Teaming with fresh strawberries, this yummy homemade The Best Strawberry Buttercream Frosting tastes amazing and is so easy to make.

Closeup on two cupcakes topped with a swirl of The Best Strawberry Buttercream Frosting.

Are you ready for the most amazing strawberry frosting recipe that you have ever tasted? Whether you’re baking up something for your family this weekend or looking for a showstopper to wow guests, our The Best Strawberry Buttercream Frosting is sure to get rave reviews from everyone who takes a bite. Chock full of fresh strawberries, this easy-to-make homemade icing is light and creamy with just the right amount of strawberry flavor.  Perfect on Angel Food Cake or Chocolate Cupcakes (or even just by the spoonful) we hope you love it as much as we do!

Preparing the Fresh Strawberries

Collage image showing the steps necessary to turn fresh strawberries into strawberry puree.

Step 1: We started with fresh strawberries (you could also use frozen strawberries for this frosting recipe.)  Wash and pat dry your strawberries. The sweeter and riper the strawberries are the better the frosting will taste.
Step 2: Remove the stems and rough chop the strawberries.
Step 3: Place 1/2 cup of the chopped strawberries in a food processor and puree them (no water or sugar necessary.)
Step 4: You should end up with 1/4 cup of strawberry puree to flavor your frosting.

How to Make the Frosting

Collage image showing the steps for creaming the strawberry puree with the softened butter.

Step 5:  Add the butter and the strawberry puree to a mixing bowl.  The butter should be what we call “slightly softened” which is somewhere in between straight out of the refrigerator and room temperature.
Step 6: Mix the butter and puree until they are completely combined (about 3 minutes.) Stop halfway through and scrape the butter/strawberry mixture off the mixing paddle and the sides of the bowl.

Collage image of the steps necessary to mix the powdered sugar with the butter and strawberry mixture.

Step 7: Measure 1 pound of Powdered Sugar.  If you don’t have a food scale, the equivalent is 4 cups.  Do you need to sift the Powdered Sugar? We don’t normally do that but instead rely on our mixer to break up any lumps during the mixing process.
Step 8: Add the powdered sugar to the butter/strawberry mixture in the mixing bowl.  
Step 9: Start your mixer (or electric beater) on the lowest setting. (Two Sisters Tip: place a clean dishtowel around your mixer to keep the sugar from flying out.)  Keep on low until the butter and sugar are incorporated (about 30 seconds), remove the dishtowel, and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and mix for 30-45 more seconds until the frosting starts to be light and fluffy.
Step 10: If the frosting is too thick at this point, add more strawberry puree.  Using the strawberry puree (versus milk & vanilla in regular Buttercream Frosting) makes the frosting a little looser but it will firm up in the refrigerator.  The strawberry flavor will deepen after sitting in the refrigerator overnight so this is a good frosting to make ahead and frost the next day.

How to Serve

Closeup on a decorating bag filled with homemade Strawberry Frosting sitting on a white table in front of a batch of unfrosted chocolate cupcakes.

How much frosting will you need?  That always depends on how thick or thin you apply the frosting or how much decorating you do but here are a couple of guidelines. Our recipe should make enough Strawberry Icing to cover a 9″ x 13″ sheet cake or a two-layer 8″ cake.  If you are making cupcakes, you should be able to frost 24 cupcakes if you apply the frosting with a knife.  If you swirl on the frosting with a pastry bag as we have done here, you should be able to frost 15-18 cupcakes depending on the size of the swirl.

Expert Tips and FAQ’s

Can I use frozen Strawberries?

Yes! You will still puree the frozen strawberries but make sure they are completely thawed and strain out any water/liquid before you puree them. Follow the rest of the recipe just as it is.

How do I store any leftover frosting?

Frosting stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator should be good for up to a week. If you carefully wrap the frosting in order to avoid freezer burn, the frosting should be fine in the freezer for 3-4 months.

Does the frosting need to be refrigerated?

Yes. Because it is a thin frosting it will hold up best in the refrigerator. We store the baked goods frosted with this Strawberry Frosting in the refrigerator but then remove them from the refrigerator a couple of hours before we will serve them so the frosting comes back up to room temperature (which is how it tastes best.)

What should I do if my frosting turned out too thick?

Add another teaspoon of strawberry puree and mix again. Continue to add the puree, a teaspoon at a time, until the frosting is the consistency that you like it

What should I do if my frosting turned out too thin?

Temperature plays a big part in the consistency of frosting. A thin frosting could mean that the butter has gotten overworked and is too melted. The first thing to do is refrigerate the frosting for an hour and then check to see if the frosting has set back up again. If not, the next step is to add more powdered sugar or cornstarch. Start with either 1/2 cup of Powdered Sugar or 1 tablespoon of Cornstarch. Mix again and see if the consistency is better.

Closeup on two chocolate cupcakes topped with The Best Strawberry Buttercream Frosting sitting next to a stack of fresh strawberries.

Other Frosting Recipes You Will Love

The Best Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

Yield 2 1/2 cups
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes

Teaming with fresh strawberries, this yummy homemade The Best Strawberry Buttercream Frosting tastes amazing and is so easy to make.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound (4 cups) Powdered Sugar
  • 1 cup Butter (We use Salted Sweet Cream Butter)
  • 1/4 cup Pureed Strawberries

Instructions

  1. We started with fresh strawberries (you could also use frozen strawberries for this frosting recipe.)  Wash and pat dry your strawberries. The sweeter and riper the strawberries are the better the frosting will taste.
  2. Remove the stems and rough chop the strawberries.
  3. Place 1/2 cup of the chopped strawberries in a food processor and puree them (no water or sugar necessary.) 
  4. You should end up with 1/4 cup of strawberry puree to flavor your frosting.
  5. Add the butter and the strawberry puree to a mixing bowl.  The butter should be what we call "slightly softened" which is somewhere in between straight out of the refrigerator and room temperature.
  6. Mix the butter and puree until they are completely combined (about 3 minutes.) Stop halfway through and scrape the butter/strawberry mixture off the mixing paddle and the sides of the bowl.
  7. Measure 1 pound of Powdered Sugar.  If you don’t have a food scale, the equivalent is 4 cups.  Do you need to sift the Powdered Sugar? We don’t normally do that but instead rely on our mixer to break up any lumps during the mixing process.
  8. Add the powdered sugar to the butter/strawberry mixture in the mixing bowl.
  9. Start your mixer (or electric beater) on the lowest setting. Keep on low until the butter and sugar are incorporated (about 30 seconds) and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and mix for 30-45 more seconds until the frosting starts to be light and fluffy.
  10. If the frosting is too thick at this point, add more strawberry puree.  Using the strawberry puree (versus milk & vanilla in regular Buttercream Frosting) makes the frosting a little looser but it will firm up in the refrigerator.  The strawberry flavor will deepen after sitting in the refrigerator overnight so this is a good frosting to make ahead and frost the next day.

Notes

How much frosting will you need?
That always depends on how thick or thin you apply the frosting or how much decorating you do but here are a couple of guidelines. Our recipe should make enough Strawberry Buttercream Frosting to cover a 9" x 13" sheet cake or a two-layer 8" cake.  If you are making cupcakes, you should be able to frost 24 cupcakes if you apply the frosting with a knife.  If you swirl on the frosting with a pastry bag as we have done here, you should be able to frost 15-18 cupcakes depending on the size of the swirl.

Did you Make this Recipe? Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @twosisterscrafting on Instagram so we can see it!