Celebrate summertime and Canada Day with red and white Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes. This show- stopping summer dessert features vanilla infused cupcakes filled with fresh strawberry jam, piped with swirls of whipped cream cheese frosting and fresh strawberries to adorn the top.
Homemade vanilla cupcakes are airy and fluffy with the most incredible moist and tender crumb. No cupcake is complete without a crowning of frosting and these are piped with a dreamy, creamy whipped cream cheese frosting that’s to die for! Then there’s the delightful surprise you find inside the vanilla cupcake when you bite into it - a juicy strawberry jam filling that spews out of the centre. So much strawberry goodness!
These filled strawberry shortcake cupcakes are not only ideal for Canada Day but they’ll become your go-to cupcakes for other special occasions like Valentine’s Day, bridal showers, Mother’s Day or any summer gathering. They’re definitely prettier, fresher and better than any store-bought cupcakes!
The Best Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes
- Perfect handheld size. While keeping the same flavours of the traditional layered strawberry shortcake, these cakes are made into a portable and shareable mini dessert that you can eat with your hands.
- Easiest homemade cupcakes. Ditch the boxed cake mix because this one bowl vanilla cupcake recipe is made from scratch in a jiffy with pantry ingredients and the cupcakes are guaranteed to stay moist for days.
- Delicious no cook filling. Two-ingredient strawberry jam filling that fills the cavities of the vanilla cupcakes is made with fresh diced strawberries and requires no cooking at all.
- Piped with fluffy frosting. Stabilized with cream cheese, the whipped cream topping is light and airy, subtly sweetened, a little tangy, infused with vanilla and guaranteed to hold its shape when piped.
- Filled and garnished with fresh strawberries. Juicy, ripe strawberries are a must for this cupcake recipe to make the fresh strawberry compote filling and to garnish the top of each frosted cupcake.
Ingredients Needed to Make Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes
(Ingredient amounts are listed in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post).
- All Purpose Flour – Use unbleached all purpose flour for the fluffiest cupcakes.
- Baking Powder – Helps the cupcakes rise and bake to an airy texture.
- Eggs – Use room temperature large eggs.
- Granulated Sugar – Sweeten the vanilla cupcakes.
- Oil – Any neutral oil like canola, vegetable or grapeseed works.
- Vanilla Extract – Pure vanilla extract is the essential flavouring for the cupcakes.
- Milk – Ideally whole milk is best but lower fat milk will work too.
- Strawberry Jam – To coat the fresh strawberries in the strawberry filling.
- Fresh Strawberries – Fresh local strawberries are best for this recipe for both the filling and garnish.
- Cream Cheese – For best results, use name brand cream cheese like Philadelphia in brick form, at room temperature.
- Icing Sugar – Sweetens the frosting.
- Vanilla Instant Pudding – Helps stabilizes the frosting and adds more vanilla flavour.
- 35% Whipping Cream – Make sure the cream is really cold before whipping it into the cream cheese.
How to Make Strawberry Filled Vanilla Cupcakes
(Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the recipe card below.)
Make the Vanilla Cupcakes
- With a mixer blend the eggs, sugar, oil, vanilla and milk until smooth.
- Add in dry ingredients and blend until combined. Then add the some warm water to loosen the batter. Let the batter sit for 10 minutes to thicken slightly.
- Evenly portion the batter into cupcake molds lined with paper cupcake liners.
- Bake for 18 – 22 minutes until lightly golden.
Make the Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
- With a mixer beat the cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla pudding until smooth. Chill for 10 minutes. Then while beating, add 35% cream about ½ cup at a time, and when incorporated increase mixer speed and beat until thick peaks form.
- Transfer frosting to a large piping bag with a Wilton 1M star tip attached. Refrigerate frosting while preparing next steps.
Make the Strawberry Jam Filling
- Just before ready to fill cupcakes, in a medium bowl combine the fresh chopped strawberries and strawberry jam. Mix gently to combine and set aside.
