Infused with real strawberry flavor, this easy strawberry frosting recipe is perfect for a wide variety of baked goods, from a simple vanilla cake to a full-blown strawberry cake to a tart lemon cake. It comes together in a few simple steps and only five ingredients.
This strawberry frosting will transform your baked goods to a whole new level. It is so rich and creamy! It also holds up very well, so not only can you spread it over a sheet cake, but it’s perfect for piping. This frosting recipe is truly a must when strawberry season hits. Don’t have fresh strawberries? Not to worry, down below, I share tips on using freeze-dried berries and frozen strawberries. If you love strawberry recipes, then try my strawberry muffins, strawberry bread, or strawberry cheesecake!
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Strawberries — fresh, ripe strawberries are ideal as strawberries do not continue to ripen once picked.
Butter — use unsalted butter. Make sure your butter is at room temperature before you start the frosting.
Powdered sugar — frostings tend to need a lot of powdered sugar. I have a post on how to make powdered sugar if you run out. Avoid swapping powdered sugar for another sugar. The fine powder will make a smooth strawberry frosting. You might also find this sugar labeled as icing sugar or confectioners’ sugar.
Heavy cream — adding heavy cream will make the frosting lighter, fluffier, and richer.
How to Make Strawberry Frosting
1. Place the strawberries in a blender or food processor. Process until completely smooth.
2. Measure out ¼ cup of strawberry puree.
3. In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until soft and fluffy.
4. Add the strawberry puree and beat until well combined. Scrape down the bowl.
5. With the mixer on low speed, add the powdered sugar in about a cup at a time. Stop and scrape down the bowl occasionally.
6. Once all of the sugar is added, beat in 2 tablespoons of cream and the vanilla. Beat on medium-low speed until fluffy. Add the additional tablespoon of cream if needed for a smooth and fluffy frosting. Use the frosting immediately or cover and chill overnight. Bring to room temperature and beat again for 30 seconds to 1 minute or until the strawberry frosting is fluffy and spreadable before using.
How to Use Fresh or Frozen Strawberries in Buttercream
Fresh strawberries are my preference when they are sweet and in season. You can follow my recipe as written if using fresh berries. If you only have frozen real strawberries, you can use them in place of fresh strawberries. Thaw the strawberries and strain off any liquid, the use them in the recipe as written. Straining before you puree them prevents the frosting from being liquidy. You may find that the frosting needs a few more tablespoons of sugar to account for any added moisture from the frozen berries.
Can I use Freeze-Dried Strawberries in this Frosting?
Yes, you can substitute fresh strawberries for freeze-dried strawberries! I like doing this when fresh strawberries aren’t in season. They add a very nice strawberry flavor and deep color to the frosting.
To use freeze-dried strawberries, process 1 cup of freeze-dried strawberries in a food processor until finely ground and powdery. Sift this through a fine mesh strainer to remove any seeds. Beat the strawberry powder into the butter in place of the strawberry puree as directed in the recipe. You will need to decrease the amount of powdered sugar to 5 cups (600g) and add an additional 4 to 5 tablespoons of cream to the frosting since the strawberries don’t have any added moisture.
While both fresh and freeze-dried strawberries work well, there are a few key differences between fresh strawberry frosting and freeze-dried strawberry frosting:
- Fresh: This frosting is delicious and soft from the moisture from the fresh (or frozen) berries and has a fresh strawberry flavor. It also should be refrigerated to stay fresh for several days due to the fresh nature of the berries.
- Freeze-dried: Because these strawberries are dry, you will need to use less powdered sugar and add more cream. The color will likely be deeper from the berry powder as well, and the flavor will be slightly tangier as the dried berries are more tart than fresh. Frosting made with freeze-dried strawberries can be kept at room temperature for up to 3 days.
