Strawberry Crunch Cupcakes
These delicious summer-inspired Strawberry Crunch Cupcakes are light and fluffy vanilla cupcakes baked full of fresh strawberries, topped with cream cheese frosting, and sprinkled with strawberry crunch crumble topping. Bursting with flavors reminiscent of strawberry shortcake bars, these homemade cupcakes are the ultimate dessert recipe!
Equipment
- 1 Standard Cupcake Pan
- 12 Cupcake Liners
- 2 Mixing Bowls
- 1 Electric Mixer or Stand Mixer
- 1 Food processor or Blender
Ingredients
Vanilla Cupcakes
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (see notes for GF version)*
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- ¼ cup vegetable oil or melted coconut oil
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup whole milk (see notes for DF version)*
- 1 cup strawberries, finely chopped
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 ¼ cups powdered sugar
Strawberry Crunch Topping
- 12 Golden Oreos
- ¾ cup freeze dried strawberries
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (cooled slightly)
- 6 fresh strawberries sliced in half (for topping)
Instructions
Making the Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare a standard 12-count cupcake pan with cupcake liners and set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt until evenly combined.1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt
- In a separate mixing bowl, use an electric hand mixer or stand mixer to beat the softened butter, oil, and sugar together until smooth and fluffy.4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, ¼ cup vegetable oil, ¾ cup granulated sugar
- Add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix until smooth and well combined.2 eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- While mixing on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. When the dry ingredients are halfway combined, add the milk and continue mixing until the cupcake batter is smooth. Don’t over-mix!1 cup whole milk
- Use a rubber spatula to gently fold in the chopped strawberries until they are evenly spread throughout the batter.1 cup strawberries, finely chopped
- Use a large spoon or cookie scoop to transfer the cupcake batter into the prepared liners, filling each about 2⁄3 to ¾ of the way full.
- Bake for 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Making the Frosting
- Use an electric mixer or stand mixer to beat the cream cheese, softened butter, and vanilla extract together until smooth, creamy, and fluffy.6 ounces cream cheese, softened, ½ cup unsalted butter, softened, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Gradually add the powdered sugar until a thick, pipeable frosting forms. You can adjust the consistency as necessary by adding more sugar or water.4 ¼ cups powdered sugar
How to Make Strawberry Crunch
- Add the Oreos and freeze dried strawberries to a food processor or blender. Gently pulse the mixture until it becomes thick, coarse crumbs, but not too fine that it becomes powder.12 Golden Oreos, ¾ cup freeze dried strawberries
- Add in the melted butter and pulse a few times to incorporate it with the mixture. Stop pulsing when a nice coarse strawberry crumble forms.2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Decorating the Cupcakes
- Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, use a piping bag with a star tip to pipe the cream cheese frosting on top of the cupcakes. You can spread the frosting with a knife if you don't have a piping bag.
- Sprinkle each cupcake generously with the strawberry crunch topping and garnish with a fresh strawberry. Enjoy!6 fresh strawberries
Notes
Storage: Store leftover strawberry shortcake crunch cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. For longer storage, you can freeze the cupcakes for up to 3 months. Both frosted and unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen, but unfrosted is best in the freezer. Defrost them overnight in the refrigerator before enjoying the cupcakes again.
Gluten-Free: Use a gluten-free 1:1 all-purpose flour for gluten-free cupcakes.
Dairy-Free: Use vegan butter, cream cheese, and plant-based milk for dairy-free cupcakes.