Strawberry Frosting

Sweet, ripe strawberries make this frosting irresistible! Creamy strawberry frosting is yummy on just about any cake or cupcake.

Strawberry frosting is deliciously refreshing and perfect for those warm, sunny summer days. It is delicious on a Strawberry Cake and just as tasty as our best-loved Easy Strawberry Shortcake.

Tastes So Fresh!

Life is better with cake and frosting, am I right?

We LOVE this fresh strawberry frosting on our Strawberry Cake. Served chilled, it makes a ridiculously refreshing treat.

This screams SUMMER to me. It’s light, smooth, and so creamy. It melts in your mouth the minute you take a bite.

You’ll definitely want to use fresh and ripe strawberries for this recipe. It will intensify that sweet flavor and make it irresistibly delicious.

How to Make Strawberry Frosting

JUST BEAT! In a bowl, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add the strawberry puree and mix to combine.

Add 3 cups of powdered sugar, and mix until combined. Mix in additional powdered sugar, ½ cup at a time, to make a frosting that is spreadable and fluffy, but not runny.

How much does this make? This frosting can cover an 8” two-layer cake or generously cover a 9×13 sheet cake. You can also spread it over 24 cupcakes.

If piping, you’ll only cover about 15-18 cupcakes and it will need to be thickened to make it more sturdy.

Recipe Tips

For the best frosting for Strawberry Cake, use these simple steps.

Room temperature butter. To prevent runny frosting, use butter that is not too soft. I set mine out 30 minutes prior to making the frosting (if my kitchen isn’t too warm) so it is semi-cold.

Strawberries. For the best flavor choose sweet, ripe, fresh strawberries. Frozen strawberries work as well but we prefer to use fresh berries.

Puree. Simply put the strawberries in a blender or food processor and puree until they are smooth. 1 cup strawberries = ½ cup of strawberry puree.

Thin it out. If the frosting is too thick, add strawberry puree or milk to thin it out more.

Strawberry jam can be used instead of strawberry puree in this recipe but there are a few things to keep in mind.

Strawberry jam has been cooked and many times extra sugar has been added. Do not use as much. In this recipe, ¼ cup of seedless strawberry jam would be best. 

• In a pinch, shortening can be used instead of butter, but the frosting won’t have the same rich flavor.
• This recipe can be easily doubled if needed.

How to Thicken Frosting

One easy way to thicken the strawberry frosting recipe is to add a bit more powdered sugar. However, the more powdered sugar you add the less the strawberry flavor will shine through.

Other ways to thicken the frosting include:

Chill the homemade strawberry frosting in the fridge before using it if it is still not forming peaks/thickening up.

Reduce puree. To keep the berry flavor try reducing the puree on the stovetop. 

• In a small saucepan over medium heat, cook the strawberry puree until it reduces by about half.
• You must let the puree cool or it will melt the butter.
• Once cool, add the puree to the butter and continue with the recipe.

Freeze-dried strawberries. Thicken strawberry cake frosting and keep the flavor! 

• Blend (or use a food processor) the freeze-dried strawberries until they form a powder. Sift out the seeds, or just use them as is.
• Add the powder to the butter along with a bit of milk to compensate for the lack of moisture. Start by adding ¼ c strawberry powder and 2-3 tbsp milk. 
• Add powdered sugar. 
• Add more milk (to thin it out) or strawberry powder (to thicken) until you reach your desired texture.

Storing Tips

STORE frosting. Keep strawberry buttercream frosting in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month. 

STORE cake. Once frosted, the cake can stay at room temperature for 1-3 days, in the refrigerator for 3-5 days, or in the freezer for 2-3 months. 

If you have leftover strawberry icing and want to use it for other recipes (other than Strawberry Cake), try adding it to Brownies, Sugar Cookies, Chocolate Cake, Vanilla Cupcakes, or any other treat that is great with frosting.

Recipe FAQ

For more frosting recipes, try:

• Berry Buttercream Frosting
• Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting
• Easy Marshmallow Frosting
• Cream Cheese Frosting
• Lemon Frosting