A favorite spring and summer dessert in hand-held form, these vanilla bean-speckled strawberry shortcake cupcakes are filled with homemade strawberry filling and topped with strawberry whipped cream—all made with real strawberries. It’s like eating strawberry shortcake, but as a buttery soft cupcake!
I originally published this recipe in 2013 and have since added new photos, a video tutorial, and more helpful success tips. I also made some small improvements to the recipe, which are reflected in the printable recipe below.
3 Parts to Love in These Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes
- Vanilla Bean Cupcakes: Instead of biscuits like classic strawberry shortcake, the base of this summery treat is a soft and light vanilla cupcake, flavored with pure vanilla bean paste. My strawberry vanilla crisp also pairs strawberry + vanilla together—what a delightful duo!
- Strawberry Filling: You’ll fill the cupcakes with a jam-like strawberry filling, which comes together easily on the stove, just like this raspberry cake filling.
- Strawberry Whipped Cream: No piping tips needed to top these strawberry shortcake cupcakes! I’m giving homemade whipped cream a berry boost by folding in some of the reserved strawberry filling. It’s quick and easy to make, and so very tasty.
One reader, Vicki, commented: “I offered to make my neighbor cupcakes for her birthday and she requested something light and not too sweet. This recipe seemed perfect and she said they were the best cupcakes she’s ever had in her life! I absolutely love the whipped topping and think the leftover amount would be great on pancakes or waffles. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe! Will definitely make it again! ★★★★★“
Make the Strawberry Filling First
Grab These Ingredients:
- Fresh Strawberries: You need about 2 cups (about 300–320g) of diced strawberries.
- Sugar: Use white granulated sugar to sweeten the berry filling.
- Cornstarch + Water: Cornstarch is the thickener for this filling. Mix together with water to make a “slurry” before adding to the saucepan. Otherwise you’ll have lumps of powdery cornstarch in your strawberry filling—no thanks!
- Lemon Zest: After making several batches of these crowd-pleasing cupcakes, I decided to add a little lemon zest to the filling. WOW. It really, really brightens up the flavor. I use it in the topping for this strawberry cream cheese pie, too.
The filling mixture thickens on the stove and is comparable to a sweet and thick homemade strawberry jam with a few glorious chunks of real strawberry. It’s a lot like this strawberry sauce topping, only thicker because we’re using it inside cupcakes.
Make it first, so it has time to completely cool and set up/thicken before you need it to fill the cupcakes.
Next, Make the Vanilla Bean Cupcakes
Here’s What You Need & Why:
- Flour: All-purpose flour is the base of this cupcake batter.
- Baking Powder + Baking Soda: These leavening agents give the cupcakes lift.
- Salt: Flavor enhancer/sweetness balancer.
- Melted Butter: Using melted butter instead of softened butter means you don’t need a mixer to make these wonderfully soft cupcakes. I also appreciate that you can really taste that buttery flavor, something you don’t always get in a cupcake recipe using creamed butter or oil. That’s why I use melted butter in snickerdoodle cupcakes, too.
- Egg Whites: Using just the whites of the eggs makes for the lightest, fluffiest vanilla cake crumb… something you’ll also enjoy in my favorite white cake recipe.
- Sour Cream: This keeps the cupcakes moist. Plain yogurt works as a fine substitute.
- Milk: Whole milk makes for the best taste and texture, but lower-fat or nondairy can work in a pinch.
- Vanilla Bean Paste: You could just use vanilla extract if that’s all you have, but I highly recommend giving these cupcakes a flavor upgrade with some pure vanilla bean paste. You can usually find it next to the vanilla extract in the grocery store baking aisle, or you can order it online.
Or if you happen to have a vanilla bean (an extra one leftover from making homemade vanilla extract, perhaps?), you can scrape the seeds from half a bean, and add along with vanilla extract, just like when making my regular vanilla cupcakes. You can also add vanilla bean seeds to the whipped cream. See recipe Note below.
The process for making these cupcakes is straightforward. Whisk together dry ingredients, whisk together wet ingredients, and then combine the two.
