Strawberry Filled Vanilla Cupcakes

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These strawberry filled vanilla cupcakes are *literally* packed with fruity flavor, thanks to juicy, roasted fresh strawberries. From a marbled strawberry cream cheese frosting (similar to my raspberry frosting recipe) to the berry filling for cupcakes, you will taste strawberry in eeeevery bite, exactly where it belongs! 🍓

Three strawberry filled cupcakes on a white cake stand, one with a bite missing so you see the inside of the cupcake.

This summertime dessert is reminiscent of my vanilla strawberry cake, which you absolutely need to make if you're ISO a seasonal cake. Both recipes are great for a party, everyday event, or special occasion during strawberry season or any time of year, really.

The base recipe here comes from my small batch vanilla cupcakes, and that's another solid option for smaller gatherings.

I've tweaked that recipe a number of times to play with other cupcake flavors and fillings.

From my jammy, blueberry filled cupcakes to these raspberry almond cupcakes that have a fruity center, too, I am always a fan of combining fruit and baked goods. They're definitely a dream team. 🤝

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📋 Ingredients for these Strawberry Filled Vanilla Cupcakes
Recipe Planning
Instructions for the Roasted Strawberry Filling
Step-by-Step Instructions for these Moist Vanilla Cupcakes
Instructions for Marbled Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
💡 Pro Tip: Frosting Made with Freeze Dried Fruit
🧁 Instructions for Filling and Decorating Your Cupcakes
Cupcake Storage
Cupcake FAQ and Troubleshooting
✨ Tips for Perfecting this Cupcake Recipe
Best Results: Baking in Grams
🍓 More Recipes Like these Strawberry Filled Vanilla Cupcakes
Strawberry Filled Vanilla Cupcakes

📋 Ingredients for these Strawberry Filled Vanilla Cupcakes

Overhead shot of ingredients for strawberry filled cupcakes.

The recipe card below contains all the ingredients you need for these fruit filled cupcakes. Here are some key ones:

Fresh strawberry filling - Roasting strawberries softens their texture and releases some of their water, leaving us with lots of strawberry flavor.
Almond extract - The combination of almond and strawberry is a good one. While not a requirement, almond nicely complements these berry-filled cupcakes.
Freeze dried strawberries - Freeze dried strawberries have a concentrated, more intense flavor than fresh or even dried fruits. They work well in this frosting because unlike strawberry jam, they don't add any excess moisture.

Strawberry filled cupcake sitting on a small pink plate, with a mini spatula next to it.

Recipe Planning

To make these strawberry filled vanilla cupcakes in one session, I recommend the following:

First, roast your fresh strawberries.
While they're in the oven, dive into the steps for baking the strawberry cupcakes.
Once the strawberries have roasted, let them cool as you bake your cupcakes.
While your cupcakes bake, clean your mixing bowl and make the strawberry frosting.

Alternatively, roast the strawberries one day. Bake and assemble these vanilla cupcakes with strawberry filling the following.

Instructions for the Roasted Strawberry Filling

I am so obsessed with this delicious, homemade strawberry filling! I use it in my strawberry chocolate cake as well as strawberry sandwich cookies. Roasted strawberries never get old.

Preheat oven to 375°F and follow the below steps.

Up-close image of strawberries in bowl with sugar on them.

Step 1: Toss fresh strawberries, lemon juice, sugar, and salt in a bowl.

Up-close image of chopped strawberries on a baking sheet.

Step 2: Spread berries out onto an aluminum or metal pan to bake for 15-20 minutes, flipping berries halfway through.

Step 3: Once berries have a soft, syrupy consistency, remove from oven.

Pieces of roasted strawberries in a bowl.

Step 4: Transfer roasted strawberries to a heatproof bowl and let cool in refrigerator.

Note that bake time varies depending on the pan and how it conducts heat. For instance, strawberries in a metal dish will bake faster than ones in glass.

Step-by-Step Instructions for these Moist Vanilla Cupcakes

About an hour before beginning this recipe, bring your eggs, butter, buttermilk, and full-fat Greek yogurt (or sour cream) out of the refrigerator. Place them on your counter so they reach room temperature.

Preheat your oven to 350°F and dive into the steps below.

Step 1: Line a standard muffin tin with 12 paper liners.

Step 2: To a large bowl, add and whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt. Set aside dry ingredients.

Step 3: Using the paddle attachment in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat your granulated sugar, unsalted room temperature butter, and vanilla extract and almond (if using) together on medium speed for 4 minutes. Stop mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Step 4: Stop mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the two eggs and beat again for 1 minute.

Step 5: Add half of your dry ingredients and all buttermilk to your mixing bowl. Mix on low for about 45 seconds and scrape the bowl's sides again so all ingredients are evenly incorporated.

Step 6: Add the remaining flour mixture, along with your Greek yogurt and canola or vegetable oil. Mix on low speed until mostly incorporated. Stop mixer and fully incorporate by hand with a spatula for another minute or two to avoid over-mixing cupcake batter.

White cupcake batter in tins, with a pink strawberry spatula on top of it.

Step 7: Pour and evenly spread the batter into your prepared cupcake liners (about 50 grams in each cavity). Bake for 14-16 minutes or until cupcakes appear buttery and dense but bounce back at the touch of your finger.

Vanilla almond cupcakes cooling on a wire rack.

