These delightful Strawberry Filled Vanilla Cupcakes start with my moist and fluffy vanilla cupcake recipe which is then filled with a homemade strawberry filling made with fresh in-season strawberries. Once the cupcakes are filled they're topped with a light and easy vanilla buttercream frosting. These cupcakes are perfect for any occasion.
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I love these cupcakes and I think you will too. The moist and fluffy vanilla cupcake is perfect with the homemade strawberry filling (perfect for cakes and cupcakes) and the flavor combination reminds me of spring. And they're pretty, making them ideal for a birthday party or baby shower.
I had fun testing and tasting this recipe. And these cupcakes were a big hit the first time I served them at a party.
Here's Why You'll Love These Cupcakes
- Homemade Strawberry Filling: The filling is made with fresh in-season strawberries that are juicy and sweet, making this filling especially tasty.
- Easy to Make Your Own: Try other flavor combinations. Top them with strawberry buttercream or a citrusy lemon buttercream.
- Perfect for Any Occasion: These cupcakes are great any time of day or occasion. Make them for your next birthday party or holiday weekend.
Strawberry-Filled Cupcake Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you'll need for this delicious strawberry-filled cupcake recipe:
Vanilla Cupcakes
- Unbleached All-Purpose Flour: Flour provides the structure for the cupcake.
- Granulated Sugar: Adds sweetness and moisture to the cupcakes.
- Unsalted Butter: Adds fat, flavor, and moisture to the cupcake. I recommend using unsalted butter so you can control the amount of salt in the final bake.
- Sour Cream: The acid in the sour cream helps create a tender crumb. I purposely don’t add baking soda because I don’t want to neutralize the sour flavor from the sour cream.
- Large Eggs: The egg yolks provide flavor and fat helping to create a soft cupcake. The egg whites provide structure to the cupcake.
- Vanilla Bean: The vanilla bean has a wonderful strong flavor in this cupcake. If you don't have a fresh vanilla bean, substitute it with 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.
Strawberry Filling
- Fresh Strawberries: In season fresh strawberries taste best in this filling, but if they're not available, you can use frozen strawberries. Thaw out the frozen strawberries before cooking them with the other ingredients.
- Granulated Sugar: Adds sweeten and helps thicken the filling
- Lemon Juice: Lemon juice enhances the overall flavor of the strawberries
- Cornstarch: The cornstarch is used to thicken the strawberry filling.
Full ingredients, measurements, and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Strawberry Filled Cupcakes
Before you start this recipe make sure the butter, eggs, and sour cream are all at room temperature, which is 65-68°F.
I use the reverse creaming method for this cupcake recipe. This method creates a light, fluffy cupcake with a level top perfect for decorating.
Step 1: Stir together and let the berries sit for 10 minutes in a stainless steel saucepan.
Step 2: Cook the strawberries until soft. Add the cornstarch and cook until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Step 3: Cool the strawberry filling to room temperature. Store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container until ready to use in the cupcakes.
Step 4: Whisk together the eggs, the vanilla extract, and part of the sour cream in a small bowl.
Step 5: Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on low speed to combine.
Step 6: Add the butter and the remaining sour cream and mix on medium speed until the cupcake batter is creamy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
Step 7: Add the egg mixture in two batches beating after each addition. The batter will be thick and creamy.
Step 8: Divide the cupcake batter between the cupcake liners. Each cupcake should be about 2/3 full and the amount of batter should weigh about 60 grams in each liner.
Step 9: Bake the cupcakes for 20-22 minutes until they have risen and a cake taster inserted in the center comes out with no more than a couple of crumbs clinging to it.
Step 10: Remove the cupcakes from the oven. Let them cool in the muffin pan for 10 minutes, then remove the cupcakes to a wire rack to finish cooling to room temperate before frosting them.
How to Fill the Cupcakes with Strawberry Filling
You can use a paring knife or a cupcake corer to remove the center of the cupcakes. The cupcake corer is easier to use and if you're making these for a party you'll have a beautiful even look and have the same amount of filling in each cupcake.
Step 11: Gently push the cupcake corer into the center of the cupcake, about 3/4 of the height of the cupcake.
Step 12: Fill the cupcake with 2 teaspoons of strawberry filling and place a piece of the cored cupcake on top of the filling
How to Decorate the Cupcakes
Once the cupcakes are cooled to room temperature, it’s time to frost them. Use either Vanilla Buttercream Frosting or Mascarpone Whipped Cream Frosting. Both are delicious with these cupcakes.
