A creamy and velvety strawberry frosting you will want to put on everything! Learn the tricks to get the most amazing strawberry buttercream that bursts with flavor and a gorgeous natural pink color.
Besides vanilla frosting, strawberry frosting is probably the American buttercream flavor that I make the most often. I love the bright flavor, and it pairs so well with pretty much every other flavor there is.
In fact, since my daughter first turned one, I've been adding strawberry in some form to her birthday cake. It's a tradition for us. One way that I like to do that is by putting strawberry in the frosting like these chocolate chip cupcakes and butter cake with strawberry mint buttercream.
I've made my frosting using a number of methods, and they all have their place in the world. I will and still recommend using each method in different situations, but this particular recipe I am sharing with you today is my absolute favorite recipe.
Different Methods for Making Strawberry American Buttercream
There are a few popular ways of making strawberry icing. Here are the top three, plus a few pros and cons of each.
- Frosting with Fresh Strawberries - This is the method I've done the most on the site. It has a freshness to the frosting you can't really get with any other method and offers a really nice hue. However, the high liquid content in the strawberries means you have to do more to combat it to get the best consistency. It also means you are limited to making the frosting when strawberries are in season for the best flavors.
- Frosting with Strawberry Jam - There is less watery liquid in strawberry jam, so you have more control over the end texture. It also has a more rounded strawberry flavor because the berries are cooked. This option is also available to you year-round. Jam tends to be already very sweet and adding it to sweet frosting means you will have to do more to keep the frosting from becoming cloying.
- Frosting with Freeze-Dried Strawberries - Since there is no added liquid, you have complete control over the texture. There is no added sugar, so you do not have to combat that either. It has a concentrated strawberry flavor that gets stronger as the frosting sits. You can also use this method year-round. Unfortunately, freeze-dried strawberries can be a little pricey, and not every grocery store sells it, but many are beginning to. I have found them at Walmart, Target, Aldis, Trader Joe's and a few of my local grocery stores.
How Do You Make Strawberry Icing?
I am a fan of the freeze-dried strawberry method. I love having a lot of control over the end texture to the frosting. I also find the freeze-dried berries pack a lot of punch of flavor that only gets better over time. In my opinion, it also gives the most vibrant color.
First, you need to powder your freeze-dried strawberries. I put mine in my food processor and pulse until it becomes a fine powder.
Next, I mix it into my powdered sugar, but you can just add it to the butter when you are creaming it.
Make your frosting as normal, I like to add a bit of lemon zest to brighten the flavor a little.
Add a little heavy cream until you reach a nice, creamy consistency.
Do You Have to Refrigerate Strawberry Buttercream?
You can leave this particular frosting recipe at room temperature for three days. It does not need refrigeration. If I know I will not be using the frosting for a while or I just have a lot of leftover frosting, I will place it in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to a week, or freeze up to a month.
How Do You Thicken Frosting?
If you accidentally add too much liquid to your frosting, you can thicken it by adding more powdered sugar. Keep in mind that it will also make the frosting sweeter. You can combat this with a pinch or two of salt - just mix well so the salt has a chance to properly incorporate.
What Cake Goes with Strawberry Frosting?
Basically every cake. Seriously. I would add this to my coffee-flavored cake, or even my favorite chocolate cake. I usually love adding mine to vanilla cupcakes or vanilla mug cake.