Success Tip: Don’t Overfill
You’ll have enough batter for 15 cupcakes, so line a standard 12-cup muffin pan and then a second one with 3 more cupcake liners. Fill the liners just 2/3 of the way full. Don’t try to fit all the batter into 12 cups—the cupcakes will spill over the sides when baking, and you’ll have a big sloppy mess. (Besides, if you serve a dozen cupcakes, no one will have any idea there were 3 extra cupcakes that somehow went missing… that can be our little secret.)
Filling These Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes
When your cupcakes and filling are both completely cool, it’s time to fill them. Before you start, set aside 1/2 cup of the filling to use in the strawberry whipped cream topping.
We’re using the same method I use to fill these cream-filled chocolate cupcakes and lemon raspberry jam cupcakes, and it’s a piece of [short]cake.
With a sharp knife, cut a circle in the cupcake and remove the center, which will be roughly the shape of a cone. Using a small spoon, fill the middle of the cupcake with as much cooled strawberry filling as you can. (Usually between 1–2 teaspoons.) Slice/tear off the pointed tip of the cone-shaped piece of cupcake, and gently press the round piece back on top of the filling.
If you need extra help with this step, see my How to Fill Cupcakes tutorial and video.
It doesn’t have to look pretty, because you’ll top the cupcakes with a fluffy cloud of strawberry whipped cream. I don’t recommend using a piping bag/tip to fill the cupcakes, because the filling is pretty thick and chunky.
Homemade Strawberry Whipped Cream
Now you’re in the home stretch! Of the 3 parts to this recipe, making the strawberry whipped cream topping is the quickest and easiest. It’s similar to my classic homemade whipped cream, but we’re folding in the reserved 1/2 cup of strawberry filling for a little more flavor, color, and texture. I love the little chunks of strawberry hiding in the light pink whipped cream.
Pile the strawberry whipped cream on top of the filled cupcakes, and, for a finishing touch, I like to add a couple of strawberry slices. You will LOVE these!
Can I Make These As a Cake?
Absolutely, and I already have a separate recipe for strawberry shortcake cake. For a layer cake, use my white cake recipe, and today’s strawberry filling. Fill the cooled cake layers with most of the strawberry filling, and save some to fold into the whipped cream. There is plenty of whipped cream for the exterior of the layer cake.
More Favorite Strawberry Dessert Recipes
- Strawberry Cake
- Pistachio Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting
- Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie
- Strawberry Shortcake & Strawberry Shortcake Cake
And for even more summertime dessert inspiration, head over to my list of 25+ desserts for a BBQ cookout.
Print
Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours (includes cooling)
- Yield: 15 cupcakes
- Category: Cupcakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
You’re looking at 100% homemade strawberry shortcake, but in cupcake form! Homemade strawberry filling joins vanilla bean cupcakes and berry-speckled whipped cream to create an epic treat that’s perfectly fit for spring and summertime. Prepare the strawberry filling first so it has time to cool and thicken before using. Review recipe Notes before beginning.
Ingredients
Strawberry Filling
- 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons (11g) cornstarch
- 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons (23ml) warm water
- 2 cups (about 300g) diced strawberries
- 6 Tablespoons (75g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Cupcakes
- 1 and 2/3 cups (209g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 2 egg whites*
- 1/4 cup (60g) sour cream or plain yogurt*
- 3/4 cup (180ml) whole milk*
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste (or extract, see Note)*
Strawberry Whipped Cream
- 1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) cold heavy cream or heavy whipping cream
- 3 Tablespoons (38g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or extract, see Note)*
- reserved 1/2 cup of strawberry filling
- optional for garnish: strawberry slices and fresh mint
Instructions
- Make the strawberry filling first: Using a fork, mix the cornstarch and water together in a small bowl until the cornstarch has dissolved—mixture is thick. Warm the strawberries and sugar together in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir the mixture as it cooks, and break up some of the strawberries as you stir. Bring it to a simmer. Once simmering, stir in the cornstarch mixture. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. After 5 minutes, remove from heat, stir in the lemon zest, and cool completely. You will have about 1 and 1/4 cup (about 340g) of strawberry filling. The filling thickens as it cools. (It must completely cool, so transferring to a bowl out of the saucepan helps speed that up, as does refrigerating it. You can complete a few other steps in the recipe as the mixture cools.)
