Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
Make homemade strawberry buttercream frosting that's better than the bakery! This easy recipe creates the most smooth and creamy strawberry frosting that's perfect for any and every baked good.
Strawberry Buttercream Frosting Recipe
What makes your favorite cakes and cupcakes even more delicious? Homemade strawberry buttercream frosting! Making your own frosting is so much better than the store-bought stuff.
This is the creamiest buttercream that makes vanilla cupcakes bakery-quality tasty. It's great to use on cakes and cookies too! A chocolate strawberry cake would be delicious.
The best part about homemade buttercream is how simple it is to make. It only takes a few basic ingredients and about 5 minutes. Sweetening and flavoring buttercream with fresh fruit is so much better than artificial flavors too!
In just a few simple steps, you can have the perfect strawberry icing made with real strawberries. It's a great use of fresh strawberries and a refreshing sweet treat for spring and summer. You could even add a splash of lemon juice or a dash of lemon zest to make strawberry lemon icing!
Why You'll Love this Recipe
What's not to love about a sweet frosting with the most beautiful creamy consistency? This easy recipe is so great:
- It's a fabulous dessert addition for strawberry season! You can show off the brilliance of ripe strawberries with a creamy homemade buttercream.
- This basic buttercream is super versatile and useful. It can be used on a wide variety of different desserts, from strawberry cupcakes to cookies and even things like confetti cupcakes.
- Even novice bakers can make their own frosting with ease. With step by step instructions, you can easily learn how to make this recipe.
Ingredients
These few simple ingredients are all that you need to make the best homemade strawberry frosting. You should be able to find everything you need from your local grocery store! Here's the list of ingredients:
- strawberries: Fresh, ripe strawberries will produce the best real strawberry flavor for this easy frosting recipe. It really is the best strawberry buttercream frosting!
- butter: Make sure you use softened butter to make this creamy strawberry buttercream. Cold butter will be really difficult to make buttercream with.
- pure vanilla extract: A splash of pure vanilla extract adds a lovely contrast of flavor to the strawberries. If you'd like a more bold strawberry flavor, you can also add a splash of strawberry extract.
- powdered sugar: This is what you will use to not only sweeten the fresh strawberry buttercream, but also thicken it. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl when mixing in the powdered sugar so that it all gets well combined into the frosting.
- heavy cream: Heavy cream makes the creamiest buttercream. However, you can also use half and half or whole milk if that's what you have on hand. You'll just use a splash to help thin out the buttercream to a smooth consistency.
How to Make Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
This easy strawberry frosting recipe is really so simple! Once you learn how to make your own buttercream, you'll never turn back. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to make strawberry buttercream frosting:
Start by pureeing three large strawberries in a food processor. Once smooth, pour the mixture into a bowl.
Add a stick of butter and splash of vanilla extract to the strawberry purée, then beat together with a hand mixer or stand mixer.
Mix in the powdered sugar a ½ cup at a time. Once the frosting starts to thicken, add in a tablespoon of heavy whipping cream and mix until it's the right consistency.
Your strawberry buttercream frosting should be smooth but able to hold its shape.
Scoop the finished frosting into a piping bag and pipe onto cake, cupcakes, or shortbread cookies that are completely cool.
How to Store Leftover Strawberry Buttercream
Transfer leftover frosting to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to a week. Just be sure to stir the frosting well before using any leftovers.
You can also freeze leftover strawberry buttercream frosting! Transfer to an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Once you are ready to use it on a tasty dessert, just let it thaw overnight in the fridge.
Tips for Success
Check out these few tips and tricks for extra success with the perfect strawberry buttercream recipe:
- Use fresh berries for the best fresh strawberry flavor. Frozen strawberries work great, but the flavor tends to be more fresh with some good ripe berries!
- The berries will automatically color this slightly pink, but you can make the color more bold by adding a drop or two of food coloring.
- If your frosting is too thick, add a bit more heavy cream. If it is too thin and doesn't hold it's shape then mix in a bit more powdered sugar until it reaches the proper consistency.
FAQ
Using fruit puree in buttercream is a simple way to add natural flavor and even color the buttercream. You can also add finely chopped fruit to frosting too!
If you have runny buttercream frosting, then all you need to do is add a bit more powdered sugar. Add more until it thickens and stabilizes.
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Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 large strawberries room temp
- 1 stick butter room temp
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
Instructions
- Using a food processor, puree three large strawberries.
- Add butter and vanilla to food processor. If food processor is big enough, add in powdered sugar ½ cup at a time. Use bowl and hand mixer, if not.
- Once frosting is beginning to thicken, add in 1 tablespoon of heavy whipping cream.
- Icing should be smooth but hold its shape.
- Pipe icing onto room-temperature cupcakes.
What to do if it is separated and runny?
If your frosting is a bit runny, you might just need to remix it with an additional tablespoon of powdered sugar to get it come back together.
If it's warm in your kitchen, that can affect it as well. You can also put it in the fridge to reset and then try remixing.