Strawberry Frosting made with real strawberries tastes like summer. It’s a light, fluffy buttercream frosting bursting with natural strawberry flavor! Perfect to brighten up any cake or cupcakes.
I just developed this frosting recipe years ago wanting a frosting that tasted like REAL strawberries not just strawberry-flavored frosting.
This Strawberry Frosting recipe delivers just that.
Fresh strawberry flavor in a light, fluffy buttercream.
It’s delicious on any type of cake, cupcake or to frost cookies too.
You’ll have many eager taste testers volunteering to lick the beaters!
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Strawberry Frosting
What makes this strawberry frosting SO delicious and natural tasting it using actual strawberries. There is no strawberry flavoring or extract.
The sweetness of fresh strawberries is unpredictable. Especially at different times of the year.
Frozen thawed strawberries are the star of this frosting recipe and deliver a real strawberry flavor every time.
They are perfect to create the frosting texture.
Availability of frozen strawberries is year-round so the frosting will be predictably great anytime you make it!
Another fun frosting to try is Chocolate Cream Cheese frosting!
Ingredients
- frozen and thawed Strawberries
- Vanilla extract
- Unsalted butter
- Confectioner’s/Powdered sugar
- Heavy cream
Can fresh Strawberries be Used?
I don’t recommend fresh strawberries for a few reasons:
- The sweetness is unpredictable.
- Fully ripe strawberries are not always available all year long
- It’s easier to create a smooth puree with thawed frozen strawberries.
With that being said if you have fully ripe sweet strawberries, go for it!
How to Make Strawberry Frosting – Step-by-Step
STEP 1: Place the thawed strawberries in a food processor and process into a puree (photos 1-2).
STEP 2: In a small saucepan over medium heat cook the puree until it reduces into a thick paste and 1/4 cup in volume (photos 3-5).
STEP 3: Using a mixer cream the butter (photo 6) to be light and fluffy (photo 7).
STEP 4: Add half of the powdered sugar (photo 7) and use a mixer to combine until it becomes a thick ball (photo 8). Repeat with the remaining powdered sugar (photo 9).
STEP 5: Combine the strawberry puree and vanilla extract in a small bowl (photo 10). Add the mixture to the buttercream (photo 11) and mix to fully combine (photo 12).
How much Frosting does this recipe make?
This recipe makes at least enough frosting for 18-24 cupcakes or a sheet cake (9-inch by 13-inch) depending on how you frost them (with a piping bag or spreading the frosting).
For a two-layer cake I recommend making 1.5 times the recipe.
If spreading the frosting (versus piping it) it could frost more.
Using the Frosting
The frosting can be applied with a frosting tip and piping back or spread onto baked goods.
Recipes to Use Strawberry Frosting
This buttercream frosting can be used on anything from your favorite chocolate cake to lighter flavored baked goods. Here are some ideas:
How to Store Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
In the Refrigerator
Store tightly sealed for up to 4 days. Allow to warm at room temperature slightly before frosting baked goods.
Try these Strawberry Recipes too!
- Fresh Strawberry Pie
- Buttermilk Strawberry Shortcake
- Strawberry Peach Fruit Crumble Jars
- Strawberry Jam Panna Cotta
- Strawberry Stuffed French Toast
Recipe
Strawberry Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups frozen and thawed Strawberries
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) Unsalted Butter softened
- 3 cups Confectioner's/Powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons Heavy Cream
Instructions
- Place thawed strawberries in a food processor and blend until smooth. The mixture should make 3/4 cup puree.
- Using a small saucepan, cook the blended strawberries on medium heat until the mixture has reduced to a thick paste (around 1/4 cup). NOTE: If your mixture makes more than 1/4 cup then continue cooking it down until it reaches the 1/4 cup amount.
- Cream the softened butter until it’s light and fluffy.
- Add in 1/2 of the powdered sugar (1 1/2 cups) and beat with a mixer until it comes together in a thick ball.
- Add in the rest of the powdered sugar (1 1/2 cups) and mix again. Slowly add 2-3 tablespoons of the heavy cream and continue mixing until a ball has formed.
- In a small bowl, mix together the strawberry paste and vanilla extract. Pour the mixture into the frosting bowl and mix again until well combined. If the mixture is still too thick for your liking, add another tablespoon of heavy cream until it has reached the desired consistency.
- Extra frosting can be stored in a closed piping bag or container at room temperature.
Video
Notes
Frosting Recipe Yield:
- This recipe will make enough frosting to frost 18-24 cupcakes or one 9-inch by 13-inch sheet cake.
- For a two-layer cake, make 1 1/2 times the recipe.
- If spreading the frosting versus piping it, it will frost more.
daksha karsandas hathi says
delicious
Sindy says
Hi, Can I use fresh strawberries in this recipe?
Toni Dash says
Hi Sindy. I address using fresh strawberries in the blog post. Please refer to that section.
Nicole says
Wow! We made this for my daughter’s birthday cupcakes in April and it was a HIT!! One question, do you think the same recipe would work with other types of berries like blueberries or raspberries?
Toni Dash says
So glad you loved it Nicole! I think it’s not a direct swap for blueberries or raspberries. The recipe was developed for fresh strawberries specifically for flavor, fruit texture and moisture levels. Raspberries might be similar but the amount might need to be changed to get a strong flavor (I personally think their flavor is more subtle compared to fresh ripe strawberries). For blueberries you’d be dealing with the outer skin too which might cause undesirable texture in the frosting. And the sweetness might need to be adjusted based on how tart they are.
Having said all of this if you are up for experimenting you could always try it and adjust as you feel is needed based on the flavor.
Celebrate Woman Today says
I love that fresh strawberries are used for this recipe. I am going to try it.
Sandra says
This is absolutely amazing! Love how quick and easy you can make it!
katerina @ diethood.com says
Oh my goodness, this strawberry frosting looks incredible! I bet it tastes amazing!
Allyson Zea says
This was perfect on my cupcakes! The flavor was delicious!
Eileen M Loya says
Oh wow. This looks so delicious! I will make this next time I find frozen strawberries in the supermarket. I have been doing more baking lately (nothing else to do). I am using this recipe for my next cupcake batch.