The Best Way to do Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes

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Fresh fruit always reminds me of summer and these cupcakes will have your mouth watering. I saw a picture of strawberries and cream cupcakes, cupcakes piled high with whipped cream with strawberry pieces in the cream and a strawberry on top. They looked luscious and I’m sure they were, but you would have to eat them right away or the cream would melt and juice would bleed from the berries and make the cupcakes soggy.

I was determined to find another way to make these decadent treats. I considered mixing fresh strawberry pieces with Bavarian Cream and inserting the mixture into the middle of the cupcakes. That wouldn’t work either because after a few hours the strawberry pieces would bleed enough to make the cake soggy.

Then I had the idea of inserting a whole strawberry in each cupcake. I headed to the test kitchen to start experimenting with my theory. Kelli had some cupcakes cooling on a rack. I took one and used a cupcake corer to remove the center. I took a medium-sized strawberry, hulled it and stuck it in the cupcake. I put a generous dollop of Bavarian cream on top. All it needed was a topping of frosting. Actually, I ate the first cupcake without frosting. The combination of cupcake, Bavarian Cream, and the fresh strawberry was very good.

We stuck some in the refrigerator to see how they would hold up overnight (because of the fresh fruit, you should keep these refrigerated). The cupcakes did just fine—just as luscious as when they were first made.

How to Insert the Strawberry

So how do you insert the strawberries in the cupcakes? Don’t worry, it’s very easy!

1. Bake and then core the cupcakes using a cupcake corer.
2. Hull the berries taking as little of the flesh as possible.
3. Insert the berries right side up in the hollowed cupcakes.
4. Put a dollop of Bavarian Cream, frosting, melted chocolate, or honey on top of the berries to seal the hole where the hull was. (Use more for flavor).
5. Frost the cupcakes. Decorate them as you like.

• See our delicious cupcake mixes
• Shop for frostings and frosting mixes

After our initial trial in the test kitchen, we sat down and made a list of cupcake combinations with strawberries in the center that sounded good. Here are a few recipe ideas for you to try at home. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

Strawberry Banana Cupcakes with Fresh Strawberries

Make these banana cupcakes, topped with Banana Buttercream Frosting and crowned with a sliced strawberry. You’ll find a luscious whole strawberry in the center of each cupcake.

You will need a cupcake corer to remove the centers from the cupcakes. (It can be done with a thin bladed knife). You can make your own Bavarian Cream but it’s much simpler to buy ready-made.

Since these cupcakes are made with fresh fruit, keep them refrigerated. Do not store them for over one day.

1 Vanilla Bean Baby Cake Mix
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 large eggs
1/2 cup oil
1 cup mashed banana
1 teaspoons banana flavor

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

1. Mix the cake mix, baking powder, eggs, oil, bananas, and banana flavor together in your stand-type mixer with the paddle attachment until mixed. Turn the mixer to medium-high and beat for three minutes.
2. Scrape the batter into paper liners in a muffin pan. You should get 18 to 20 regular-sized cupcakes.
3. Bake for 17 minutes or until done. Cool on a wire rack.

To assemble your cupcakes:

1. Use your cupcake corer to remove the centers from each cupcake
2. Wash and hull the strawberries. Let dry.
3. Insert a medium-sized strawberry into the centers of each cupcake.
4. Squeeze pile of Bavarian cream on top of each cupcake to finish filling the hole and create a small amount above the hole.
5. Mix the frosting per package directions adding an additional one teaspoon of banana flavor to the frosting or to taste.
6. Load the frosting into a large pastry bag equipped with a star or round tip and frost the cupcakes.
7. Garnish the cupcakes with sliced or whole strawberries. Refrigerate until served.

Almond Milk Chocolate Cupcakes with Fresh Strawberries

We made these cupcakes by adding Ramstadt Breda Medium Dark cocoa to a Vanilla Bean Baby Cake Mix but you could start with a Fudgy Baby Cake mix for a darker, deeper chocolate flavor.

You will need a cupcake corer to remove the centers from the cupcakes. (It can be done with a thin bladed knife). You can make your own Bavarian Cream but it’s much simpler to buy ready-made.

Since these cupcakes are made with fresh fruit, keep them refrigerated. Do not store them for over one day.

1 Vanilla Bean Baby Cake Mix
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
4 tablespoons Ramstadt Breda Medium-Dark Cocoa or equal
Water, eggs, and oil per package directions
1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting Mix or equal

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Mix the cake mix according to package directions adding the cocoa, flavor, baking powder and additional water.

1. Scrape the batter into paper liners in a muffin pan. You should get 18 to 20 regular-sized cupcakes.
2. Bake for 17 minutes or until done. Cool on a wire rack.

To assemble your cupcakes:

1. Use your cupcake corer to remove the centers from each cupcake
2. Wash and hull the strawberries. Let dry.
3. Insert a medium-sized strawberry into the centers of each cupcake.
4. Squeeze a pile of Bavarian Cream on top of each cupcake to finish filling the hole and create a small amount above the hole.
5. Mix the frosting per package directions adding an additional one teaspoon of almond flavor to the frosting or to taste.
6. Load the frosting into a large pastry bag equipped with a star or round tip and frost the cupcakes.

Garnish the cupcakes with sliced or whole strawberries. Refrigerate until served.

Pineapple Strawberry Cupcakes

These are pineapple cupcakes with pineapple buttercream topped with a dollop of pineapple filling and a strawberry inside.

You will need a cupcake corer to remove the centers from the cupcakes. (It can be done with a thin bladed knife).

Since these cupcakes are made with fresh fruit, keep them refrigerated. Do not store them for over one day.

1 Vanilla Bean Baby Cake Mix
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup crushed pineapple, well drained
Water, eggs, and oil per package directions (reduce the water by 1/2 cup to compensate for the moisture in the pineapple.)
1 teaspoon pineapple flavor
Pineapple pastry filling
1 Vanilla Cream Buttercream Frosting Mix or equal

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

1. Mix the cake mix according to package directions adding the pineapple, flavor, and baking powder.
2. Scrape the batter into paper liners in a muffin pan. You should get 18 to 20 regular-sized cupcakes.
3. Bake for 17 minutes or until done. Cool on a wire rack.

To assemble your cupcakes:

1. Use your cupcake corer to remove the centers from each cupcake
2. Wash and hull the strawberries. Let dry.
3. Insert a medium-sized strawberry into the centers of each cupcake.
4. Squeeze a pile of pineapple filling on top of each cupcake to finish filling the hole and create a small amount above the hole.
5. Mix the frosting per package directions adding a teaspoon of pineapple flavor to the frosting or to taste.
6. Load the frosting into a large pastry bag equipped with a star or round tip and frost the cupcakes.
7. Garnish the cupcakes with sliced or whole strawberries. Refrigerate until served.

About the Author

Dennis Weaver has burned food from Point Barrow, Alaska, to Miami, Florida. He is the founder of The Prepared Pantry in Rigby, Idaho and the author of How to Bake: The Art and Science of Baking   available as an E-book or as a Kindle book on Amazon.

Dennis lives in Rigby, Idaho, with his wife, Merri Ann. They have five wonderful children and five beautiful granddaughters.