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Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes

Strawberry shortcake cupcakes with tender vanilla crumb and a sweet strawberry jam buttercream swirl. Baked to a clean-toothpick finish, then topped with fresh strawberry slices and a whipped cream dollop for classic shortcake layers.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
rest 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 8 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

All-purpose flour
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
Baking powder
  • 1.5 tsp baking powder
Salt
  • 0.25 tsp salt
Unsalted butter
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 0.5 cup butter, softened
Granulated sugar
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar
Eggs
  • 2 eggs
Sour cream
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
Fresh strawberry puree
  • 0.25 cup fresh strawberry puree
Vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
Powdered sugar
  • 2 cup powdered sugar
Strawberry jam
  • 2 tbsp strawberry jam
Fresh strawberries
  • 1 fresh strawberries for topping, sliced
Whipped cream
  • 1 whipped cream for topping

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Bake the strawberry cupcakes
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners. Set up a clear workspace so the batter can go in quickly after mixing.
  2. Whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl until evenly combined. The mixture should look uniform in color with no visible clumps.
  3. Cream the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Stop once the mixture looks paler and thicker, pulling away in ribbons.
  4. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then alternate adding the flour mixture and sour cream, beginning and ending with flour. Mix only until each addition disappears, keeping the batter smooth.
  5. Stir in the fresh strawberry puree and vanilla extract until combined. The batter should take on a light strawberry color with no streaks.
  6. Fill each cupcake liner two-thirds full and bake for 16-18 minutes at 350°F until a toothpick comes out clean. Look for lightly golden tops that spring back when gently pressed.
  7. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting. For best results, cool at room temperature for about 30 minutes so the frosting stays in place.
Make the strawberry jam frosting and assemble
  1. Beat together the softened butter, powdered sugar, and strawberry jam until light and fluffy. The frosting should hold soft peaks and look glossy.
  2. Pipe the strawberry jam buttercream onto the cooled cupcakes. Use a steady swirl so each cupcake gets a visible, rounded topper.
  3. Top each cupcake with a fresh strawberry and a dollop of whipped cream before serving. Finish with the strawberry slice centered on the frosting for clear layers.

Notes

Pro tip: cool cupcakes fully (about 30 minutes) before frosting so the strawberry jam buttercream won’t melt or slide. Store assembled cupcakes in the refrigerator up to 2 days; for best texture, bring to room temperature for 10-15 minutes before serving. Freeze unfrosted cupcakes up to 2 months, then thaw and frost after thawing. Dietary swap: use a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend to make them gluten-free without changing the bake time.