Below are two methods for decorating the cupcakes. If the cupcakes are decorated as shown in these pictures, you'll need all the buttercream.
Using a Pastry Bag: Use a pastry bag fitted with an open star tip, such as the Wilton 1M, or your favorite decorating tip, and filled with buttercream. Pipe the buttercream onto the cupcake in a swirl.
Using a Knife or Offset Spatula: Heap about 4 tablespoons of frosting onto the cupcake. Use the back of a spoon, a butter knife, or a small offset spatula to spread the frosting to the edge and swirl it around.
How to Store These Cupcakes
Unfrosted Cupcakes: If not frosting and serving the cupcakes the same day they're baked store them in an airtight container. Let the cupcakes cool completely and then store them in a single layer in the container for up to two days.
Don't store the cupcakes while they are still warm. The condensation will cause the paper liners to peel from the cupcakes if stored while still warm.
Frosted Cupcakes: After the cupcakes are frosted they can be stored at room temperature for 1 to 2 days depending on the room temperature. The Swiss meringue buttercream can be stored at room temperature for 1 to 2 days because of the amount of sugar in the buttercream.
Can the Cupcakes Be Frozen
Absolutely, freezing unfrosted cupcakes is a great way to preserve them for later. Here's how to do it:
- Cooling Completely: Make sure your cupcakes are completely cool before freezing. Any residual heat can cause condensation, which can lead to soggy cupcakes. Let them cool on a wire rack for at least 1-2 hours.
- Inner Wrap: Tightly wrap each cupcake individually in plastic wrap. This creates a barrier to protect the cupcake from freezer burn.
- Airtight Container: Place the wrapped cupcakes in a single layer inside an airtight container or a sealable freezer bag. This extra layer of protection helps prevent freezer burn and keeps out odors.
- Freeze Time: Freeze the cupcakes for up to 3 months.
- Thawing: When ready to thaw, remove the cupcakes from the freezer and unwrap them. Let them come to room temperature completely. This helps prevent condensation from forming on the cupcakes themselves.
Pro Tips for Making These Delicious Cupcakes
- For the best results weigh the flour, butter and sour cream. Too much flour or too little butter will result in dry cupcakes. Using a scale will ensure the best results for your cupcakes.
- The butter, sour cream, and eggs should be at room temperature to ensure that the batter emulsifies properly. Cold butter won’t fully incorporate and cold eggs will result in a dense rubbery texture.
- Don’t overfill the cupcake liners. The cupcakes will overflow and possibly stick to the pan.
- Cool the cupcakes completely before frosting. Otherwise the frosting will melt and slide off to the side.
If you make these yummy strawberry-filled cupcakes please leave a rating and a comment below.
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If You Like This Recipe, Try These Recipes
Strawberry Filled Vanilla Cupcakes
Equipment
- 12-cup Muffin Pan
- Cupcake Liners
Ingredients
Strawberry Filling
- 2 cups (250 grams) fresh strawberries, roughly chopped
- 1/3 cup (67 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1-1/2 tablespoons (15 grams) cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons water
Vanilla Cupcake
- 1 1/4 cups (250 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste substitute with pure vanilla extract
- 2 large (100 grams) eggs
- 2/3 cup (161 grams) full-fat sour cream room temperature, divided
- 1-2/3 cups (212 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 12 tablespoons (169 grams) unsalted butter room temperature
Instructions
Make the Strawberry Filling
- Place the chopped strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a 3 or 4-quart saucepan. Let the ingredients sit for 10 minutes. Stir together the cornstarch and water in a small bowl.
- Bring the strawberry mixture to a boil then reduce the heat to medium-low and let the strawberries simmer for 3-5 minutes until the strawberries are soft.
- NOTE: If you’re using local in-season strawberries, the strawberries will break down quickly and release a lot of liquid into the pot. If the strawberries have a large white center, you may need to use a potato masher or the back of a large spoon to crush the berries and break them down further.
- Stir the cornstarch mixture together again and then stir it into the cooked strawberries. Increase the heat to medium and stir constantly until the filling turns shiny and deep dark red, about 3 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat. Taste the filling. If it still has a taste of cornstarch, return the mixture to the heat and cook for another minute, stirring constantly.
- Pour the strawberry filling into a heat-proof container, such as a measuring cup or ceramic bowl. Cool the strawberry filling to room temperature before filling the cupcakes. If making the day before, store the cooled filling in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Make the Vanilla Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line the muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- In a small bowl combine the eggs, vanilla extract and 1/3 third of the sour cream and whisk the ingredients together. Cut the butter into 8 pieces.
