This strawberry buttercream frosting is smooth, creamy, and bursting with real strawberry flavor! Made with fresh, frozen, or freeze-dried strawberries, this frosting takes only 10 minutes to whip up.
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Test Kitchen Review
Maria
We made this strawberry frosting with fresh strawberries and added 1/4 teaspoon of strawberry extract for an extra punch of flavor. It was perfection! Going to try it with lemon zest added next time for a strawberry lemonade cake!
Strawberry frosting has always been a favorite in our home, especially when celebrating our kids’ birthdays as our daughter Ellie is not a chocolate fan. We often let the kids pick whether we’ll use fresh strawberries or the more intense freeze-dried option — either way, it’s always a hit! We love using this strawberry buttercream frosting on our homemade strawberry cake or strawberry cupcakes, but you can also spread it on top (or in between) cookies too. The natural pink color and bright strawberry flavor make it stand out on any dessert table, and it’s super simple to make even for beginner bakers!
What Makes This Strawberry Buttercream Frosting Recipe The Best?
- Real Strawberry Flavor: Made with real strawberries for a fresh and natural flavor!
- Quick and Easy: Ready in just 10 minutes, it’s super simple to whip together.
- Velvety Texture: Light, fluffy, and perfectly creamy, with just the right amount of sweetness.
- Perfect for Any Dessert: Frost cakes, cupcakes, cookies, or even brownies!
- Vibrant Color: This frosting has a naturally beautiful pink hue without artificial coloring.
Ingredients Needed
Below you will find helpful notes for key ingredients used to make this recipe for strawberry buttercream frosting. Scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and exact amounts!
- Butter: Unsalted is the way to go so you can fully control the salt! However, if salted butter will also work just fine, just don’t add any salt until you taste the finished frosting. Then carefully add more salt, a pinch at a time, just until the flavors pop.
- Strawberries: You can use fresh or frozen strawberries to make a puree. Or, replace it entirely with freeze dried strawberries that have been pulverized into a powder with your food processor or blender. You’ll get a wonderful, real strawberry flavor either way.
- Heavy Cream: If you want the frosting to be able to sit at room temperature safely for a day or so, use evaporated milk instead. Half and half or milk can also be used.
- Powdered Sugar: Don’t use any other type of sugar! Powdered sugar contributes to both the sweetness and fluffy consistency of the frosting. If your powdered sugar has a lot of lumps in it, sift it before using to ensure a smooth frosting.
- Strawberry Extract: This is a totally optional addition you can use to really boost the strawberry flavor, if desired. I personally like to add just a splash.
How to Make Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
As long as you have a hand mixer or stand mixer to use, this strawberry frosting is so easy to make in just a few minutes! If not, no worries, you can definitely beat it by hand too… just don’t forget to bring some good elbow grease as my granny would say. 😉 Below is a quick recipe overview, but please scroll down to the recipe card for full instructions.
- Cream the Butter: Beat the butter until smooth. Then add in the strawberry puree (or powdered freeze dried strawberries), salt, and just a splash of cream.
- Make it Sweet: Add in the powdered sugar just a cup at a time, mixing between each addition. Once all of the sugar is added, switch from low to high speed and beat until it’s nice and fluffy.
Chef’s Tips & Variations
- Softened Butter: Make sure your butter is fully softened. I leave it out on the kitchen counter for at least an hour before using it. If your butter is not all the way soft, your frosting can turn out lumpy!
- Consistency: You can always add more or less heavy cream or powdered sugar to the final product if it’s not to your liking. Cream will thin it out, powdered sugar will thicken it.
- Pipe Like a Pro: Chill the frosting slightly, in the piping bag secured tightly with a rubber band, before piping for cleaner designs.
- Finely Diced Strawberries: Sometimes I like to fold in some very finely diced fresh strawberries for a pink speckled appearance with even more fresh strawberry flavor. I do not recommend doing this if you will be using a small tip piping bag as they can easily clog it.
- Extracts: You can add strawberry, vanilla, or even almond extract for an added layer of flavor. Strawberry almond is my personal favorite frosted on my vanilla cake recipe!
