Strawberry Buttercream Frosting Recipe with Video Tutorial

Strawberry buttercream frosting is simple to make with butter, strawberry jam or preserves, powdered sugar, and a pinch of salt. It’s creamy, fruity, and perfect for spreading on cakes or piping onto cupcakes.

Strawberry frosting pairs beautifully with vanilla, chocolate, coconut, lemon, or lime cakes. It’s versatile and works well whether you spread it with a spatula or pipe decorative swirls.

Strawberry Frosting with Jam

This strawberry buttercream uses strawberry jam or preserves for concentrated fruit flavor and a stable texture. Jam is made from puréed fruit and sugar, while preserves contain larger fruit pieces and a chunkier texture.

Choose a jam or preserves that look thick in the jar and have little added sugar, since powdered sugar is added later. Avoid overly sweet selections so the frosting stays balanced.

If you use preserves, pay attention to the size of the fruit pieces—very large chunks can interfere with piping or smooth spreading.

Can I make strawberry frosting with fresh strawberries?

Yes. You can cook fresh strawberries into a jam or thick purée ahead of time and cool it completely before adding to the buttercream. Cooking concentrates the fruit flavor and reduces excess moisture so the frosting remains stable.

To make a quick cooked purée, blend strawberries, strain seeds if desired, add a little sugar and a splash of lemon juice, then simmer on the stovetop until thick and jammy. Cool fully before using.

Frozen strawberries can also be cooked down, but they release more liquid, so they may take longer to thicken. If needed, a little cornstarch mixed with sugar can help thicken cooked fruit for jams or pie fillings.

How to Make Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

For a classic buttercream texture, use room-temperature unsalted butter and add a pinch or two of salt to balance the sweetness. Salted butter can be used, but start without added salt if you prefer to control the seasoning.

If you live in a humid climate and worry about melting, you can substitute half the butter with shortening for extra stability, though all-butter yields the best flavor.

1. Beat the room-temperature butter and the strawberry jam or preserves with an electric mixer until creamy and mostly smooth.
2. Add powdered sugar one cup at a time, beating well after each addition until combined and smooth. Add a pinch or two of salt and mix to taste.

The finished frosting will be slightly softer than a plain vanilla buttercream but should still be thick enough to spread or pipe. If the frosting feels too soft, chill it in the fridge briefly to firm it up before piping.

This strawberry buttercream is ideal for cakes, cupcakes, cookies, and other desserts. It’s flavorful, easy to prepare, and holds up well for decorating.

More Great Frosting Recipes

• Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Recipe
• Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
• Cream Cheese Frosting
• Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
• Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
• White Chocolate Pudding Buttercream

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4.42 from 136 ratings

Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

Prep: 10 mins

Total: 10 mins

Strawberry buttercream frosting is easy to make with butter, jam, powdered sugar, and a pinch of salt. It’s creamy, fruity, and great for spreading on cakes or piping onto cupcakes.

Yields 24 servings

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup (170 g) unsalted butter, (12 Tbsp) room temperature
• 3/4 cup (228 g) natural strawberry preserves (or low-sugar jam)
• 3 cups (360 g) powdered sugar
• Pinch salt

Equipment

• Electric hand or stand mixer
• Mixing bowl
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Spatula
• Piping bag (optional)

Instructions

1. Beat the room-temperature butter with the strawberry preserves or jam until light and creamy. It may not be completely smooth before you add sugar.
2. Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition until combined and smooth.
3. Add a pinch or two of salt and mix to taste.
4. Spread the frosting onto a cake or fill a piping bag fitted with a large star tip (Wilton 2D or 1M) to pipe onto cupcakes.

Notes

• Recipe yields approximately 3 cups of frosting — enough for a 13×9-inch cake, a two-layer 8-inch cake, 15–18 cupcakes when piping swirls, or 24 cupcakes if spread on top.
• Store frosting at room temperature up to 2 days or in the refrigerator up to 1 week. If chilled, bring to room temperature and re-whip briefly before using.

Nutrition

Serving: 2 Tbsp | Calories: 113 kcal | Carbohydrates: 27 g | Cholesterol: 1 mg | Sodium: 16 mg | Sugar: 24 g

Disclaimer: Nutritional values are estimates only.

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