These strawberry shortcake cupcakes are a delightful dessert mashup that pairs the classic flavors of strawberry shortcakes with the portability and ease of a cupcake.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
This is a brief summary of the recipe. Jump to the recipe to get the full details.
Prep Time
25 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Cooling Time
1 hour
Total Time
1 hour 45 minutes
Servings
16 cupcakes
Difficulty
Easy
Calories *
434 kcal per serving
Technique
Make cupcakes and cool, prepare the frosting and frost cupcakes.
Flavor Profile
Vanilla cupcake with rich strawberry frosting.
* Based on nutrition panel
The Golden Oreo base was such a genius move!! It added this buttery, crunch at the bottom that takes the whole cupcake to another level! The hidden strawberry inside is such a fun surprise when you bite in. The freeze-dried strawberry buttercream is so much more vibrant than anything made with jam or extract…⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Mara
Bake soft and fluffy (one-bowl!) vanilla cupcakes with a Golden Oreo base and a fresh strawberry center, then top with a creamy strawberry buttercream frosting. Whether you make these for a special occasion or just because, you’re going to fall hard for these pretty-in-pink treats. You could also try the same recipe with my strawberry cake for extra Summer flavor!
Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes Recipe
Earlier this winter, during one of my many sick days (because we got every seasonal illness under the sun, BUT I DIGRESS), I turned to the show Nadiya Bakes on Netflix for some baking show respite. If you’ve never watched her show, I highly recommend it — it’s equal parts charm and fun, baking science and inspiration, and I want to make literally every single one of the recipes on the show. But the one that stood out to me most was a recipe for strawberry shortcake cupcakes with a Golden Oreo base and a fresh strawberry center… and HERE WE ARE.
Nadiya makes a cupcake batter with a few ingredients that are not readily available in the U.S., so I’ve adapted the cupcake batter by using a variation of one of my favorite cupcake recipes on GVD, One-Bowl Funfetti Cupcakes. And while Nadiya makes a strawberry frosting using melted strawberry ice cream (GENIUS), I opted for a version that use freeze-dried strawberries. The result is a beautiful cupcake that is bursting with fresh berry flavor — the perfect dessert for Easter, springtime or truly, any time a cupcake craving calls.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The ingredients you need to make strawberry shortcake cupcakes are pretty easy to find at any grocery store, and if you’re a regular baker, you might already have nearly everything on hand to make these treats. Here’s what you’ll need to get baking:
- Golden Oreo cookies (I recommend using regular Golden Oreo cookies rather than Thins or Double Stuf; the Thins might get too crispy in the oven, while the Double Stuf might make the cupcake batter overflow in the oven)
- Fresh strawberries (use all the baby-to-medium size ones for this recipe and save the big guys for snacking!)
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Eggs
- Vegetable oil (the key to light and fluffy cupcakes!); you can substitute this for canola oil or melted butter, but note that the latter might yield denser cupcakes.
- Milk (I recommend 2% or whole milk for the best flavor)
- Vanilla extract
- Freeze-dried strawberries (I find these at Target by the dried fruit/raisins, but you can also find them at Trader Joe’s or on Amazon)
- Unsalted butter
- Powdered sugar
How to Make Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes
Making these cupcakes is a really simple process with a big payoff. Here’s what you’ll need to do:
- Step One: Prep the cupcakes. Line 16 muffin cups with paper baking liners, then place a Golden Oreo in the bottom of each one. Top each Oreo with a small strawberry with the top sliced off, cut side-down (so the tip faces upright). Set aside.
- Step Two: Make the cupcake batter. In a large bowl, whisk all the dry ingredients together, then add the wet ingredients. Beat until the mixture forms a smooth, light and creamy batter.
- Step Three: Bake the cupcakes. Divide the cupcake batter evenly among the muffin cups, being careful not to disturb the strawberry or the Oreo. Each cup will end up about 3/4 full of batter and you’ll likely still see the strawberries peek through; all good! Bake the cupcakes until the batter is baked through and lightly golden on the edges. Cool completely on a cooling rack.
- Step Four: Make the frosting. Pulse the freeze-dried strawberries in a food processor until a fine powder forms. Set aside 1/2 cup powder for the frosting; reserve the rest for topping the cupcakes at the end. Beat the butter until smooth, then add in the remaining frosting ingredients (along with the 1/2 cup reserved powder). Beat until a smooth, pink, creamy and pipeable frosting forms.
- Step Five: Assemble the cupcakes. Pipe or spread the frosting over the tops of the fully cooled cupcakes. Sprinkle each cupcake with extra freeze-dried strawberries, as desired. Enjoy!
