Strawberry Shortcake Crunch Cupcakes
Strawberry crunch cupcakes have all the flavors of your favorite ice cream truck treat, in cupcake form! These moist strawberry cupcakes are made with real strawberries (no artificial flavors!), topped with fluffy vanilla frosting, and finished with a crunchy Golden Oreo-strawberry crumble. Perfect for summer, Valentine’s Day, or whenever you’re craving a little nostalgia!
Equipment
Ingredients
Roasted Strawberries
- 2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries if fresh, hulled and quartered
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Strawberry Crunch Topping
- 6 Golden Oreo cookies
- 1/4 cup freeze-dried strawberries
- 1 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cupcake Batter
- 1 1/2 cups + 2 tablespoons cake flour *see notes for measuring*
- 3/4 cup + 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed room temperature
- 1/4 cup sour cream or full-fat greek yogurt room temperature
- 2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons strawberry extract or vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup roasted strawberries from recipe above
Vanilla Buttercream
- 1 cup + 4 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- fresh strawberries for topping
Instructions
Roast the Strawberries
- Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C.
- On a lined baking tray, toss the strawberries and sugar together. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Then scrape the strawberries (and their juices) into a bowl and mash with a potato masher. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Decrease the oven to 350°F/180°C.
For the Strawberry Crunch Topping
- In the bowl of a food processor, combine the topping ingredients and pulse on low until crumbly. Set aside.
For the Cupcake Batter
- In a stand mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Then mix in the cubed butter on low until it resembles coarse sand.
- Mix in the sour cream and oil, then scrape down the bowl. Mix in the eggs and strawberry extract until just combined. Then mix in the mashed strawberries.
- Use an ice cream or cookie scoop to scoop the batter into a lined 12-cup cupcake pan. The liners should be mostly full, with about 1/4 inch of room at the top. Bake the cupcakes at 350°F for 17-19 minutes or until the tops spring back when touched. Let the pan cool on a wire rack before frosting.
For the Buttercream
- In a stand mixing bowl, cream the butter and powdered sugar together on low until combined. Then mix in the cream and vanilla. Increase the speed to medium-high and mix for 2-3 minutes until very light and fluffy.
Decorate!
- Use a piping bag with a 1M star tip to pipe the vanilla frosting on top of the cupcakes. Sprinkle with the crunch topping and garnish with a fresh strawberry. Enjoy your strawberry crunch cupcakes!
Notes
*Measure your flour properly. This is my #1 baking tip! Do not ever scoop a measuring cup into your flour as this always leads to using too much flour. Instead, use the spoon-level method. This means fluffing the flour first, then spooning it into your measuring cup/spoon. For the BEST results, use a kitchen scale!*
Storage: Store any leftover cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezing: You can freeze the cupcakes, frosted or unfrosted, in an airtight container for up to one month.
