The secret to the best strawberry buttercream frosting is two-fold: you need a bakery-tested recipe with the perfect fluffy texture and lots of real strawberry flavor. This strawberry frosting is our secret weapon for the most incredible strawberry cake and cupcakes ever, and is about to be your new favorite frosting!
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Equipment Checklist
Fortunately, you really don't need too much for this strawberry frosting recipe and most bakers will already have all the tools they need. Make sure you have the right gear for decorating, though!
For the fluffiest frosting, you'll want to use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment.
To level up your decorating and add beautiful details, it's best to have piping bags on hand.
Why You'll Love This Strawberry Frosting Recipe
- Versatile topping for any cake - This fluffy strawberry buttercream recipe is the shining star on top of our strawberry cupcakes and one of the most popular recipes on the blog - our fresh strawberry cake - but that's just the start! It pairs wonderfully with vanilla, chocolate, lemon, and so many more flavors.
- Packed with fresh strawberry flavor - This bakery-style strawberry frosting recipe uses both strawberry compote and strawberry extract for the perfect balance of flavor. It tastes like real strawberries, but also has a strawberry jam flavor from the compote that really brings out a bold berry flavor.
- Perfect texture and flavor - The base of this recipe is our bakery-style vanilla buttercream, which uses shortening, butter, and cream cheese for the perfect consistency and just enough flavor without feeling like you overdid it on sugar. It's dreamy, creamy, and truly the best!
Ingredients
You really just need a handful of simple ingredients for this recipe. The biggest splurge is the strawberry extract, but we promise, it really helps bring out a wonderful strawberry flavor and a little goes a long way!
You'll need:
- Strawberry compote (This takes just 10 minutes to make using frozen strawberries, sugar, Instant Clearjel or cornstarch, and lemon juice)
- Powdered sugar
- Instant Clearjel (optional, but you will need to add more powdered sugar to reach a thicker frosting if you omit this. I prefer Instant Clearjel as it will provide a less sweet but thickened buttercream. )
- Cream Cheese
- Softened Salted Butter (salted, not unsalted butter)
- Pure Vanilla Extract
- Natural or Pure Strawberry Extract
Baker's Tip
I have only tested this recipe with Olive Nation Strawberry extract, and am not sure if other brands will work quite as well.
Olive Nation has provided Amycakes Bakes readers with the coupon code AB20 for 20% off on their website. Enjoy!
Variations
There are lots of different ways to serve this homemade strawberry frosting, and the recipe can even be tweaked to make different types of fruit frostings.
Our blueberry buttercream is the star of one of our favorite recipes (this incredible blueberry cake), but you can try using any of the fruit compotes on the blog. Raspberry buttercream, anyone?
Strawberry pairs well with all sorts of cakes, so there's no need to limit yourself. Try these creative variations and see which one you like the most:
- Chocolate Strawberry Cake: Pair our ultra moist chocolate cake with a layer of chocolate ganache and strawberry compote, then top with fresh strawberry frosting on the outside. This also works with our chocolate cupcakes!
- Strawberry Vanilla Layered Cake: Instead of topping our vanilla cake with strawberries with our standard vanilla frosting, use this fresh strawberry buttercream. Decorate with fresh strawberries, sliced in half, and sprinkles of powdered freeze-dried strawberries.
- Strawberry Lemon Mini Cakes: Use cake rounds to cut out small circles of lemon curd cake, layer with lemon curd or strawberry compote, and top with a swirl of strawberry frosting for a summery, sunny flavor.
Storage
This easy strawberry cream cheese frosting can stay at room temperature for up to 24 hours, but then it should be transferred to an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
For longer storage, freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw and rewhip before decorating.
Key Recipe Notes
- Bring out before serving. Due to the high butter content, this frosting always has the best texture and flavor after it comes to room temperature. Remove from the fridge about an hour before serving for the best experience.
- Watch your budget. Although you can use fresh strawberries for the compote, it's cheaper to use frozen berries. Save the fresh fruit for decorating!
- Amp up the color. The berries add a beautiful pale pink color to this sweet frosting, but you can certainly increase the color by adding a couple of drops of red food coloring.
- Use strawberry compote, not puree. Fresh strawberry purée has a lot of added moisture, which can separate in the frosting and affect the flavor. You want to cook the mixture to reduce the liquid and increase the strawberry flavor.
Doesn't this gorgeous strawberry frosting look amazing? It's one of our favorite frosting recipes on the blog and really is the crowning glory of any recipe.
For more bakery-tested recipes, be sure to subscribe for email updates or follow along on social media. Be sure to tag @amycakesbakes on social media to show off your bakes, too. Happy Baking!
Thanks for Reading. ❤️
-The Amycakes Bakes team
📖 Recipe
Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
Equipment
- OR Handheld Mixer
Ingredients
- 4 ounces Cream Cheese
- 2 sticks (8 ounces) Salted Butter (at room temperature)
- 540 grams (4 cups) Powdered Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Instant Clearjel ((optional, but when omitting you may need to add more powdered sugar or use less blueberry puree--please see note #1))
- 1 ½ teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
- ½ teaspoon Natural or Pure Strawberry Extract ((I recommend Olive Nation--see Note #2))
- ½ batch Strawberry Compote ((you will need ½ cup or 118 g))
Instructions
Make Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
- Make the ½ batch strawberry compote according the recipe instructions. If you make the compote in advance, keep refrigerated until using.
- If using instant clearjel, whisk it thoroughly with the powdered sugar and set aside.
- Using a stand mixer (preferred) or handheld mixer and a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until broken up and softened. Add the room temperature salted butter and continue to beat until there are no lumps, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Once the cream cheese/butter mixture is very smooth and creamy without lumps, slowly sprinkle in the powdered sugar mixture while the mixer is on low. The mixture will be thick, but continue to slowly blend on low until it is fully incorporated.
- Add the pure vanilla, strawberry extract, and ½ reserved strawberry compote. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Then beat the buttercream on high for two-three minutes. This important step will add air into the buttercream and make it light and fluffy. The instant clearjel will cause the buttercream to thicken over the next 10 minutes. If you didn't use instant clearjel, you may wish to add up to an additional 1 cup(s) of powdered sugar to reach a thicker frosting. The frosting can be made a day or two in advance and refrigerated, but remove it from the fridge 1-2 hours before decorating your cake so it can be easily spread.
