This Dreamy Strawberry Buttercream Frosting is light, silky and packed with natural strawberry flavour. It’s easy to make and pairs beautifully with cakes, cupcakes and many other desserts.
Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
I recently shared my Homemade Strawberry Sauce, and it makes a perfect base for this frosting. Instead of reducing strawberries into a puree, I use a small amount of that sauce to bring a fresh, authentic strawberry flavour to the buttercream. The sauce yields extras you can use elsewhere, so it’s a handy two-in-one approach.
The frosting’s colour is a softer pink than some raspberry frostings, because the strawberry sauce itself is lighter. Colour aside, the texture is what stands out: airy, creamy and delightfully smooth, with a genuine strawberry taste that lifts any dessert.
TIPS FOR MAKING DREAMY STRAWBERRY BUTTERCREAM FROSTING:
- Use strawberry sauce rather than a hot puree. Make a full batch or half batch of homemade strawberry sauce and chill it completely before using. The chilled sauce adds real fruit flavor without adding heat that can break the frosting.
- If you prefer less extra sauce, halve the strawberry sauce recipe. Even a smaller batch will leave some extra for topping yogurt, ice cream or toast — a welcome bonus.
- Chill the sauce fully. If the sauce is warm when added to the buttercream, it can cause the frosting to separate. Refrigerate until completely cool, ideally overnight.
- For stability in warmer weather, this recipe combines butter with shortening. Hi-ratio shortening gives a very smooth, stable result, but regular solid vegetable shortening works too. If you omit shortening and use only butter, the frosting may be softer in heat.
- Start with room-temperature butter: it should give slightly when pressed but not be oily. Whip the butter and shortening for 5–6 minutes until pale and fluffy. This extended whipping is what produces the light, airy texture that defines a dreamy buttercream. A stand mixer makes this step easier, but a hand mixer works as well.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup Homemade Strawberry Sauce (chilled)
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ½ cup hi-ratio shortening or regular vegetable shortening
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- Pink gel food colouring (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the strawberry sauce and refrigerate until completely chilled, preferably overnight.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the softened butter, shortening and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5–6 minutes.
- Add half of the powdered sugar and mix on low until combined to avoid a floury cloud. Add ¼ cup chilled strawberry sauce and mix until incorporated.
- Gradually add the remaining powdered sugar and mix on low until combined. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and whip the frosting for 5–7 minutes until very light and airy.
- If you want a deeper pink, add a few drops of pink gel food colouring and whip briefly to blend. Adjust consistency with a teaspoon of cold milk if the frosting becomes too thick, or a bit more powdered sugar if too thin.
Storage and Notes
- Store leftover frosting in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. For longer storage, freeze for several months. To use, bring to room temperature and re-whip with a mixer until smooth and fluffy.
- Because you only need ¼ cup of sauce for the frosting, consider making a half batch of the strawberry sauce if you don’t want many leftovers. Extra sauce is excellent on yogurt, ice cream, pancakes, toast, biscuits or scones.
- If you’re serving the frosted treats in warm conditions, the shortening in this recipe helps the frosting hold its shape longer than an all-butter version.
This strawberry buttercream is sweet, airy and packed with natural strawberry flavor. It’s a lovely finish for many cakes and cupcakes and brings a fresh, summery note to baked treats.
Pairing Suggestions
- Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes (use vegan butter for the frosting)
- Vanilla Raspberry Cake
- Pink Champagne Cake
- Classic Vanilla Cupcakes
- Moist Chocolate Cupcakes
- Ultimate Sundae Birthday Cake
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Love, Dedra
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