These strawberry cupcakes are bursting with delicious strawberry flavor. These strawberry cupcakes with Swiss meringue frosting will quicly become your new favorite recipe. Perfect for springtime or summertime, this recipe is sure to be a crowd pleaser.
If you've followed Sweet Precision for a while you might remember my Strawberry Birthday Cake tradition. This year I decided to switch things up a little bit and made birthday cupcakes instead!
Why you'll love this recipe
Let's talk a little bit about these cupcakes. Are you one of those people who feel like buttercream is too rich and heavy? If so, you'll love the Swiss-style meringue buttercream that I used for this recipe which is light and delicate.
What is Swiss meringue?
Swiss meringue is prepared by cooking egg whites and sugar together in a bowl placed over a pot of boiling water. The mixture is then removed from the heat and whipped at high speed until it forms stiff peaks and has cooled. After this, room-temperature butter is slowly added into the mixture. Meringue-based buttercreams are light and creamy in texture, which I love. They also don't 'crust-over' as with simple buttercream.
Heather's helpful hints
he fat and liquid won’t emulsify, and you’ll be left with a bowl of fat globules that look like cottage cheese. If this happens to you, first try mixing the frosting a little longer to see if it comes together on its own.
If it doesn’t come together with additional mixing, scoop out a cup of curdled mixture and microwave 5 to 10 seconds, until melted but not hot. Pour the melted buttercream into the mixer while on medium speed and whip until combined. This works every time!
Related cupcake recipes
Check out these popular My Sweet Precision cupcakes recipes!
Recipe
Strawberry Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcake Ingredients
- 1 box white cake mix
- 1 box strawberry jello 6 ounces
- 4 eggs
- 3 tablespoons flour
- ⅔ cup oil
- ¾ cup frozen strawberries
- ½ cup water
Frosting Ingredients
- 5 egg whites
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 Pinch salt
- 1 pound unsalted butter cut into tablespoons, room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- red food coloring optional
Instructions
- Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line two cupcake pans and set aside.
- Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl and set aside. In a medium bowl, mix wet ingredients together, including strawberries. Slowly stir wet ingredients in with the dry being careful not to over mix the batter. Pour batter into cupcake tins and bake in the oven for approximately 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool in the pan and then remove to a baking rack to cool completely before frosting.
- For frosting, combine egg whites, sugar, and salt in the heatproof bowl of a standing mixer set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk constantly by hand until mixture is warm to the touch and sugar has dissolved (the mixture should feel completely smooth when rubbed between your fingertips).
- Attach the bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Starting on low and gradually increasing to medium-high speed, whisk until stiff peaks form. Continue mixing until the mixture is fluffy and glossy, and completely cool (test by touching the bottom of the bowl), about 10 minutes.
- With mixer on medium-low speed, add the butter a few tablespoons at a time, mixing well after each addition. Once all butter has been added, whisk in vanilla. Switch to the paddle attachment, and continue beating on low speed until all air bubbles are eliminated, about 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl with a flexible spatula, and continue beating until the frosting is completely smooth. Pipe or spread frosting onto cupcakes.
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?! First, let me say THANK YOU for giving it a try!
Please leave us a rating and feedback in the comments section at the bottom of this post. I always love to hear your thoughts and ideas on what went well — and didn't — with a recipe!
Happy Baking!
Heather
sarahjmir
these look incredibly lovely!
tableofcolors
Happy birthday Heather! 32 isn't really that old! You are still closer to thirty than forty :) I can't believe that I wll be turning 37 next summer, but to tell you the truth I don't feel like I'm a day older than 26...of course, other's may have a different opinion :D
That Swiss meringue buttercream looks like the perfect choice for me, as I'm not really a fan of buttercream. Next time I need a buttercream recipe, I will be trying yours out...it looks so perfectly smooth!
Heather @ Sweet Precision
Thank you for the birthday wishes! I agree that age really is a relative thing based more on how WE feel about ourselves. I remember feeling really "adult" when I turned 23 and 24. But truth be told, I'm still quite enjoying the early 30's!! And yes, definitely give the buttercream a try- it's a little more work but definitely worth it I think!
CakePants
Happy belated birthday! These cupcakes look like a great way to celebrate. I'm not a big fan of traditional buttercream, so I'd certainly like to try this lighter, Swiss version. Yum!
Heather @ Sweet Precision
Thank you for the birthday wishes! You'd absolutely love this type of buttercream! I'm also thinking about trying Italian meringue buttercream which is a little different but is still supposed to be a little lighter. I'll have to see when I get around to it :)
Antonia
Happy Birthday Heather! I hope you had a wonderful and special day! These cupcakes are so delicious and I love the idea of lightening up the buttercream. What a delicious way to celebrate!
Heather @ Sweet Precision
Thank you Antonia, it was a fun celebration! The cupcakes made a long journey to DC :)
Antonia
Glad you fun! Happy Birthday again!
Francesca
Happy (belated) birthday, dear Heather! 32!!! I'm so jealous! You are such a baby! ;-) Hope your friends threw you a fabulous birthday party and celebrated you the way you sure deserve! :-)
When I opened your post, I thought your photographs came straight out of a food magazine. They are simply beautiful and your cupcakes so unbelievably gorgeous. The sure deserve a cover page!
Heather @ Sweet Precision
Thank you for the birthday wishes Francesca! It was fun being back in a city that we love and visiting with friends that we haven't seen in a long time. Those pictures have got me wishing that I still had some cupcakes left to munch on at home! I had to purge my kitchen today for fear of eating cupcakes all week long!
Just Add Attitude
Happy Birthday Heather and sorry I am a day late with these wishes. I hope you had a lovely day yesterday. I have never made Swiss meringue buttercream so I must put making it on a mental list of thinks I would like to cook. The cupcakes are so pretty, I wish I could reach into my screen and pick one to taste. I hope you had or are still having a great time in Washington with your friend. ;)
Heather @ Sweet Precision
Thank you for the lovely birthday wishes B! Matthew and I had such a wonderful time in DC and drove back home yesterday. Although vacations are great I always enjoy settling back into the routine of home life :)
Mom
HAPPY BIRTHDAY for the 32nd year, Heather. I do so love this recipe and am glad it has become your birthday.... desert..something fun to look forward to. I am curious about this new frosting you are using. How do you like it? Does it take a little away from the oh so sweet cake that can become a bit much if the piece or pieces are on the big side? I look forward to hearing (and maybe trying) more.
Heather @ Sweet Precision
This new frosting is a definite winner! You are absolutely right- it is much less sweet and I think it makes the cake (or cupcakes) a little less cloyingly sweet. I think I may use this for future birthdays :-)
Linda Chaffee-Hampton
Good to hear. Maybe when dad and I visit we can put together a kitchen adventure where we can use your new frosting? I would love to give it a try! See you soon.
apuginthekitchen
Happy Birthday Heather and your strawberry cupcakes are lovely, I also really love swiss meringue buttercream. They are so pretty, 32 is still very young. Enjoy!!
Heather @ Sweet Precision
Thank you Suzanne! Yes, I think that going forward swiss meringue buttercream may be my go to for frosting. I was really pleased with how light and fluffy it was compared to the American buttercream (butter + confectioner's sugar) that I typically use.
Jess
Happy Birthday Heather! I hope you enjoy your day and I know for SURE that you will enjoy these cupcakes, they look just delicious and so very cute :-)
Heather @ Sweet Precision
Thank you Jess! They made the long journey to DC and they were delicious!