Fill, Frost and Garnish the Cupcakes
- Use a melon baller, small spoon or a knife, to dig deep cavities in the centre each cupcake by scooping out about a tablespoon of the cupcake.
- Fill the cavities with about 1 tablespoon of the strawberry filling right to the top of the cupcake just before frosting them.
- Pipe the frosting on top of the cupcakes.
- Top each frosted cupcake with a fresh strawberry half.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Strawberry shortcake can refer to two things. One is a flaky buttermilk tea biscuit filled with macerated strawberries and whipped cream. The second is a sweet sponge-like layer cake filled and topped with whipped cream and fresh strawberries. This recipe is a twist on the iconic sweet sponge-like layer cake version that I’ve turned it into cute little individual cakes.
Fresh strawberries are a must for these homemade strawberry cupcakes. I do not recommend using frozen strawberries as they will be too wet and soft and it won’t be possible to achieve the necessary result for the filling and topping. This means the best time to make this strawberry shortcake cupcakes recipe is when fresh strawberries are in season.
Yes you can change up the fruit. Anything in the berry family works best, like blueberries, blackberries or raspberries, just be sure they are fresh berries and not frozen. Keep in mind that they will no longer be “strawberry” shortcake cupcakes if you change the fruit.
You can make most of the components of this strawberry filled vanilla cupcake recipe ahead then fill, pipe and garnish them the day you are serving them. Here’s how:
- Vanilla cupcakes can be baked a day ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature or make them several days ahead and freeze them, then thaw when needed. They stay moist for days.
- Frosting can be made a day ahead and refrigerated; remove it from the fridge about 30 minutes before using.
- For best results the strawberry jam filling should be made fresh just before using since it becomes liquidy when stored and can make the cupcakes soggy.
Serving, Storage and Freezing Tips
Serving: For the freshest flavour and texture serve cupcakes the day assembled. The frosting contains cream cheese and cream so they should be refrigerated after assembling. Cupcakes taste best when served at room temperature so let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. Once presented for serving, they can sit out for a couple of hours at room temperature and they will still be good.
Storage: Leftover cupcakes will keep in the fridge for up to 2 - 3 days. Store them in one layer, spaced out, in a deep airtight container that clears the top of the frosting and strawberry garnish. Note the strawberry garnish may dry out when storing the cupcakes.
Freezing: You can freeze frosted cupcakes however, the texture and freshness of the cupcakes will not be the same as when served the day made, but they’ll still be good. Freeze without the strawberry garnish on top in one layer, spaced out, in a deep airtight container that clears the top of the frosting for 2 – 3 months. Thaw on a rack at room temperature for 30 – 45 minutes then garnish with strawberries. Since they are individually portioned you can thaw as many or as little as needed.
Tips for Cupcake Success
- Once the vanilla cupcake batter is mixed, let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes to thicken slightly before filling the cupcake molds.
- Don’t overfill the cupcake liners – just fill with batter almost to the rim to avoid over spilling; use a cookie dough scoop or pastry bag to evenly divide the batter.
- For moist cupcakes don’t over bake them; cupcakes are done when they are very lightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- Allow cupcakes to cool completely before digging out the cavity, filling and frosting them.
- For the frosting, use a name brand brick cream cheese at room temperature (like Philadelphia), and make sure the 35% cream is kept really cold right until you need it.
- Use fresh strawberries for the filling to get the best vibrant and fresh flavour and make the filling just before you are ready to fill the cupcakes.
- Save the centers of the cupcakes that are dug out, they’re great for a snack and you can pair them with leftover strawberry filling and whipped topping leftovers.
- I used a large piping bag with a Wilton 1M star tip to frost the cupcakes, but if you don’t have a piping bag and tip, you can just spread dollops of frosting on top of the cupcakes with a spatula.
- Garnish each cupcake with a fresh strawberry so it shows that they are strawberry cupcakes, and for the best presentation leave the bloom in tact and slice the strawberries vertically.
