Strawberry Cupcakes Recipe + Video
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This strawberry cupcakes recipe creates pink cupcakes just like the box. They are fluffy, moist, and made from scratch with strawberry jam for a nice fruit flavor.
Strawberries don’t have to be in season for you to make these strawberry cupcakes with jam, although you can make a fresh strawberry reduction, if desired. If you prefer chunks of fruit in your cupcakes, you can try my Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes instead.
Valentine’s Day Strawberry Cake
Growing up my mom would make this strawberry cake with jello for Valentine’s Day every year. It was easy to make with a box cake mix and the strawberry gelatin powder really made the fruit flavor pop.
Mom would bake the cake batter in two heart shaped cake pans and stack it for a layer cake. It felt really special and was something we’d look forward to every year. It is still a favorite cake of ours, but it’s fun to re-create some classic recipes in new ways.
Strawberry Cupcakes Recipe
I Iove cupcakes for their individual servings. Cupcakes are like a mini dessert that feels special because of the beautifully piped frosting on top. Unlike my mom’s recipe, I wanted to make these strawberry cupcakes without jello or a cake mix.
This easy strawberry cupcakes recipe is pink just like you’d get from a box of strawberry cake mix, but uses real strawberries in the form of jam, and just a hint of food coloring to make it more vibrant.
Ingredients
There are 10 ingredients in this recipe, but you probably already have most of what you need to make these pink strawberry cupcakes.
- All-Purpose Flour – Provides structure for the cupcakes. Sifting the flour helps create a fine crumb.
- Baking Powder – To provide leavening, making the cupcakes fluffy and light.
- Salt – To enhance flavors.
- Granulated Sugar – To sweeten the cake.
- Oil – To add moisture and create an even crumb. Use neutral tasting oil like canola or vegetable.
- Eggs – To add richness, structure, and leavening.
- Vanilla Extract – To enhance flavors.
- Buttermilk – Adds a slight tang and helps create a tender crumb. You can make this by combining regular milk with white vinegar. (See notes in recipe card below.)
- Strawberry Jam – Use one that looks thick and has little to no added sugar. I like to use Smucker’s Natural Strawberry Fruit Spread.
- Red Food Coloring – Optional. This boosts the pink color of the cake.
How to Make Strawberry Cupcakes
After you’ve gathered your ingredients, it’s time to make strawberry cupcakes.
First, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
- Whisk the sugar with the oil in a large bowl.
- Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition.
- Add the strawberry jam, vanilla, and food coloring. Stir well.
- Mix in half of the dry ingredients.
- Add all of the buttermilk. Stir to combine.
- Mix in the remaining dry ingredients, until just incorporated. Do not over-mix.
Baking
Divide the batter into paper lined muffin tins 2/3 full with a #24 scoop.
Bake the strawberry cupcakes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (or 375˚F for high altitude) for 15-18 minutes until the cake springs back when touched or a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Transfer cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.
Frosting for Strawberry Cupcakes
After the strawberry cupcakes have cooled, you can top them with your favorite frosting. I would recommend one of these:
- Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- Strawberry Buttercream with Jam
- Cream Cheese Frosting
- Vanilla Frosting Recipe
- Stabilized Whipped Cream
- Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
- Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
Storage and Tips for Homemade Strawberry Cupcakes
Store frosted cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature up 3 days. Unfrosted cupcakes will last up to 5 days.
Cupcakes topped with cream cheese frosting should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge up to 4 days. Be sure to let the cupcakes sit out at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before consuming, to take the chill off the cake.
Can I use fresh strawberries for these cupcakes? You can definitely make your own jam with fresh strawberries for these cupcakes. You will need to make it ahead of time and allow it to cool completely before using it. Don’t just pureé the strawberries and throw them in. Jam has a more concentrated flavor from the strawberries cooking down and reducing. Try my low sugar strawberry freezer jam. It’s easy to make in the microwave.
If You Make This Recipe, Please Rate and Review it in the Comments Below. THANKS!
