Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

This is the best strawberry buttercream frosting made with fresh strawberry flavor! It’s creamy, fluffy and perfect for frosting desserts from cakes, to cupcakes and cookies.

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The Best Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

It doesn’t get better than fresh strawberry dessert recipes in the summer. This strawberry buttercream frosting is a favorite, as well as strawberry cream pie and strawberry shortcake biscuits.

If you love buttercream frosting and strawberry cream cheese frosting, you will love this easy strawberry frosting recipe that combines the best of both frosting recipes. It’s creamy and rich, and adds amazing, real strawberry flavor to chocolate cupcakes and more!

Ingredient Notes

• Salted butter: I prefer salted butter to balance the sweet icing. But you can use unsalted butter and add a pinch of salt. Remember to soften to room temperature.
• Powdered sugar: The best sugar for frosting, it’s light sweet and the perfect texture.
• Vanilla extract: Balances the flavor.
• Heavy cream or milk: I prefer heavy cream for a richer frosting.
• Strawberries: For a thinner frosting, use finely chopped fresh strawberries but if you plan to pipe it on cupcakes use freeze dried strawberries. Strawberry puree works too.

How to Make Strawberry Frosting

1. Whip the butter. In a large mixing bowl, whip the softened butter with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Slowly add in 2 cups of powdered sugar and mix until combined.
2. Add vanilla and powdered sugar. Add vanilla and 1 more cup of powdered sugar and continue mixing. You may need to add a teaspoon or two of milk to thin the frosting down.
3. Adjust consistency as needed. Add in your last cup of powdered sugar and mix until combined. Add more or less milk depending on the consistency. You want it to be thick, creamy and able to hold a point.
4. Fold in strawberries. Then fold your fresh berries in. If you are wanting to pipe this frosting, I would recommend using freeze dried, so it will become stiffer.

How to Thicken

To thicken your strawberry frosting, I would suggest using freeze dried strawberries. If you use fresh strawberries, it will be thinner and less stiff. The picture above shows the difference in consistency for the two methods.

If you’re wanting to pipe the frosting, I definitely recommend using freeze dried strawberries so that it will be able to hold a point. Just pulse the dried strawberries into a strawberry powder in a blender before adding them in.

Can I Use Frozen Strawberries?

Yes, but you will need to thaw and drain them first. I recommended pureeing them slightly in the blender before slowly adding a little bit at a time into the frosting. My recommendation is fresh strawberries or freeze dried strawberries, but frozen works in a pinch.

Ways to Use Strawberry Buttercream

I love how pretty and vibrant this easy strawberry frosting looks on baked goods! There should be enough frosting for a 9×13 cake, two 8 inch cake layers or 12 cupcakes.

• Cakes: It pairs wonderfully with a vanilla cake or strawberry sheet cake.  Sometimes I use a box mix if I’m in a pinch and it still tastes delicious! It would also taste amazing on a chocolate cake or Neapolitan cake.
• Cupcakes: I love to pipe it on moist vanilla cupcakes or chocolate cupcakes. The color looks so pretty and I always love to add a fresh strawberry slice for garnish.
• Cookies: Top sugar cookies or make frosted sugar cookie bars. Talk about a match made in heaven!
• Snack: One of my favorite childhood snacks was graham crackers dipped in buttercream frosting. Seriously the most delicious thing ever!

Storage

• Store: Store strawberry buttercream frosting in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3 days. Bring to room temperature before using on baked goods.
• Freeze: Freeze up to 3 months in a freezer safe bag. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then stir or mix again with an electric mixer.