- Make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners. This recipe yields about 15 cupcakes, so line a second muffin pan with 3 cupcake liners, or bake in batches.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter and sugar together. Mixture will be gritty. Whisk in the egg whites, sour cream, milk, and vanilla bean paste/extract until combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until the batter is completely combined. Batter should be creamy and mostly smooth; a few small lumps are OK.
- Pour/spoon the batter into the liners, filling only 2/3 full to avoid spilling over the sides. You should have enough batter for 15 cupcakes.
- Bake for 20–22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove cupcakes from the oven and allow them to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Cupcakes must be completely cooled before filling and topping.
- Fill the cupcakes: First, set aside 1/2 cup (120g) of the filling for the whipped cream topping. Using a sharp knife, cut a circle into the center of the cooled cupcakes to create a little pocket about 1 inch deep. The piece you removed will be sort of cone-shaped. Spoon some of the cooled and thickened strawberry filling inside each carved-out cupcake—use however much will fit. (I use a teaspoon for this. Usually you can fit between 1–2 teaspoons of filling in each.) Slice/tear off the pointy end of the “cone” piece of cupcake you removed, and gently press the round piece back on top of the filling. See my How to Fill Cupcakes post if you need extra visuals or help with this step.
- Make the whipped cream: Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla bean paste/extract on medium-high speed until medium peaks form, about 3–4 minutes. Medium peaks are between soft/loose peaks and stiff peaks, and are the perfect consistency for topping and piping on desserts. If you accidentally over-whip the cream, and it looks curdled and heavy, pour in a little bit more cold heavy cream, and fold it in gently by hand with a spatula until it smooths out. Fold in the reserved 1/2 cup of strawberry filling. Use immediately or cover tightly and chill in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
- Frost cooled cupcakes. I used an icing spatula, but a knife works just fine. I pile the whipped cream on really high as pictured, and you can certainly do the same! You may have some leftover if you don’t use as much on each cupcake. Garnish cupcakes with sliced strawberries and/or fresh mint.
- Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Cover and store leftover cupcakes in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I recommend a cupcake carrier for storing and transporting decorated cupcakes.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Bake the cupcakes 1 day in advance. Keep cupcakes covered tightly at room temperature and fill/frost the day of serving. You can make the strawberry filling and store it covered in the refrigerator for up to 2–3 days before using. Likewise, you can make the strawberry whipped cream and store it covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 day before using. Unfrosted, unfilled cupcakes can be frozen up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before assembling and serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 12-count Muffin Pan | Cupcake Liners | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand Mixer) | Vanilla Bean Paste | Small Icing Spatula | Cupcake Carrier
- Update in 2023: This recipe was originally published in 2013. Over the years, I made some subtle improvements. The filling used to call for 1/2 cup (100g) of sugar, and I found it was simply too sweet. I also added lemon zest to the filling, to help brighten up the flavor. The cupcakes now use 1 teaspoon of baking powder, instead of 1/2 teaspoon. They rise a little taller and taste a bit fluffier now.
- Can I Use Frozen Strawberries? Frozen strawberries work in a pinch, but the filling holds MUCH better shape when using fresh strawberries. I strongly recommend using fresh. If using frozen, thaw and pat dry before starting.
- Egg Whites: It’s best to use only egg whites in this cupcake recipe because they will ensure that the crumb is not weighed down by the fat in egg yolks. If needed, you can use 1 full egg instead. Keep in mind the texture of the cupcake will change.
- Sour Cream & Whole Milk: Sour cream and whole milk are strongly recommended for the best taste and texture. A full-fat plain yogurt would work instead of sour cream, though the cupcakes may not be as light. Same goes with a lower-fat milk (I don’t recommend nonfat). Nondairy milk works in a pinch. You can replace both the whole milk and sour cream with buttermilk (1 cup/240ml) if needed.