Strawberry Cupcakes Recipe
Pink homemade strawberry cupcakes made with jam.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup oil (canola/vegetable)
- 2 large eggs
- 1/3 cup natural strawberry preserves (fruit spread or low-sugar jam)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 drop red food coloring
- 2/3 cup buttermilk*
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (or 375˚F for high altitude). Line muffin tins with paper liners.
- Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the sugar and oil. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition.
- Add the strawberry jam, vanilla, and food coloring. Stir well.
- Mix in half of the dry ingredients.
- Add all of the buttermilk. Stir to combine.
- Mix in the remaining dry ingredients, until just incorporated. Do not over-mix.
- Divide batter into paper lined muffin tins 2/3 full with a #24 scoop.
- Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (or 375˚F for high altitude) for 15-18 minutes until the cake springs back when touched or a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Transfer cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely. Then top with your preferred frosting.
Notes
- Homemade Buttermilk: Combine 2/3 cup regular milk with 2 tsp distilled white vinegar or lemon juice. Stir together and let sit for 5 minutes before using.
- These cupcakes are topped with my Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting. You might also like my Strawberry Buttercream Frosting.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 14 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 154Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 170mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 0gSugar: 15gProtein: 2g
This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix, and is an estimation only.
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Welcome!
Hi, I’m Amber! I am a culinary graduate and dessert lover! This is where I share my favorite sweet and savory recipes alongside my knowledge and skills as a culinary graduate. I hope you find something you like!
15 Comments on “Strawberry Cupcakes Recipe + Video”
Can I swap buttermilk for heavy whipping cream??? Or will it be too dense?
Sorry, heavy whipping cream is not a great substitute for buttermilk, but you can make some with regular milk. Simply combine 2/3 cup regular milk with 2 tsp distilled white vinegar or lemon juice. Stir together and let sit for 5 minutes before using.
Thanks for this yummy recipe! God bless you & yours!
I made these for a birthday party and sadly I was disappointed. The first thing I noticed right away is the color difference. Mine were not pink like those shown in the recipe and I considered adding more food coloring but ultimately didn’t because I wasn’t sure if doing so would alter the consistency. The other big disappointment was the lack of strawberry flavor. I used the smuckers natural strawberry jam as noted but no strawberry flavor could be detected in the baked cupcakes.
I’m so sorry you were disappointed. The food coloring gels tend to work better than water-based food coloring for the color. I’m not sure which kind you used. As for the flavor, unfortunately they just aren’t going to be as strong as a store-bought mix that has artificial flavoring. You could always add some strawberry extract or use one of my strawberry frostings (buttercream or cream cheese frosting) to help amp up the strawberry taste.
Hi. I just made this recipe, but it didn’t turn out very well. The cupcakes deflated and the texture inside was very gummy. Any idea what went wrong? All my ingredients were fresh, the oven temperature was right, and I don’t think I overmixed the batter.
Hi Katie, Deflated cupcakes and a gummy texture are usually signs that the batter was over-mixed. Other ideas may be where your oven rack is positioned (too close to the heating element), or your oven may run too hot. Sorry it didn’t work out.
Hi! I’d like to make this into a cake using 2 x 8″ pans. How long would you suggest the baking time be? Thank you!
I would start checking around 30 minutes, but I’m also worried it might not be quite enough batter for two 8-inch rounds. They would be slightly thin layers, so you may want to 1.5x the recipe, and if you do so, just know that it will take longer to bake.
Can you use extra light olive oil instead of canola/vegetable oils?
You definitely can if you are ok with the flavor of it.
Hi! Can I use this recipe to make a 2 layer cake? Maybe double it ? This recipe is amazing 🤩
I would definitely double it. I’m glad you like this recipe!
Hi, can i substitute the oil with butter? Or mix them perhaps?
I use oil in my cupcake recipes so they are more moist, but technically you could replace the oil with butter or use some of both. You’d have to cream the butter and sugar together, and I can’t say that it will be as moist as the oil-only cupcakes.