Vanilla Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting

Simple vanilla cupcakes with strawberry cream cheese frosting are the perfect cupcakes for any occasion. From birthday parties to Mother’s Day, summer backyard BBQ’s to school bake sales and of course Valentine’s Day, these cupcakes will become your go-to recipe.

Made from scratch, with zero artificial coloring, this strawberry cream cheese frosting is the perfect complement to this easy vanilla cupcake. Try pairing this frosting with cream cheese cupcakes for another delicious combination.

If you’re looking for an icing made with fresh strawberries, try my strawberry cream cheese icing recipe. It’s perfect for topping pound cakes, cookies or even muffins.

Vanilla cupcake recipe

Vanilla cupcakes sometimes get a bad rap. They are often thought of as the “Plain Jane” of the cupcake world, but when done right, they can be absolute perfection. Vanilla doesn’t have to be boring and when it’s topped with this strawberry cream cheese frosting, it is anything but dull.

Vanilla is the number one flavor for a reason. It is versatile, lots of people like it and it pairs with almost anything. It’s also popular with kids parties because it isn’t a strong flavor, there is no food coloring and you really can’t go wrong with homemade vanilla cupcakes.

I love this recipe. Delicious and turned out beautiful each time, this is truly a keeper!!! Thank you for sharing the recipe!!! – Merry

Easy Vanilla Cupcakes

These cupcakes are a breeze to make, and they freeze really well. When I make a batch, I keep a half dozen or so aside to freeze for those days when I might “need” a cupcake.

Bakeries typically make cupcakes (and cakes) ahead of time and freeze them for later use, so it stands to reason that this will work at home as well. Make a double batch and keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months. The next time you need cupcakes for a party, all you have to do is frost them.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

My first attempt at this frosting was a complete and epic failure. It was a runny, sloppy mess. I used fresh strawberries and if I wanted more of a glaze, like say for a pound cake, it would’ve been fine. That was not what I wanted, so back to the drawing board.

Next, I tried roasting the strawberries. I thought I would get a nice, deep flavor from them and also bake out some of the moisture. That didn’t work either. At this point, I’m starting to develop a complex, but I’m also slightly miffed and I’m not about to let it get the best of me.

My third attempt was with strawberry jam. Better, but it didn’t taste very “strawberry-y”. That’s a word, right? The consistency was a little softer than I wanted, but the flavor was my major complaint. It didn’t taste like strawberry.

I wanted there to be no doubt that this was strawberry cream cheese frosting. At this point, I’m frustrated. I went to the store and as I’m walking down one of the aisles, I spied freeze-dried strawberries. I thought “Well, it can’t be any worse”. So, I bought them.

I went home and emptied a bag into the food processor. I ended up with bright pink rubble. As soon as I opened the lid and saw this strawberry powder, I knew I was on to something good. Finally.

All I wanted was a vanilla cupcake with strawberry frosting, and I was finally going to get it.

This strawberry cream cheese frosting actually tastes like strawberry! This may seem like a strange statement, but please tell me I’m not the only person on the planet who has ordered something strawberry-flavored, only to have it fall flat. Or worse, it tastes artificial. This frosting honestly tastes like strawberries.

Award Winning Cupcakes

These vanilla cupcakes with strawberry cream cheese frosting are award-winning treats. They were entered into a baking contest and took home a ribbon, so I can confidently say that they are pretty good.

For me, the picture above is the perfect ratio of frosting to cupcake. I like enough, but not too much. I’ve always preferred the cake to the frosting, until now.

To garnish them, I made candied strawberry slices.  Because, you know I had a bunch.

LOOKING FOR MORE CUPCAKES?

• Caramel Apple Cupcakes with Apple Cider Buttercream
• Devil’s Food Cupcakes with Mint Buttercream (over 21!)
• Ginger Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream
• Peppermint Hot Chocolate Cupcakes
• Strawberry Cream Cheese Cupcakes

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USED TO MAKE VANILLA CUPCAKES:

If you were to make a purchase through one of the following affiliate links, I would receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Questions? Please refer to my policy page.

• Vanilla Bean Paste
• Silpat
• Freeze Dried Strawberries

Thanks for stopping by! Have a delicious day 🙂

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