This creamy strawberry buttercream frosting is the delightful, fruity touch you've been looking for to top your favorite desserts! This easy recipe infuses my rich American buttercream with fresh strawberries, creating a smooth, fluffy, balanced frosting that will leave you licking your fingers. The best part is it only takes 10 minutes to make!
Best 10-Minute Strawberry Buttercream Frosting Recipe
This easy strawberry buttercream recipe is hands-down the best you will ever try, and here's why. First, it's completely beginner-friendly. With only a few steps and ingredients and just ten minutes of your time, anyone can whip up a batch. No complicated techniques are required, I promise. It´s a fantastic, more stable alternative to my strawberry cream cheese frosting.
You also don't need any fancy ingredients. Everything in this recipe is easy to find at your local grocery store or already in your kitchen. You won't find any artificial flavors or food coloring here—just real strawberries and high-quality ingredients that bring out the best fruity taste and texture. I simply can't imagine making strawberry frosting without strawberries! The combination of fresh strawberry reduction and a splash of lemon juice gives this buttercream the perfect balance of sweetness and brightness.
On top of that, it's incredibly versatile. Whether you're frosting cupcakes or using this strawberry buttercream for cake, this buttercream frosting adds an unforgettable touch. You can even use this strawberry buttercream for macarons! It's light, fluffy, and packed with fresh strawberry flavor.
Top tip: Try it instead of the cream cheese frosting in my chocolate cake recipe for a beautiful and delicious Valentine's Day treat!
Katalin's Take On How to Best Incorporate Strawberry Into Frosting (And How Not)
When it comes to making your buttercream frosting strawberry-flavored, not all methods are created equal. If you want real, natural flavor, you have to be picky about how you add it.
Some people go the easy route with strawberry extract and food coloring but trust me, that's not the way to go! While it gives your frosting a pink color, the flavor of the extract can be overpowering if not used correctly.
Making your strawberry buttercream with jam is another option, especially if you're in a rush. But since it's usually packed with sugar, pectin, and other fillers, it won't give you a fresh, vibrant strawberry taste.
Freeze dried strawberries (or freeze dried strawberry powder using a food processor) can add flavor and color, but they're expensive and not the best option in terms of taste intensity.
The best option is to use a strawberry reduction, giving you 100% natural sweetness, flavor, and color, unlike the methods above. With strawberry reduction, you use either fresh or frozen strawberries, then juice and reduce them via cooking. This process intensifies the flavor and natural color without making the buttercream overly sweet. Since the reduction doesn't have added sugar, its slight tartness helps perfectly balance the sweetness of the buttercream.
After testing all the options (except extract, which is an automatic no), the reduction method is hands down the best way to achieve that fresh, bold strawberry taste.
To make the strawberry reduction, you'll need about two to three times the amount of strawberries that you want to end up with. Puree the strawberries, then cook the puree over medium heat for about ten minutes until it thickens slightly and some of the water evaporates. Once reduced, measure the amount you need and mix it into your buttercream!
Let´s Make This Strawberry Frosting Super Fluffy
Before starting, let your butter come to room temperature. Softened butter is key to a creamy, pipable buttercream! See my guide on softening butter to read why this step is so critical and learn tips for the best way to do so without using a microwave. Make sure to use unsalted butter to avoid adding unnecessary salt to the recipe!
Prepare your stand mixer with the paddle attachment. If you do not have a stand mixer, get your electric hand mixer ready. Then, cream the softened butter on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes until it becomes pale and fluffy.
Slowly add the powdered sugar, one tablespoon at a time, while mixing on low speed. Once fully incorporated, increase the speed to medium-high and whip for another 4 minutes until the mixture is light, fluffy, and voluminous.
Then, reduce the mixer speed to low-medium and blend in the freshly squeezed lemon juice, heavy cream, vanilla extract, prepared strawberry reduction, and salt. Whip the mixture for about a minute until it becomes smooth and silky.
The finished strawberry buttercream should be soft, fluffy, and easy to pipe. If - for some strange reason - it is thicker than you'd like, you can mix in additional cream, one tablespoon at a time. Or, if it is too thin, gradually add more powdered sugar, two tablespoons at a time, until you achieve the perfect consistency.
This Is How To Store The Strawberry Frosting
For the best texture and consistency, use your strawberry buttercream immediately while the butter is still at room temperature and the mixture is freshly whipped. If necessary, store it in a piping bag at room temperature for a few hours or in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
After refrigeration, let it come to room temperature before using it again. Whip it in a stand mixer. For extended storage, you can freeze the buttercream in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. When ready to use, let it thaw overnight at room temperature.
Once the buttercream has been chilled in the refrigerator or freezer, use a stand or hand mixer to rewhip for a minute or two and restore its fluffy texture.
If Something Goes Wrong...
Even with the best recipe and ingredients, sometimes buttercream doesn't always turn out as expected, primarily due to the quality of the butter varying in different countries. But don't worry—you can easily fix most issues with a few simple adjustments.
It is too grainy: If the butter isn't soft enough, it may not fully dissolve the sugar, leading to a grainy consistency. Try re-whipping with a paddle attachment or add a tablespoon of heavy cream and mix until smooth.
It is too runny: If the butter is too warm, the buttercream may become too soft. To thicken, gradually add sifted powdered sugar, two tablespoons at a time, or chill the mixture in the refrigerator until it firms up slightly, then re-whip.
It is too hard: If the buttercream is stiff or has air pockets, simply, whip it longer.