- Food Coloring: The strawberries (puree or freeze dried) already add a great pop of color. For even more vibrancy, mix in a few drops of red food coloring.
Ways to Use This Strawberry Frosting
- Cakes & Cupcakes: It’s strawberry perfection on top of my homemade strawberry cake or strawberry cupcakes, of course! It’s also fabulous on my chocolate cake, for a chocolate covered strawberry flavor!
- Cookies: Sandwich two funfetti cookies together with this strawberry frosting in the middle and thank me later! We also love it on this cookie cake or on top of these Lofthouse cookies.
- Bars: Make your sugar cookie bars perfectly pink, or try this frosting on top of our homemade brownie recipe!
Yield: 4.5 cups
Best Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
Made with fresh, frozen, or freeze-dried strawberries, this sweet and creamy Strawberry Buttercream Frosting is bursting with real strawberry flavor! Ready in just 10 minutes, this strawberry frosting will be your new go-to for cakes, cupcakes, cookies, and more.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- ⅓ cup strawberry puree (see below), or 1 cup freeze dried strawberries
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream, or evaporated milk
- 5 to 6 cups powdered sugar
Optional Add-Ins
- 4 strawberries, finely diced
- ¼ to 1 teaspoon strawberry extract, to boost flavor
- ¼ to 1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
- red food coloring, for a more vibrant pink
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Instructions
Strawberry Puree
- This can be made with fresh or frozen strawberries. If using fresh strawberries, rinse them well, pat dry, and remove the stems. Then add the berries to a blender or food processor and puree until completely smooth. You will need around 6 to 8 berries to make 1/3 cup puree.
- If using freeze dried strawberries, pulverize them in a blender or food processor. If the finished product is not super fine, sift to remove any large chunks before using.
Strawberry Frosting
- Cream the butter in the bowl of an electric or stand mixer, beating until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the strawberry puree (or strawberry powder), salt, 1 tablespoon heavy cream, and any optional extracts. Beat again to combine.
- Begin adding the powdered sugar a cup or two at a time, with your mixer on low speed, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. After all of the sugar has been added, switch to high speed and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Give it a taste and decide if you want to add in any more salt or extracts to taste. (I recommend starting with 1/4 teaspoon of added extracts as they can be strong!) If your frosting is too thin, add a little more sugar. If it's too thick, add in additional heavy cream or strawberry puree, 1 tablespoon at a time. If using freeze-dried strawberry powder, you will likely want to add more heavy cream!
- Once you have reached your desired taste and consistency, fold in the optional finely diced strawberries, if using. Use frosting immediately on cakes, cupcakes, cookies, etc! Enjoy!
Notes
- Yield: This recipe makes enough to frost up to 28 cupcakes or a 3-layer cake. Make half a batch if using it to cover a 9×13 sheet cake.
- How To Properly Store Frosting: Store frosting an airtight container with a piece of plastic wrap firmly pressed against the exposed top of the frosting. This will prevent the icing from drying out and a crust from forming.
- Make Ahead: Store in the fridge for up to 7 days. When ready to use, allow the frosting to soften for an hour at room temperature. Then beat again before using to make it light and fluffy.
- Fresh Strawberry Frosting: If made with evaporated milk, frosting will keep at room temperature for up to 1 day, or up to 7 days in the fridge. If using heavy cream, always store the frosting in the refrigerator.
- Freeze-Dried Strawberry Frosting: If made with evaporated milk, frosting will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days, or up to 7 days in the fridge. If using heavy cream, always store the frosting in the refrigerator.
- Freeze Frosting: Freeze in an air-tight container for up to 3 months. When ready to use, thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then beat the frosting again before using to make it light and fluffy.
Nutrition
Calories: 378kcal, Carbohydrates: 40g, Protein: 0.3g, Fat: 25g, Saturated Fat: 16g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 66mg, Sodium: 43mg, Potassium: 17mg, Fiber: 0.1g, Sugar: 39g, Vitamin A: 772IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 9mg, Iron: 0.1mg
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