How to Use Strawberry Frosting
This strawberry buttercream frosting recipe makes enough frosting to top a 9×13-inch sheet cake, fully frost an 8-inch two-layer cake, or frost 16 cupcakes. While the classics– strawberry cake and strawberry cupcakes– are always a hit, here are some more of my favorite ways to use strawberry buttercream:
- Frost moist vanilla cupcakes or angel food cupcakes
- Swap it out for frosting my lemon cake
- Level up a classic vanilla cake, chocolate cake, or peanut butter cupcakes
- Fill oatmeal cream pies
- Turn funfetti cookies or peanut butter cookies into festive sandwich cookies
- Make strawberry-frosted sugar cookie bars or Lofthouse cookies
How to Store Strawberry Frosting
Store the frosting in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. Let it sit at room temperature for 1 hour or until softened, then beat it again until fluffy before using it.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- Strain the strawberry puree through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds for a smoother frosting. This is optional but a great choice if you don’t want any rough seeds.
- To make this strawberry buttercream dairy-free, you can simply substitute regular butter with vegan butter and replace the cream with a non-dairy milk or cream alternative.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar. If you dump it all in at once, it can go flying all over your counter, and create a lumpy frosting. Adding in batches ensures a smooth texture to your frosting (and less mess!).
- Make sure the butter is soft. I prefer to set it out on the counter once my cakes are cooling or at least 1 to 2 hours before I’ll start making the frosting. If you don’t have that kind of time, you can put one stick at a time in the microwave and heat for 5 seconds. Slip the sick and continue until softened, but not at all melted.
Frequently Asked Questions
This homemade strawberry frosting is freezer friendly! Transfer the frosting to an airtight freezer-safe bag or container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Once ready to use, thaw the frosting overnight in the refrigerator, then bring it to room temperature. You can whip it again in the mixer if you’d like.
Yes! You can substitute ¼ cup of strawberry jam for the puree. Since jam is already sweet, reduce the overall powdered sugar in the recipe by ½ cup (60g). Add an extra pinch of salt if you find the strawberry buttercream is too sweet with the jam.
After frosting a cake or cupcakes with this strawberry frosting, it can be kept on the counter for a day or two if your kitchen is cool. However, I recommend keeping the frosted baked goods in the fridge if you want to keep them longer. Use the refrigerated frosting within 1 week.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this strawberry frosting recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Strawberry Frosting
Video
Ingredients
- ½ cup chopped fresh strawberries or frozen thawed strawberries (about 6 berries)
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened, (227g)
- 6 cups powdered sugar (720g)
- 2 to 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place the strawberries in a blender or food processor. Process until completely smooth. (If desired, you can strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds.) Measure out ¼ cup of strawberry puree.
- In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until soft and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the strawberry puree and beat until well combined. Scrape down the bowl.
- With the mixer on low speed, add the powdered sugar in about a cup at a time. Stop and scrape down the bowl occasionally. Once all of the sugar is added, beat in 2 tablespoons of cream and the vanilla. Beat on medium-low speed until fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the additional tablespoon of cream if needed for a smooth and fluffy frosting. Use the frosting immediately or cover and chill overnight. Bring to room temperature and beat again for 30 seconds to 1 minute or until fluffy and spreadable before using.
Notes
- Strain the strawberry puree through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds for a smoother frosting. This is optional but a great choice if you don’t want any rough seeds.
- To make this strawberry buttercream dairy-free, you can simply substitute regular butter with vegan butter and replace the cream with a non-dairy milk or cream alternative.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar. If you dump it all in at once, it can go flying all over your counter, and create a lumpy frosting. Adding in batches ensures a smooth texture to your frosting (and less mess!).
- Make sure the butter is soft. I prefer to set it out on the counter once my cakes are cooling or at least 1 to 2 hours before I’ll start making the frosting. If you don’t have that kind of time, you can put one stick at a time in the microwave and heat for 5 seconds. Slip the sick and continue until softened, but not at all melted.
- To use freeze-dried strawberries, process 1 cup of freeze-dried strawberries in a food processor until finely ground and powdery. Sift this through a fine mesh strainer to remove any seeds. Beat the strawberry powder into the butter in place of the strawberry puree as directed in the recipe. You will need to decrease the amount of powdered sugar to 5 cups (600g) and add an additional 4 to 5 tablespoons of cream to the frosting since the strawberries don’t have any added moisture.