The butter separated from the frosting: If the butter separates from the frosting, it was likely too cold. Warm the exterior to the bowl slightly (a hairdryer works great), then keep whipping until the butter reintegrates and the buttercream is smooth.
My Final Expert Tips For Making Strawberry Buttercream
- Only use high-quality ingredients if you want a rich, creamy buttercream. I recommend using European-style butter with 82% fat content and heavy cream with 36% fat content. Natural vanilla extract also makes a big difference.
- Never skip the salt in the recipe, as it goes a long way in balancing the sweetness and enhancing the overall flavor of your buttercream.
- Sift the powdered sugar before using it to prevent a lumpy, gritty buttercream and ensure a silky smooth finish.
- Keep the mixer on low speed when adding the powdered sugar, and the strawberry reduction and lemon juice mixture. This prevents a huge sugar cloud from taking over your kitchen and ensures everything is incorporated evenly without adding unnecessary air bubbles to the buttercream.
- If you're using a stand mixer, the paddle attachment is your best bet for a creamy, smooth buttercream without unwanted air bubbles.
You Will Need the Following Equipment
For the smoothest experience (and strawberry buttercream), using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment is ideal. However, an electric hand mixer works just as well. Use a digital scale to measure your ingredients for the best accuracy and consistency.
How Much Strawberry Buttercream Do I Need to Frost a Cake or Cupcakes?
This recipe makes enough to frost 12 cupcakes generously. When using this buttercream for a strawberry cake, the amount needed will depend on the cake's size and design. A 6-inch cake typically requires about twice the buttercream, while a 7-inch cake may need 2.5 times more. For an 8-inch cake, plan for about three times the amount.
The exact quantity varies based on how thick you like your frosting and whether you're adding additional fillings between the layers.
Try Some Of My Other Frosting Recipes
If you loved this strawberry buttercream with fresh strawberries, you will also enjoy these other flavorful twists on the traditional vanilla American buttercream:
- Raspberry Buttercream
- Lemon Buttercream
- Coffee Buttercream
- Chocolate Buttercream
- Biscoff Buttercream (as seen in my Biscoff cupcakes)
- Peanut Butter Buttercream (as seen in my chocolate peanut butter cupcakes)
And don't miss my roundup of 25+ Different types of Frosting for even more tasty ways to top your cakes and cupcakes!
Have You Tried This Recipe?
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Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
Equipment
Ingredients
Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
- 226 g (1 cups) Unsalted butter 82% fat content European-style butter, use it softened
- 360 g (3 cups) Powdered sugar Sifted
- 1 tablespoon Lemon juice Freshly squeezed
- 80 g (⅓ cups) Strawberry reduction See ingredient notes below
- ½ tablespoon Vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 3 tablespoons Heavy cream use it cold, 36% fat content
US customary cup measurement is an indicative figure only. Measure the ingredients with a digital scale by weight (gram). Baking is art but also science which requires precision and accuracy.
Instructions
- Start by letting your butter come to room temperature. Here is how to soften butter and why. Then, set up your stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or grab your electric hand mixer if that's what you're using.
- Cream the softened butter on medium-high speed for 3 minutes until it turns light in color and becomes fluffy in texture.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar, one tablespoon at a time, while mixing on low speed. Once all the sugar is incorporated, increase the speed to medium-high and continue to whip for another 4 minutes, or until the mixture is light, fluffy, and has increased in volume.
- Finally, with the mixer set to low speed, add the lemon juice, heavy cream, vanilla extract, the strawberry reduction and salt. Continue whipping for another minute until the mixture is smooth and silky.
- This strawberry frosting should have a perfectly fluffy, pipeable texture. If it’s too thick, add more cream, one tablespoon at a time. If it’s too thin, gradually add powdered sugar, two tablespoons at a time, until you reach the desired consistency.
- Keep in mind that the strawberry buttercream has the best texture right after it's made, when the butter is at room temperature and the mixture is freshly whipped. I prefer to use the frosting right away or store it in a piping bag at room temperature for a few hours. If you store it in the refrigerator, make sure to bring it back to room temperature before using it. You may also need to whip it for another minute or two in the stand mixer to restore its volume.
Notes
- Measure your ingredients with a digital scale for accuracy.
- To make the strawberry reduction, start with 2-3 times more fruit than needed for the reduction. Puree fresh or defrosted frozen strawberries, then cook the puree over medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until it thickens slightly and some water evaporates. Measure the reduced puree after this process.
- Alternatively, you can use strawberry jam instead of the strawberry reduction, but the reduction's tangy taste is a better option for balancing the sweetness of the buttercream.
- Use high-fat (36%) heavy cream and high-quality, high-fat (82%) butter for the best buttercream.
- You can substitute with high-fat vegan butter and vegan cream, but the flavor will differ slightly from using dairy products.
- It's important to use high-quality vanilla for the best flavor. Feel free to try my homemade vanilla extract.
- Only use fresh lemon juice for the best flavor.
- Be sure to read my Expert Tips section above to maximize your success. A short recipe can’t cover all the necessary details and the science behind baking.
- The temperature and texture of the butter are crucial when making buttercream. Let it soften naturally; avoid microwaving it at the last minute.
- When adding powdered sugar, reduce the mixer speed to prevent a cloud of sugar from filling the air.
- When adding liquid ingredients like lemon juice and strawberry reduction, keep the mixer on low speed to ensure they’re evenly incorporated into the buttercream.
- I recommend using the paddle attachment to minimize unnecessary air bubbles. For a completely silky texture, finish by mixing the cream by hand with a rubber spatula for a few minutes.
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