Can I Make the Strawberry Frosting Ahead of Time?
Yes, you can! You can store the finished frosting in an airtight container for up to 1 week in the fridge, or up to 3 months in the freezer. If frozen, allow the frosting to thaw in the fridge overnight before using. You will also need to beat the cold frosting with another 1 or 2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream for a few seconds to get it back to spreadable/pipeable consistency.
If you prefer raspberries, you must bake these Raspberry Cupcakes!
Can I Make the Cupcakes Ahead of Time?
You bet. Store unfrosted cupcakes tightly covered with plastic wrap in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. If frozen, allow the cupcakes to thaw covered in the fridge overnight. Frost cupcakes as desired.
More Cupcake Recipes To Love
Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- 16 Golden Oreo cookies
- 16 strawberries, fresh small or medium, tops sliced off
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ½ cup milk
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
For the strawberry buttercream frosting:
- 2 ounces freeze-dried strawberries, about 2 cups
- 1 cup unsalted butter, 2 sticks, softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup milk , or heavy cream, more as needed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch salt
Instructions
Prepare cupcakes:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line 16 standard-size muffin cups with paper liners. In each liner, place an Oreo in the bottom. Top each Oreo with a strawberry, cut side-down. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large mixing bowl, whisk flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add eggs, vegetable oil, 1/2 cup milk and 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Using paddle attachment of stand mixer or an electric hand mixer, beat flour-egg mixture on low speed for 30 seconds, then on medium-high speed for 1 to 2 minutes or until smooth and light.
- Pour or spoon cupcake batter evenly over strawberries and Oreos in each paper liner; each cup should be about 3/4 full with batter (the strawberries will still likely be visible; this is normal!). Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until cupcakes are baked through, the edges are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the cupcakes comes out clean.
- Cool cupcakes in pan 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Make the frosting:
- In a food processor, pulse freeze-dried strawberries until powdery. Measure out ½ cup powder for the frosting; reserve the rest, including any larger bits, for topping the cupcakes.
- In a clean bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, beat butter on medium-high speed for 2 minutes or until smooth and creamy. Add 1/2 cup strawberry powder, powdered sugar, 1/4 cup milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and a pinch of salt; beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then on medium-high speed for 2 minutes or until mixture is light, fluffy and creamy. Add more milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed to make sure frosting is thin enough to pipe or spread.
- Pipe or spread frosting on top of fully cooled cupcakes. Sprinkle with reserved strawberry bits and powder. Serve immediately; store leftovers covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Strawberry buttercream frosting recipe adapted from Sally’s Baking Recipes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
The Golden Oreo base was such a genius move!! It added this buttery, crunch at the bottom that takes the whole cupcake to another level! The hidden strawberry inside is such a fun surprise when you bite in. The freeze-dried strawberry buttercream is so much more vibrant than anything made with jam or extract. I brought these to a birthday party, and everyone demanded the recipe before the night was over!
Your insights really stand out. I will definitely try applying this. This will stick with me for a long time.
Hi Gabrielle! Happy to hear it and happy baking! ~gvd team
I am not sure what size cupcake pan you use, but following your recipe, using a regular cupcake pan I only filled 10 cupcakes, I made a second batch of batter and ended up with 18 regular size cupcakes.
Hi Iris, I’m the new owner so I haven’t actually baked this recipe personally. My best guess from looking at the pictures and reading the recipe, is that Stephanie used larger strawberries than you, so she actually needed less batter per cupcake. They appear to be regular sized cupcakes from a standard tin, which is consistent with other cupcake recipes Stephanie posted. ~Lindsey
Hi! Currently making this. What does “1 cup, 2 sticks of butter” mean? In total that would be 4 sticks of butter right? One stick is half a cup. I’m making 48 of these cupcakes so that would mean I need 8 cups of butter for the icing? Is that correct?
Hi Ariel! Sorry about that formatting, we just updated our recipe plugin so I can see the confusion! I went in there and made it clearer, but it’s 1 cup of butter per batch. Enjoy! ~gvd team
Can’t find your recipe for Italian bread. Thks
Hi Colin, It’s called Classic Italian Bread and you can find it in the search bar on my site! Here’s a shortcut: https://www.girlversusdough.com/classic-italian-bread/
great, thank you for sharing this recipe, I love the flavor of strawberry shortcake but not the traditional spongecake that goes with it, so as a muffin, much better and with this adapted free dried strawberries,even better than that!
Hi Sabrina, Yes, this is a really fun way to get the flavor of strawberry shortcake in a non-traditional format! Thanks!