These Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes are so fun and easy with a cookie bottom and a strawberry baked right in the middle. They are topped with a rich buttercream frosting and a fresh strawberry to complete the twist on this delicious summertime treat.
These special cupcakes are perfect for a birthday or any celebration. In Canada, think of Canada Day and our festivities. Perfect red and white delicious treats are the best! Also, try our new Strawberry Pound Cake, Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries, Baked Strawberry Donuts, or Strawberry Pancake Muffins for more strawberry love! Or our Coffee Cupcakes with Caramel Filling for an anytime treat.
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What Ingredients Go Into Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes?
Standard ingredients, although there seem to be quite a few of them, they do come together quickly. Pretty much the same for any other cupcake recipe but with the added deliciousness of a cookie bottom and the strawberry being baked right into the middle of the cupcake.
I got this idea from watching Nadiya Hussain’s Food Shows on Netflix. But her recipe is British-based with some ingredients that might not be as accessible here, so this is our version of a Strawberry Shortcake Cupcake that I know you are sure to love.
I think my favorite part is the deliciously hidden surprise of a cooked strawberry inside the cupcake. Something that will excite young and old. The crunch from the cookie in the bottom is the next charming element about these cupcakes. They will definitely be a winner of a recipe for you.
Ingredients
Cupcakes
Butter
White sugar
Eggs
Vanilla extract
Sour cream
Milk
Flour
Baking powder
Baking soda
Salt
Vanilla sandwich cookies (like Oreos)
Small-medium strawberries, additional for decorating
Buttercream Frosting
Butter
Icing sugar (confectioners’ sugar or powdered sugar)
Half and Half cream
Vanilla extract
Topping
Top with a fresh strawberry slice
How to Make Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes
This recipe is a delightfully fun dessert to make and then enjoy! Full of sweet hidden treats and topped with a wonderful buttercream frosting, they will be a hit every time you make them.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Line muffin tins with 24 tulip cupcake liners and place a vanilla sandwich cookie in the bottom of each liner.
Cut the top off each strawberry and place cut side down on the sandwich cookie. (note if your strawberries are too large, you can cut them in half vertically and place ½ on top of the cookie).
In a stand mixer, using a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together in a medium bowl until fluffy.
Add one egg at a time mixing between each, then slowly add the vanilla, sour cream, and milk. Mix until well combined.
In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix until just incorporated.
Using a piping bag, pipe the cupcake batter into each of the cupcake liners around the strawberry, filling about 2/3 – 3/4 full.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean and are golden brown.
Place on a wire rack to cool completely before icing. I love how the tip of the strawberry peaks out of the top of the center of the cupcake. Even the unfrosted cupcakes are cute.
How to Make Buttercream Icing
Instead of topping with whipped cream, we used a buttercream icing so they would last longer. If you are going to serve them right away, you can use a piped whipped cream too.
Cream the butter in a stand mixer using a paddle attachment on medium high.
Add the vanilla extract, then carefully add the icing sugar 1 cup at a time, alternating with the cream.
Continue to mix until all the icing sugar has been added. You may not need all the cream; your icing should be light and fluffy but not runny. Give it a good final run at high speed to get the icing nice and fluffy. This is an excellent whipped cream frosting.
Place the icing into a piping bag and frost the top of each cupcake as desired.
How To Store Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes
Place the cupcakes in an airtight container and refrigerate until you are ready to enjoy them. Do the cupcakes need to be refrigerated? I like to keep them nice and fresh by refrigerating them.
Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving to bring closer to room temperature. Top with a fresh strawberry slice and serve.
Why is it Called Strawberry Shortcake?
Our recipe is a twist on the classic strawberry shortcake. The name “shortcake” is from an old English cooking term in which a recipe is made crisp by adding in fat. A shortcake is more of a crispy, crumbly biscuit or cookie than a cake. Our recipe plays on that with the addition of the cookie at the bottom of the cupcake.
Many shortcake recipes are very different today as the ones before could have even been unsweetened, and then a jam or fruit is used to sweeten them up. Many that we see today in the supermarket are a small round disc of cake that a syrupy berry is added to and then topped with whipped cream.
I think the cupcake you see here today is a fun and playful addition to all that is loved about strawberry shortcake.
Pin it HERE!!
Pin it Here!!
Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- ¾ cup butter softened
- 1 cup white sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup milk
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 24 vanilla sandwich cookies (like Oreos)
- 24 small-medium strawberries additional for decorating
Buttercream Frosting
- 2 cups butter softened
- 6 cups icing sugar confectioners’ sugar
- 4-6 Tbsp Half and Half cream
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Garnish
- Top with a fresh strawberry slice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line muffin tins with 24 tulip cupcake liners and place a vanilla sandwich cookie in the bottom of each liner.
- Cut the top off each strawberry and place cut side down on the sandwich cookie. (note if your strawberries are too large, you can cut them in half vertically and place ½ on top of the cookie).
- In a stand mixer, using a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together in a medium bowl until fluffy.
- Add one egg at a time mixing between each, then slowly add the vanilla, sour cream, and milk. Mix until well combine.
- In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix until just incorporated.
- Using a piping bag, pipe the cupcake batter into each of the cupcake liners around the strawberry, filling about 2/3 – 3/4 full.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean and are golden brown.
- Allow to cool on a wire rack before icing.
Buttercream Icing
- Cream the butter in a stand mixer using a paddle attachment.
- Add the vanilla extract, then carefully add the icing sugar 1 cup at a time, alternating
with the cream. - Continue to mix until all the icing sugar has been added. You may not need all the cream, your icing should be light and fluffy but not runny.
- Place the icing into a piping bag and decorate the top of each cupcake as desired.
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