This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, read my disclosure policy.
Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes are my favorite vanilla cupcake recipe filled with fresh strawberries and a whipped cream frosting! These easy cupcakes are a delicious twist on a strawberry shortcake recipe.
Best Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes Ever
My dad’s birthday is in August and I remember always getting him a strawberry shortcake cake for him. We usually bought it from a local grocery store and it was layers of yellow cake with fresh whipped cream and strawberries. (In reality, I bet we only got that for him like twice or something but it’s the birthday cake I remember!) Now, whenever I see strawberry shortcake, I think of my dad.
We’d also buy those packaged strawberry shortcakes all the time and my dad would heap them with cool whip (or canned whipped cream) and fresh strawberries. Come to think of it, my family hated fruit-and-dessert unless it was strawberry shortcake. Maybe that’s why I make so many strawberry shortcake desserts now?
These cupcakes are a mixture of my dad’s two favorite strawberry shortcake desserts: cake and individual shortcakes all in one!
Ingredients Needed
- Cupcakes: Make my yellow cupcakes from scratch, from a box, or buy them from the store.
- Frosting: You can use either whipped cream or my favorite, whipped cream frosting.
- Strawberries: Use fresh strawberries that have been washed, hulled and diced.
How to make Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes
- Cut out the top portion of your cupcake just a bit.
- Fill the cupcake with diced strawberries.
- Frost the cupcake with frosting and top with a fresh strawberry.
Variations
- Traditionally, strawberry shortcake is a vanilla cake. But you could also make chocolate strawberry shortcake cupcakes or even red velvet!
- You could also use vanilla buttercream or cream cheese frosting.
Tip From Dorothy
Expert Tips
- Start with a COLD mixing bowl and cold beaters/whisk when making whipped cream. The colder the utensils you start with, the faster the cream will whip.
- Don’t over mix the cream or you’ll end up with butter!
- Be sure to cut the berries small so they’ll fit inside the cupcake.
- Before filling the cupcake, macerate the berries with a bit of sugar to sweeten them.
FAQs
Make the cupcakes and frosting ahead, but don’t dice the berries or fill the cupcakes until you’re within a few hours of serving. The berries will weep over time and make a soggy cupcake.
I don’t recommend making shortcake with frozen berries. It’s best to save the recipe when you have fresh strawberries.
Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes Recipe
Ingredients
- 24 vanilla cupcakes baked and cooled
- 1 pound strawberries
- 1 tablespoon (13g) granulated sugar
- 2 cups (474ml) heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup (28g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- You can use my vanilla cupcake recipe or use a cake mix, or buy plain cupcakes from the store.
- Remove tops and hull strawberries. Dice strawberries finely. Toss with about 1 tablespoon sugar (optional).
- Place heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer. Beat at high speed until stiff peaks form.
- Hollow out a portion of the center of each cupcake. Fill with berries. Top with whipped cream.
- Frost these right before serving for best results.
Recipe Notes
Recipe Nutrition
These are the perfect summer cupcakes! Because the whipped cream frosting isn’t stable, you’ll want to be sure and fill and frost these the day you want to serve them. You can make the cupcakes ahead of time and freeze, but assemble them day of. Berries don’t last long once washed and cut and whipped cream tends to weep after a day.
Favorite Strawberry Recipes
Last Updated on May 21, 2023
These cupcakes were delicious and such a hit. I brought them to work as well as a Canada celebration and everyone loved them.
I haven’t used yet but what i need information on how to keep frosting from melting?
Featured In
Rate This Recipe