- Vanilla: I love using vanilla bean paste in the cupcakes and whipped cream because it combines both extract AND vanilla bean seeds. You can, of course use pure vanilla extract instead. If using vanilla extract, and if you want that extra vanilla bean flavor, feel free to add the seeds scraped from 1/2 of a vanilla bean in the cupcake batter, and use the seeds from the other half of the vanilla bean in the whipped cream. (This is in addition to the liquid vanilla extract.)
- Can I Make This Into a Cake? Absolutely, and I already have a separate recipe for Strawberry Shortcake Cake. For a layer cake, use my white cake recipe, and today’s strawberry filling. Fill the cooled cake layers with most of the strawberry filling, and save some to fold into the whipped cream. There is plenty of whipped cream for the exterior of the layer cake.
- Be sure to check out my 10 tips for baking the BEST cupcakes before you begin.
Reader Comments and Reviews
The strawberry shortcake muffin recipe was another hit with my family! Made is gluten free and was perfect. Entered the baking challenge with a pic. The combination of the fruit filling and the whipped cream with the fruit added made it wonderful.
This was a great summer cupcake! Light and airy with so much flavor! I baked the cupcakes two days ahead, stayed moist in Tupperware. I made the jam with raspberries and strained out the seeds, delish! And I used a melon baller to take out the center for the jam and didn’t refill them. I just plopped the whipped cream on top, worked great. Then I kept the little centers for snacks! Happy baking!
These were delicious!! As always, Sally’s recipe was easy to follow with helpful links included for techniques you may not be familiar with. This was my first time making a filled cupcake and it was much easier than I thought it would be! Will be making these again!!
These were a huge hit! Would love a 9 x 12 cake version on this recipe!!
Hi Meghan! Here is everything you need to know about converting recipes to different Cake Pan Sizes.
I really enjoyed this dessert that put summer strawberries on display. The recipe requires quite a few steps, but none of them are hard, and the clear directions help stay organized. I especially liked the whipped cream “frosting” on these cupcakes, as I am not a big fan of traditional frosting.
Turned out great, always love a yummy strawberry dessert! Whipped cream frosting goes perfect with the shortcake style cupcake!
Very good! I adjusted the recipe to use canola oil instead of butter to try and head toward healthier version + no eggs. I added extra yogurt instead of the egg. I also used Brown Sugar Oatmilk. The changes of oil and no egg made the texture denser, but delicious especially liked the brown sugar flavor coming through in the cupcake because of the oat milk. If I were to do the recipe this way again, I would reduce sugar in other parts of the recipe to make the total less sweet as the flavored oat milk is pretty sweet.
Absolutely delicious! This recipe does a great job of capturing strawberry shortcake in cupcake form!
Especially loved how the filling and cream turned out!
These were a light and delicious dessert. I could have made the filling a little deeper but the whipped cream really sets them apart! Alternate challenge for July 2025 Thanks!
I made this as the alternate baking challenge. Will share with friends to celebrate an 86th birthday. I have tried the cut out bits with some of the filling. Oh my, delicious strawberry shortcake flavor! Another easy to follow delicious recipe!
I made these to celebrate my friend’s 86th birthday. I have only tried the cut out bits with some of the filling. Oh my, delicious strawberry shortcake flavor!!!The the recipe was easy to follow. Thanks for another alternate baking challenge recipe that is delicious!
I made these cupcakes for the alternative July baking challenge for my family . Everyone loved how moist and fluffy they were. The strawberry whipped cream is so tasty. My son had leftovers for breakfast the next day! I want to substitute the strawberries and try peach shortcake cupcakes for my dad!
So yummy! Not too sweet which I really like and it was easy to make. I used strawberry pie filling instead of the homemade one because I didn’t have enough time and it worked really well. I will definitely be making this again!
These cupcakes are delightful! They are soft and tender and the whipped topping is so light and fluffy. Perfect summer sweet treat!
