no more butter what can be a good substitute?
I have not tried it with this recipe, but generally a good butter substitute in cupcakes would be any kind of oil (vegetable or olive) at 75% the amount of butter called for. For this recipe, instead of 1/2 cup of butter, you'd want to add 6 tablespoons of oil. Hope this helps!
I'd suggest maybe a stabilized whipped cream frosting, since butter is the main ingredient in buttercream and oil would not work as a substitute.
Instead of doing the filling as the recipe states, is it possible to use jelly or jam from a jar?
Hi Amanda - yes, jam would also work as a filling!
Hello, looking forward to making these! Could these be made and frozen ahead of time? Thank you!
Yes, these cupcakes can be assembled and frozen ahead of time!
Thank you so much!! You will make a lot of people very happy. Your recipes are delicious!
Thank you so much!
Before you updated this recipe, did it have a cream cheese frosting?
Hi Melissa, yes it did have a cream cheese frosting. I got feedback that the frosting was a bit heavy for a light cupcake like this, so I swapped it with a whipped buttercream 🙂
Is it possible for you to email me that recipe please? I made your cupcakes for my sister in law’s gender reveal party in May, and they loved them so much, that they asked me to make them for their shower. The shower is this Sunday, and I don’t want to experiment with new cream cheese frostings if possible. Yours was delicious. Thank you.
Wow, that's great to hear! I'm so glad they enjoyed the cupcakes. I will post the recipe here, in case anyone else has a similar question. Cream cheese frosting may get its own post in the future!
Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
6 ounces cream cheese softened
8 ounces butter softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar
1. In a large bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until combined. Add vanilla and half of the powdered sugar, mixing slowly to combine. Add remaining powdered sugar and mix slowly to combine. Once incorporated, beat on high speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
2. Pipe or spread frosting with a knife onto cupcakes and serve.
If I’m looking for more of a strawberry shortcake type cupcake, should I use the vanilla cupcakes recipe or use this one?
I’m so excited to try them!
Hi Susan, either cupcake recipe would work with the strawberry filling, the vanilla yellow cupcakes are like a birthday cake cupcake. If you're going for strawberry shortcake I'd top them with a stabilized whipped cream instead of buttercream frosting.
Thank you!
hi so i just wanted to ask if you could use salted butter because i don’t have unsalted 🥺😞
Yes, you can replace the unsalted butter and salt in the recipe with salted butter instead.