Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
Trust me when I say this is the best tasting homemade strawberry frosting—creamy, smooth, and bursting with real strawberry flavor. If you’ve ever had strawberry frosting that tasted too sweet or artificial, this buttercream will be a breath of fresh air. The power player in this frosting recipe is without a doubt the freeze-dried strawberries, they deliver a bright berry flavor and a naturally vibrant pink hue—no food coloring needed - that is unmatched.
The recipe makes enough to frost one three-layer 8-inch cake. For extra piping or taller swirls, simply multiply by 1.5—because more strawberry buttercream is never a bad thing.
Ingredients for This Strawberry Frosting
5 Cups (680 g) Powdered Sugar
2 Cups (450 g) Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
1/2 Cup (60 g) Heavy Cream
1 Pinch (~ 6 g) Salt
1/2 Cup (85 g) Freeze Dried Strawberries, crushed or blended
How to Make Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
To make the strawberry frosting, start by placing the butter into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Let it mix on medium speed until it becomes mayonnaise-like, then increase the speed to medium-high and continue mixing for 4–6 minutes, until the butter lightens in color from yellow to pale white. While the mixer works, sift the powdered sugar into a separate bowl and crush or blend your freeze-dried strawberries so they’re ready to go.
Turn off the mixer and add the powdered sugar a little at a time—about 1–2 cups per addition—mixing on low after each to avoid a sugar cloud. Once the sugar is fully incorporated, add the heavy cream, salt, vanilla extract, and the crushed strawberries. Mix on medium speed for about 30 seconds, just until everything comes together.
Finally, increase the speed to medium-high and whip the frosting for another 5–10 minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Before you frost your cake, press a spatula or wooden spoon through the frosting in a gentle zig-zag motion to push out any air bubbles, leaving you with the silkiest, smoothest finish.
Baker’s Notes
The vanilla bean really makes this frosting special and gives it a flavor-forward sense of wonder and elegance, thanks to the tiny specs from the vanilla bean. If you're not frosting a cake immediately, you can store this strawberry buttercream frosting in an air tight container in the refrigerator for a few days. Otherwise, you can freeze this buttercream! Simply double wrap frosting in plastic wrap followed by foil and place in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you're ready to frost a cake, thaw your buttercream until it softens (I usually put it out on the counter for an hour or so) and then mix on medium high speed until its light and fluffy.
Equipment
Chances are, you might already have everything you need to bake—but just in case, you can check out all my favorite baking essentials here in my ShopMy.