- Add the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder to the mixing bowl of a stand mixer. With the paddle attachment, mix the dry ingredients on medium-low for 30 seconds to thoroughly combine the dry ingredients. Add the butter and remaining sour cream and mix on medium speed until the butter and sour cream are thoroughly incorporated and the mixture is creamy, about 1 minute. Be careful not to overmix. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Add the egg mixture in two batches, mixing on medium speed until the egg mixture is thoroughly incorporated. Scrape the sides and bottoms of the bowl and then mix on medium speed for 30 seconds.
- Divide the batter evenly between the 12 cups of the muffin pan, about 60 grams each. Each muffin tin should be about 2/3 full.
- Bake the cupcakes for 20-22 minutes until they are done. Remove the cupcakes from the oven and let them cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing them from the pan to a wire rack. Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting them.
- If making the cupcakes one day in advance before frosting them, store the cooled cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature.
Fill the Cupcakes
- Gently push the cupcake corer into the center of the cupcake, about 3/4 of the height of the cupcake. Twist and then pull up to remove the core, leaving a well about 1 inch deep – you don't want to go all the way through.
- If using a paring knife, gently insert the tip of paring knife into the center of the cupcake, angling it slightly towards the middle. Twist and push down slightly to remove a core, leaving a well about 1-inch deep – you don't want to go all the way through.
- Place the removed cupcake piece in a bowl and save the very top of the removed piece to cover the strawberry filling.
- Fill the center of each cupcake with about 2 heaping teaspoons of the strawberry filling.
- Once the cupcakes are filled with the strawberry filling, they need to be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
How to Frost the Cupcakes
- Using a Pastry Bag: Fit your pastry bag with an open star tip, such as the Wilton 1M, or your favorite decorating tip, and fill it with buttercream. Starting at the outside edge of the cupcake, pipe frosting in a swirl with the tip about 1/4" to 1/2" above the cupcake, exerting even pressure on the bag continuously. Finish the swirl in the center of the cupcake by removing the pressure and lifting up the tip slightly as you near the center. If you’re new to decorating cupcakes it may take some practice.
How to Store the Cupcakes
- Unfrosted Cupcakes: If not frosting and serving the cupcakes the same day as they are baked store them in an airtight container. Let the cupcakes cool completely and then store them in a single layer in the container for up to two days.
- Don't store the cupcakes while they are still warm. The condensation will cause the paper liners to peel from the cupcakes if stored while still warm.
- Frosted and Filled Cupcakes: Once the cupcakes are filled with strawberry filling, and frosted with the mascarpone frosting they can only sit at room temperature for 1-2 hours. Store the cupcakes in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
- If using Vanilla Buttercream Frosting or Swiss Meringue Buttercream the cupcakes can sit at room temperature for up to 2 days as long as they don’t have the strawberry filling.
Barbara Rigney says
These are my favorite cupcakes ever.
They are so refreshing and flavorful
Shannon Banks says
These were moist and delicious. The strawberry filling was very flavorful and not too sweet.
lisa says
these look delicious and easy to make, not too much sugar is used either. do you freeze the cupcakes unfilled? I'm thinking if I use clear jel instead of cornstarch in the filling then I can make it and freeze for later. if I do this then I'd probably make the cupcakes fresh but use the previously frozen filling. I'm thinking of doing something similar for the fresh strawberry cake, specifically the quick jam and the puree that's used in the frosting.
just looking for ways to preserve the last of this year's local berries, over an above the roasted hand pies, tarts, jams, etc. thank you for sharing these recipes! and for making every post very clear and easy to follow 🙂
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Lisa
To answer your questions. Yes, you would freeze the cupcakes unfilled. Wrap each cupcake individually in plastic wrap and then place them in a freezer safe bag, about 6 cupcakes per gallon sized freezer bag.
You are correct, if you want to freeze the filling, don't use cornstarch. But if you intend to make freeze the filling, you can make it without the thickener, then when ready to use it, thaw it in the refrigerator, bring it to a boil and then add the thickener (clear jel or cornstarch). And I agree about preserving the strawberries, I just froze a batch of fresh strawberries and I'm making puree to freeze for later.
And thank you for the compliment on my recipes! I'm glad to read that you like the detail and that my writing is easy to follow.
lisa says
terrific- thank you for the suggestions! happy summer baking 🙂
Cheryl Norris says
You're welcome!