- Enjoy the cupcakes the day you assemble them for the freshest flavour and texture.
If you like cupcakes and muffins then try these:
Mango Coconut Streusel Muffins
Recipe
Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes
Celebrate summertime and Canada Day with red and white Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes. Vanilla infused cupcakes are filled with a fresh strawberry jam, piped with swirls of whipped cream cheese frosting and topped with fresh strawberries. Bite into a cupcake and the juicy strawberry filling spews out of the centre providing so much strawberry goodness!
Ingredients
Vanilla Cupcakes
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs at room temperature
- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup canola or vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup warm tap water last addition
Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting and Garnish
- 250 g cream cheese brick at room temperature
- ¾ cup icing sugar
- 2 tablespoons vanilla instant pudding
- 2 cups 35% whipping cream cold
- 10 fresh strawberries with bloom attached halved vertically, for garnish
Strawberry Jam Filling
- 2 tablespoons strawberry jam
- 2 cups finely diced fresh strawberries
Instructions
Make Vanilla Cupcakes
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare muffin tins by lining the cups with paper liners.
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Whisk dry ingredients, flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl, set aside.
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In a large bowl with a mixer at medium-high speed, beat eggs and sugar for 2 minutes, until creamy and bubbles are evident. Add oil, vanilla and milk and beat again for 1 minute until smooth.
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Reduce speed to low. Gradually add in the flour mixture and beat until combined.
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Add the warm water and beat until batter is smooth, thins out, and has no lumps. Let the batter sit in the mixing bowl at room temperature for 10 minutes to thicken slightly.
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Evenly fill each cupcake liner with batter almost to the rim (a rounded ¼ cup of batter). Bake for 18 – 22 minutes until very lightly golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool for 2 minutes before un-molding to a rack to cool completely.
Make Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
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In a large bowl with a mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese at high speed, for 2 – 3 minutes, until smooth.
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Stop the mixer and add the icing sugar, pudding mix and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed then gradually increase the speed until the ingredients are fully incorporated. Pop the bowl in the fridge for 10 minutes to chill.
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Switch to the whisk attachment and gradually add about ½ cup of the cream at a time while beating on low speed until the mixture starts to loosen and combine. Once all the cream is added and combined, increase the speed to medium-high and beat until it thickens and stiff peaks form. When you lift up the beaters the frosting should hold its own shape.
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Transfer frosting to a large piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1M tip, and refrigerate the bag while preparing the next steps.
Make Strawberry Jam Filling
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Just before ready to fill the cupcakes, in a medium bowl add the jam and finely diced strawberries and gently stir to combine.
Fill, Frost and Garnish
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To create the cavities for the filling, use a melon baller, small spoon or knife to scoop out some of the centers of each cupcake to create a deep cavity, about the size of a tablespoon. Fill holes with about 1 tablespoon or more of the strawberry filling, filling it right to the top of the cupcakes.
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Pipe the tops of each cupcake generously with the frosting. Top each cupcake with a strawberry half. Keep cupcakes refrigerated until needed and remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes
- Fill cupcake liners with batter almost to the rim without overfilling; use a cookie dough scoop or pastry bag to evenly divide the batter.
- Don’t over bake; cupcakes are done when very lightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean, plus cool them completely before filling and frosting.
- For the frosting, use a name brand brick cream cheese at room temperature (like Philadelphia), and make sure the 35% cream is kept really cold right until you need it.
- Only use fresh strawberries for the filling and garnish.
- Save the centers of the cupcakes that are dug out, they’re great for a snack and you can pair them with leftover strawberry filling and whipped topping leftovers.
- I used a large piping bag with Wilton 1M star tip to frost the cupcakes, but if you don’t have a piping bag and tip, you can just spread dollops of frosting on top of the cupcakes with a spatula.
- Enjoy the cupcakes the day you assemble them for the freshest flavour and texture.
- For make ahead, serving, storage and freezing tips, read those sections in the blog post.
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