Strawberry Filled Cupcakes

Strawberry filled cupcakes are perfect for any celebration! The best fluffy and moist vanilla cupcakes are stuffed with a fresh strawberry filling. Top them with a strawberry frosting, lemon buttercream frosting or with cream cheese frosting ~ you choose your favorite!

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Fresh strawberry filled cupcakes are a perfect treat! Whether it be for a birthday, Easter, a summer picnic or just because; they are sure to become a favorite.

The vanilla cupcakes are moist and fluffy and super easy to make. I know you are busy bakers {like me}, so the strawberry filling couldn't be easier either.

This homemade strawberry filling would be perfect for strawberry lemonade cupcakes {use this lemon cupcake recipe} or in peanut butter muffins for strawberry filled muffins.

why you will love these easy stuffed cupcakes

• The cupcake recipe is quick and easy. No mixer required!
• Fresh strawberries shine in the homemade filling.
• Customize them with your favorite buttercream. They are amazing with cream cheese frosting, lemon buttercream frosting, simple vanilla or a berry Swiss meringue buttercream.

ingredients and substitutions

Please scroll to the printable recipe card at the end of this post for the full list of ingredients and baking directions.

• All-purpose flour ~ adds structure. If not using a kitchen scale, be sure to use the spoon and level method.
• Baking powder and baking soda ~ add some height to the cupcakes.
• Kosher salt ~ helps to balance the flavors.
• Granulated sugar ~ brings the sweetness.
• Eggs ~ 2 large eggs needed. Having the eggs at room temperature will provide the best results.
• Sour cream ~ brings extra moisture by working to shorten the gluten strands in the flour, which results in a tender and soft cupcake. For the best cupcakes, use full fat sour cream and bring it to room temperature.
• Vanilla ~ adds a nice burst of flavor to both the cupcake and strawberry filling.
• Milk ~ brings moisture to the baked cupcakes; I use 1%, but 2% or whole milk also work. Having the milk at room temperature will give you the best cupcakes.
• Unsalted butter ~ brings richness to the cupcakes. The butter gets melted and slightly cooled before adding to the cupcake ingredients.
• Strawberries ~ fresh strawberries are needed for the filling. You need about 4 - 5 large strawberries. Once you remove the tops and dice them small, you'll have about a half cup of diced strawberries.

To quickly bring the sour cream and milk to room temperature you can do quick {10-15 second} bursts in the microwave. Stir in between each burst and be careful NOT to heat them up, as this can change their structure.

Pro tip ~ to quickly bring eggs to room temperature, place them in a bowl of warm tap water for 5-10 minutes.

how to make moist strawberry filled cupcakes

Start by melting the butter and set aside to cool slightly. Then preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare a 12 count muffin pan with cupcake liners. Set aside.

Now in a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and kosher salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla and sour cream until well combined.

Then whisk in the milk and once combined whisk in the melted and cooled butter.

Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until just fully combined. The batter is on the thick side.

Divide the batter evenly between the 12 cupcake liners. They will be about ⅔ full.

Bake for 16-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. Allow to cool completely before filling with the fresh strawberry filling.

how to fill cupcakes

Start by removing the tops and dice the strawberries into small pieces {remember these are going inside the cupcake and you want them to be nice size to bite into}. You will need 4 - 5 large fresh strawberries.

Then in a small bowl mix the strawberries with granulated sugar {1 teaspoon - or more if your berries need a bit more sweetness} and vanilla and set aside.

To fill the cupcakes, use a paring knife, apple corer or large star piping tip to remove some of the center of each cooled cupcake. Make sure you don't go through the bottom of the cupcake!

Then fill each cavity with the fresh strawberry filling and top with the piece of cupcake you removed to seal. {You will need to trim a little of the cut piece so it will fit back in}. Then frost with desired buttercream frosting.

tips for the best cupcakes

• Use room temperature ingredients. I've been making this vanilla cupcake recipe for years and have cheated and not brought my ingredients to room temperature. This will work, but for the BEST texture I highly recommend bringing the cold ingredients to room temperature.
• Be careful to not over mix the batter once the flour mixture is added. This can lead to tough cupcakes and we are going for moist, tender and fluffy!
• If you need to quickly cool the cupcakes ~ once the cupcakes have finished baking let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Then move them to a wire cooling rack and let them cool another 5 minutes before placing them in the freezer for 5-10 minutes.
• Use good liners. These Paper Chef liners are the only ones I use in my kitchen.
• Use a cookie or ice cream scoop to get even amounts of batter into each liner. This helps the cupcakes to bake uniformly.
• For the best, moist and tender cupcakes, don't over bake them. Remove them from the oven when a toothpick or cake tester comes out with just a few moist crumbs.

cupcake frosting ideas

• Not too sweet vanilla American buttercream
• Lemon buttercream frosting
• Strawberry Swiss meringue buttercream {use freeze dried strawberries}
• White chocolate {American} buttercream or Swiss meringue buttercream
• Cream cheese frosting

frequently asked questions

can I use frozen strawberries?

No, I do not recommend using frozen strawberries as they will add too much moisture to the cupcakes. Fresh strawberries are best in this cupcake recipe.

can I use a different fruit or filling?

Sure! But they will no longer be strawberry filled cupcakes ;-). Cherries would be delicious! I don't think you'd go wrong with raspberries or blackberries either. You can also fill the cupcakes with chocolate ganache, lemon curd, your favorite jam, Nutella, cookie butter.... The options are endless.

how do you decorate cupcakes?

For the look in these photos I used a Wilton 1M piping tip. The Wilton 2D {seen in my rum coconut cupcakes} and Wilton 8B {seen in my brown sugar cupcakes} are my other favorites for decorating cupcakes.

If you don't have piping tips, just spoon the frosting on top of the cupcakes. You can use an offset spatula, the back of a spoon or a knife to smooth or swirl the buttercream.

how to store

Cupcakes can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 1 day. They can also be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days, but they will be more prone to drying out. Let them sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving so they soften up.

The strawberry filled cupcakes can be frozen in an airtight container for 2-3 months. Allow to defrost at room temperature before serving. I freeze mine with buttercream all the time!

Remember to snap a picture and tag me on Instagram if you make these Strawberry Filled Cupcakes. It warms my heart to see you bring these recipes to life! Thank you for being here and happy baking!

more strawberry desserts to enjoy

• Strawberry Crumb Cake
• Strawberry Lemonade Cookies
• No Bake Mascarpone Cheesecake with Strawberries and Mint
• Strawberry Coconut Chocolate Bars

If you make this recipe {or any recipe!} from two sugar bugs please come back and leave a review and a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating.  I read every comment, and I LOVE hearing from you!