I made this homemade strawberry buttercream frosting at my daughter’s request, and it was an immediate win. Some links in this post are affiliate links that earn me a commission if you purchase through them.
When my daughter asked to make a cake on Sunday, I agreed. It’s the kind of mom I am.
While there was no special occasion, she’s been rocking life, so it’s fun to recognize that. She initially wanted to make our s’mores cake, but eventually she decided on this.
What did she want? Our favorite yellow cake topped with strawberry frosting.
When I made a strawberry cake for my son’s birthday (yes, at his request) years ago, I was surprised by how many recipes I saw that used strawberry Jell-O. I’d rather go with natural flavoring and no dye, and I did the same for this strawberry buttercream frosting.
I discovered freeze dried fruit a few years ago, and the work perfectly when you want a unique flavor without using Jell-O or other flavorings. Yes, this is very similar to what I did for the pomegranate frosting I made for my son’s birthday cake, too.
If you have an Aldi near you, you can often find freeze dried strawberries, apples, mangoes, and pears. If not, I grab freeze dried strawberries from Amazon – which is also where I get my freeze dried pomegranates.
Tips to Make Homemade Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
We used the entire 1.2 ounce package for this frosting. We initially used about half, but we wanted a more intense strawberry flavor, and this was the perfect intensity for us.
This frosting recipe makes enough to cover a 9×13 cake. If you plan to make a layer cake, especially if you use some of this inside, double the recipe to ensure you have enough.
To pulverize the strawberries, use a blender or a spice grinder to ensure you pulverize it all. Otherwise, you can remove all the air from the vacuum sealed pouch and crush it with a rolling pin. If you go with this method, you may want to filter it through a fine mesh strainer to ensure no big pieces get into your frosting.
Pulverize the strawberries just before you make the frosting. If you do so too far in advance, especially if it’s at all humid out, the powder you create will clump.
You can even get freeze dried strawberry powder, if you prefer. I like the sliced strawberries over the powder, as they make a great snack, too.
Make sure that your butter is at room temperature. If it is still cold, your frosting will not work. You can microwave it for 10-15 second increments just until it is soft, as melted butter doesn’t work either.
When you frost your cake, use an offset spatula. This is the easiest and most effective tool I’ve found to frost a cake, whether a 13×9 cake or a layer cake.
How to Make Homemade Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
Add the butter to your mixing bowl, and beat on high speed to incorporate air. When there are no lumps and it mostly just stays on the edge of your bowl, turn off the mixer.
Scrape down the side of your mixing bowl with a spatula, then add the strawberry powder you pulverized. If you bought the strawberry powder, use about 5 to 5 1/2 tablespoons.
Add one cup of powdered sugar, then mix on low until incorporated. Once you’re out of the danger of the powder flying everywhere, turn the mixer up and beat for 30 seconds.
Add a second cup of powdered sugar and repeat the process. Do the same with the milk.
Finally, add the last cup of powdered sugar, but this time, beat it for two full minutes. Check the consistency, and if you want to thin it, add a splash of milk and mix again.
Use the frosting immediately to frost a fully cooled cake. If you need to save it for later, place plastic wrap over the surface of the strawberry buttercream frosting and ensure there are no air bubbles.
Store this in the fridge for up to two days. Before you use it, bring it to room temperature and whip it for 30 seconds.
What cake would you top with homemade strawberry buttercream frosting?
Other great cake and frosting ideas:
- Cream cheese frosting
- Matcha buttercream frosting
- Fluffy marshmallow frosting
- Pomegranate frosting
- Lemon curd filling
- Strawberry filling
- Chocolate ganache filling
- Kit Kat cake
- Moist chocolate cake
Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1.2 ounces freeze dried strawberries
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Pulverize freeze dried strawberries and set aside.1.2 ounces freeze dried strawberries
- Add room temperature butter to bowl, and beat. Scrape sides of bowl, then add strawberry powder and one cup of powdered sugar.1/2 cup unsalted butter, 3 cups powdered sugar
- Mix on low then slowly increase until beating. Beat for 30 seconds.
- Add another cup of powdered sugar and repeat the process. Add milk and mix until incorporated.2 tablespoons milk
- Finally, add remaining powdered sugar, and beat for two minutes.
- If needed, add milk to thin the frosting slightly and mix again.
- Use frosting immediately on a fully cooled cake.
Notes
- You can also use freeze dried strawberry powder. If you do so, use 5 to 5 1/2 tablespoons of the powder.
- This makes enough frosting for a 13x9 cake. If you make a layer cake, double the recipe to ensure you have enough.
- If you need to save it for later, place plastic wrap over the surface of the strawberry buttercream frosting and ensure there are no air bubbles.
- Store this in the fridge for up to two days. Before you use it, bring it to room temperature and whip it for 30 seconds.
- For more tips and tricks, be sure to read the full article above.
Nutrition
This site uses an online source to provide nutrition estimates as a courtesy. If you need exact values, please calculate yourself.
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