Step 8: Let cupcakes cool in cupcake tin or pan about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely before adding the filling to the center of each cupcake.

Instructions for Marbled Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredient shot for strawberry and cream cheese frosting.

These strawberry-filled cupcakes get an extra flavor boost from the strawberry frosting.

Mixing bowl with whipped cream cheese frosting.

Step 1: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment -- or in a large mixing bowl using an electric hand mixer -- beat the cream cheese until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the butter and mix for another 1 minute or until fully combined.

Mixing bowl with whipped cream cheese, along with sugar, and butter.

Step 2: Next, turn off your mixer and add salt, powdered sugar, and almond and vanilla extracts to bowl. Mix on low setting to slowly incorporate powdered sugar before increasing to high speed for another 2-3 minutes. Add lemon juice if needed to cut sweetness (personal preference).

Freeze dried strawberry powder in a mixing bowl with cream cheese.

Step 3: If you want to make marble the frosting, remove half of your base frosting and set aside in another bowl. Add finely ground freeze dried strawberries to mixing bowl and mix until well-combined.

White and pink strawberry cream cheese frosting, set on plastic wrap to make marbled cupcake frosting.

Step 4: Spread out the white and pink frostings in two lines on a piece of plastic wrap.

Snipping bag of white and pink strawberry cream cheese frosting to make marbled cupcake frosting.

Step 5: Roll that up and snip the end of the plastic wrap so frosting can flow freely.

Step 6: Place larger opening of your piping bag around a cup (this makes it easier to transfer the frosting so you're not holding the bag and frosting at the same time.) Place snipped end of plastic wrap down headfirst into a piping bag fitted with a decorating tip of your choice (forever obsessed with 2D!).

💡 Pro Tip: Frosting Made with Freeze Dried Fruit

Fully grind into a fine powder your freeze dried strawberries before adding them to a piping bag.

Otherwise, chunks of the fruit will likely get caught in the tip.

If it does happen, remove or squeeze your strawberry cream cheese frosting out the other end of the bag, using the wide opening, and remove the problematic pieces of fruit.

🧁 Instructions for Filling and Decorating Your Cupcakes

Removing the core of a cupcake with a larger end of a piping tip to add strawberry filling.

Step 1: To add the filling, use a cupcake corer or the wider end of a large piping tip (like the size of 1M, 2D, etc). Make a hole in the center of your cupcakes and go about ¾ of the way down into it.

Overhead shot of vanilla cupcakes with the cores removed, filled with roasted strawberries.

Step 2: Scoop about 2 teaspoons of cooled, diced and roasted strawberries into the hole of each cupcake. Firmly pack it down for more strawberry flavor!

Piping onto a vanilla cupcake with strawberry filling.

Step 3: Cover each hole in the middle of the cupcake by piping frosting directly onto the top of the cupcakes. Garnish with white sprinkles, fresh strawberry slices, or leave as is.

Vanilla cupcake with strawberry juice oozing down the side of the liner.

Cupcake Storage

If you want to prep these delicious cupcakes in advance for special occasions, you can freeze them (frosted or unfrosted) for up to three months. Place them in an airtight container in your freezer, and bring them out an hour or two before you'd like to serve them.

I have a detailed guide for freezing cupcakes if you're curious about the many ways you can successfully do this!

Cupcake FAQ and Troubleshooting

Why do I need to use room temperature ingredients?

Ingredients like eggs, butter, and other dairy products are important in trapping air into your baked goods as you mix the batter or dough for them.

That air expands during the baking process in the oven. This can mean the difference between a dense and crumbly cupcake and a nice, fluffy one.

What makes cupcakes more moist?

In this recipe, we use a combination of room temperature oil, buttermilk, butter, and Greek yogurt (or sour cream could work, too) to create a moist and soft cupcake.

The juices from the roasted strawberries also add moisture inside this cupcake!

Why do my cupcakes sink in the middle?

Sunken cupcakes are so frustrating, but typically it happens due to one of the following reasons:

Underbaking: When this happens, the cupcakes sink as they cool. Be sure to bake them until a toothpick comes out clean.

Overmixing: An excessive amount of air mixed into your batter can cause them to rise quickly and then collapse while baking. Mix just until combined.

Too Much Leavening: Carefully measure your baking powder and soda.

Opening the Oven Too Soon: Doing so can cause the temperature to rapidly drop. Don't open the oven door to check them until they're at least 75% through their baking time.

Incorrect Oven Temperature: An overly hot can set the cupcake's outside before the inside is cooked. An oven thermometer helps ensure accuracy.

✨ Tips for Perfecting this Cupcake Recipe

Don't overmix your batter! Overmixing batter can yield a denser cupcake (or cause it to sink!). Neither result is good so be mindful!
Let your cupcakes cool before assembling them. If your cupcakes are still warm when you pipe frosting onto them or try to add the strawberry filling, you'll regret it. The strawberry frosting may melt, and the warm cupcake's texture won't be quite sturdy enough to hold the strawberry filling well.
For a more flavorful cupcake, eat it the next day. The added time allows the flavors to meld together longer, resulting in a stronger taste.

Best Results: Baking in Grams

If you’re not already, use a kitchen scale for accuracy in baking.

While I include cups and grams in my recipe cards, weighing your ingredients and writing or following a recipe using a standard metric like grams ensures consistency.

I highly recommend investing $30 or less in a kitchen scale.