Description
Easy, family-friendly Sprinkles Strawberry Cupcakes with fluffy texture and vibrant pink icing. A delightful dessert, easily made gluten-free or dairy-free.
Ingredients
- All-Purpose Flour: 1 ½ cups (180g)
- Baking Powder: 1 ½ teaspoons
- Baking Soda: ½ teaspoon
- Salt: ¼ teaspoon
- Unsalted Butter: ½ cup (113g), softened
- Granulated Sugar: 1 cup (200g)
- Large Eggs: 2, at room temperature
- Vanilla Extract: 1 teaspoon
- Milk or Buttermilk: ½ cup (120ml)
- Fresh Strawberries: 1 cup (about 150g), finely diced
For the Pink Icing:
- Unsalted Butter: ½ cup (113g), softened
- Powdered Sugar: 3-4 cups (360-480g)
- Milk: 2-3 tablespoons
- Vanilla Extract: 1 teaspoon
- Pink Food Coloring: A few drops
- Sprinkles: As desired
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
- Combine Dry: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Cream Butter & Sugar: In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy. This step is crucial for tender cupcakes.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract until just combined.
- Alternate Additions: Gradually add the dry ingredients mixture alternately with the milk to the wet mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix on low speed until just combined. Be careful not to overmix; overmixing can lead to tough cupcakes.
- Fold in Strawberries: Gently fold in the finely diced fresh strawberries. I find this creates a lovely texture throughout the cupcake.
- Bake: Fill each cupcake liner about two-thirds full with batter. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. The edges should look lightly golden.
- Cool: Let the cupcakes cool in the muffin tin for about 5 minutes, then carefully transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. This is important before icing!
- Prepare Pink Icing: While the cupcakes cool, prepare the icing. In a clean bowl, beat the softened butter until creamy. Gradually add the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. Beat until the icing is light and fluffy. Add pink gel food coloring a drop at a time, mixing after each addition, until your desired shade of pink is reached.
- Decorate & Serve: Once the cupcakes are fully cooled, pipe or spread the pink icing generously on top. Finish with a shower of your favorite sprinkles. Serve your delightful Sprinkles Strawberry Cupcake Recipe!
Notes
- Gluten-Free Option: For a gluten-free Sprinkles Strawberry Cupcake Recipe, simply swap the all-purpose flour for a good quality 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.
- Dairy-Free Option: Use dairy-free milk and vegan butter alternatives; they work beautifully in this recipe.
- Reduced Sugar Option: Reduce granulated sugar by a quarter, or use a natural sweetener like erythritol in both the batter and icing for a healthier dessert option.
- Intense Strawberry Flavor: For a more intense strawberry flavor, add a touch of strawberry extract (¼ to ½ teaspoon) to both the batter and the pink icing.
- Lighter Batter: For a slightly lighter touch in the batter, you can substitute a quarter of the butter with plain Greek yogurt. This can add moisture and a subtle tang.
- Avoid Overmixing: Overmixing the batter develops the gluten too much, leading to tough, dense cupcakes. Mix only until the ingredients are just combined.
- Cool Completely: Ensure your cupcakes are completely cool before applying the pink icing. Warm cupcakes will cause the icing to melt and slide right off!
- Resist Opening the Oven: Avoid opening the oven door too early during baking, especially in the first 10-12 minutes, as this can cause the cupcakes to sink in the middle.
- Nutrition Disclaimer: Nutritional values provided are estimates based on common ingredient values and a serving size of one cupcake.
- Prep Time: 17 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 45g
- Sodium: 180mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 14g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 55g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 60mg
Keywords: Sprinkles Strawberry Cupcake, Pink Icing, Easy, Family Friendly, Dessert, Cupcake