Really good! Light and not very sweet. Very pretty too!
Delicious and very simple for a filled cupcake! I used frozen strawberries since fresh are out of season right now where I live, and the tips for frozen worked perfectly! I also immersion blended the filling just a bit for a smoother jam. The cupcakes themselves are exactly short cake! I made these for the 4th of July, and we were all so impressed! I will be making them again!
These are absolutely scrumptious!! The fluffy crumb of the vanilla cake, paired with the lusciousness of the jam, topped with the light, strawberry speckled whipped cream… It’s the epitome of summer in one bite!
This was one of the best cupcakes recipes I’ve ever made! The cake was wonderfully light and moist and the filling/whipped topping perfectly complemented it.
These look divine! I’d like to make them for an outdoor event on a hot, humid day. They will be out of the fridge for about 3 hours before serving. I could potentially pack them in a cooler during that time, but they may not all fit. I’m curious about freezing them after filling and frosting, and leaving them out to thaw instead keeping them in a cooler. Or is freezing after filling and frosting not recommended? What do you think? Thanks!
Hi Helena, we do not recommend freezing the frosting for these cupcakes. Best to try to keep them in a cooler if possible!
Thanks Michelle! I had a feeling that would be the case. Last question: Do you think it would be ok to freeze the cupcakes after they’re filled but not yet frosted? Thanks!
We imagine the filling should freeze well. Let us know how they turn out if you try it!
Really, really impressed with these- I’ve had some issues with the reliability of other cupcake recipes by Sally in the past but these were incredible, surprisingly easy to carve the hole out for the filling as well. Such a good summer treat! I did have a little bit of leftover whipped cream at the end (even after being very generous with my icing)- you could definitely get away with making less cream than the recipe states. Although if you have some leftover to snack on yourself, it’s not the worst thing…
Yet again another amazing baking recipe for the month. I made half a batch since I only live with me and my partner, and despite us loving it, these are a danger to have in the house (they’re just too good).
To me, they were perfectly sweet, not too much and not too little. My boyfriend said they were the best cupcakes he’s ever had, so I’ll more than likely be making them again. Delicious!
I really enjoyed making these cupcakes! I loved the cake flavor and the filling was delicious! My only note is I wish the frosting was a bit sweeter, but other than that, super yummy!
Amazing how you captured the flavor and just a hint of the texture I would expect of the biscuit shortcake in a vanilla cupcake! The strawberry filling and whipped cream was delicious (although, I might go a little lighter on the lemon zest next time). Thanks for another great recipe, Sally & team!
These cupcakes were easy to make even though they were the first filled cupcakes I’ve ever made. They were a bit less sweet than I expected and the vanilla paste could have been stronger. Definitely reminiscent of a shortcake rather than a cupcake.
Every recipe I make from Sally’s Baking Addiction is a hit, and this too was a smash. I baked these for my granddaughters first birthday party and have since had several requests to make more. The cupcakes are just amazing!
I made these for the baking challenge and am so glad I did! They were just so light and springy and refreshing. I did have to make a few swaps just bc of what I had in the house, but nothing life changing and I can’t wait to make these again.
The cup.
Cakes were a hit at the fourth of july party. I have been looking for a good vanilla cake recipe for Cupcakes.And I definitely have found it. This one is a keeper.
This was a delicious and festive recipe for July 4th! I am a hard-core believer in the magical powers of the box cake mix, but was pleasantly surprised by the flavor and texture of this vanilla bean cupcake. My strawberries weren’t as sweet as I’d hoped, so I probably should’ve added a little sugar to the filling to balance it a little better, but still delicious! It’s a winner!
Great recipe! I’ve always felt filled cupcakes were a waste of time but this recipe really changed my mind. It offers a more elevated fancy cake feel while still being easily portioned and served. I will absolutely be making this again!
We’re so glad you enjoyed these, Carolynn!
These are amazing. Very light tasting and refreshing on a hot summer day. I did end up with a lot of extra whipped cream frosting but I’ll probably toss it on some vanilla ice cream or brownies.