There’s nothing like strawberry buttercream that’s made with fresh strawberries and not artificial flavor. Using fresh strawberries can be tricky as the liquid can curdle the frosting. My strawberry buttercream frosting is darn delicious and bursting with fresh strawberry flavor. The key is a combination of both freeze dried strawberries and strawberry preserves instead of milk. When it comes to buttercream, using quality butter makes all the difference. I love Plugra or Kerrygold butter because the rich buttery flavor comes through. I’m not paid to say this, I just love their products.
HERE’S HOW I MAKE IT
Using an electric mixer (stand alone or hand-held), cream 2 sticks of unsalted, room temperature butter until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. I like to leave my butter out on the kitchen counter overnight. While the butter is creaming, blitz a cup of freeze dried strawberries in a food processor until it’s a fine powder. Sift the strawberry powder to remove any large pieces and set aside. Measure and sift the powdered sugar and set aside in a separate bowl.
Once the butter is creamed, add the freeze dried strawberries and one cup of powdered sugar at a time. Beat on low speed until combined, scraping the sides occasionally. Add two teaspoons of vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract and 1/4 cup of strawberry preserves – not jam or jelly. Bonne Maman, Brasswell’s and Smucker’s are the three preserves we always have at home. Beat on low until incorporated, then beat on medium speed for a few minutes until light and fluffy. You’re done!
Note: If the frosting it too thick, add 1 teaspoon of whole milk at a time until it reaches desired consistency, but I personally like the consistency of thicker frosting.
If not using immediately, cover with plastic wrap so it doesn’t dry out. You can also freeze the frosting up to six weeks. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then bring to room temperature. I always like to whip the frosting before using to make it light and pliable again.
Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
An easy and delicious strawberry buttercream that is bursting with strawberry flavors!
Ingredients
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature prefer Plugra or Kerrygold brand
- 1 cup freeze dried strawberries sourced at Trader Joe's
- 6 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or extract
- ¼ cup strawberry preserves prefer Bonne Maman, Braswell's or Smucker's
Instructions
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Cream 2 sticks of unsalted butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
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In a food processor, blitz 1 cup of freeze dried strawberries until powder. Sift powder and remove any larger pieces. Set aside.
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Measure and sift powdered sugar and set aside in a separate bowl.
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Once the butter is creamed, add the powdered strawberries and one cup of powdered sugar at a time. Beat until incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
Taste the frosting, if overly sweet for your taste, add a pinch of salt. See note below.
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Add 2 teaspoons of vanilla bean paste or extract and ¼ cup of strawberry preserves.
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Beat on low speed until combined, then increase speed and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
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Set frosting aside and cover with plastic wrap to prevent drying out until ready to use.
Recipe Notes
Note: If the frosting is too sweet, you can add a pinch of kosher salt or use 1 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter with 1/2 stick of salted butter instead of 2 sticks unsalted butter.
If the frosting is too thick, add a teaspoon of whole milk at a time until the frosting reaches desired consistency.
