Strawberry Sundae Cupcakes

These deliciously decadent strawberry sundae cupcakes are a fun and whimsical pick for a birthday party, graduation or festive gathering. Made with moist vanilla cupcakes that are topped with a fluffy swirl of fresh strawberry frosting, this strawberry sundae cupcakes recipe comes complete with sprinkles and a cherry on top!

When a Cupcake Meets a Strawberry Sundae...

Colorful and whimsical baking is something I love to do when the spring and summer seasons roll in.

Take these strawberry sundae cupcakes for instance, which are inspired by a classic strawberry sundae made with rich vanilla ice cream, strawberry syrup, sprinkles and a cherry on top, a beloved seasonal treat we love to dig into!

Made with a cupcake batter prepared with butter, buttermilk and lots of vanilla for that vanilla cake base, then topped with a thick swirl of strawberry frosting made with fresh strawberries for pretty little red flecks throughout, these strawberry sundae cupcakes are a rich, moist and deliciously decadent treat.

Topped with colorful and festive sprinkles plus a decorative maraschino cherry on top (no sundae is complete without one!), they're basically a strawberry sundae in cupcake form, and the perfect yummy treat to celebrate birthdays or graduations with, or to simply celebrate this warmer, sunnier time of year!

My Recipe for Strawberry Sundae Cupcakes

To create the “vanilla ice cream” component for these strawberry sundae cupcakes, I've created a vanilla cake base.

For this I'm using butter, sugar, flour, buttermilk, eggs, and a very generous spoonful of pure vanilla extract, so there's lots of warm, vanilla flavor in every bite—so sweetly aromatic!

As for the “strawberry syrup” component, I'm using a rich, fluffy strawberry frosting that I love to pipe onto each vanilla cupcake in a thick, fluffy swirl.

For the strawberry frosting I'm using butter, powdered sugar, a small amount of fresh strawberry puree (which I make by pureeing several large strawberries, then straining the seeds), and very finely minced strawberries which I fold in to create those teeny flecks of red throughout, creating lots of mouthwatering, fresh strawberry flavor!

Each bite of these strawberry sundae cupcakes is a like a little taste of heaven, brimming with the flavors of vanilla and fresh strawberries.

And the best part? These cute cupcakes won't melt, but they just might melt your heart!

Here's a sneak peek at my strawberry sundae cupcakes recipe: (or just jump to the full recipe...)

1. To get started, I mix up my cupcake ingredients, bake those off, and allow them to completely cool.
2. Next, I prepare my strawberry puree to have ready for my strawberry frosting.
3. I now prepare my frosting and keep that chilled until I'm ready to top my cupcakes.
4. Once the cupcakes are cool, I pipe a thick, fluffy swirl of the strawberry frosting over each vanilla cupcake, then finish with a little flourish of colorful sprinkles and a maraschino cherry on top, to complete that sundae look!

Recipe

Strawberry Sundae Cupcakes

by Ingrid Beer

Print Recipe

These festive strawberry sundae cupcakes are made with moist vanilla cake and fresh strawberry frosting, topped with sprinkles and a cherry!

Category: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Yield: 24 cupcakes

Nutrition Info: 327 calories per cupcake

Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook time: 16 minutes
Total time: 56 minutes

Cupcakes Ingredients:

• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temp
• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs, room temp
• 1 ½ tablespoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk, room temp
• Rainbow sprinkles, for decorating
• Maraschino cherries, for garnish

Strawberry Frosting Ingredients:

• 6 large strawberries, hulled, divided use
• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temp
• 4 ½ cups powdered sugar

Preparation:

1. Begin by gathering and prepping all of your cupcake ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°, and line 2, 12 count cupcake pans with festive, colorful baking cups.
3. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to a bowl, and whisk together to combine the dry ingredients. Set these aside for a moment.
4. Next, add the room temp butter to a electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, and mix until the butter is fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add in the sugar, and continue to mix until the sugar and butter and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Then, add the eggs in one at a time, allowing each egg to incorporate before adding in the next one. Add in the vanilla, and continue to combine (scrape down the bowl, if necessary).
6. Add in ⅓ of the dry ingredients allowing them to blend in, then add ½ of the buttermilk allowing that to fully incorporate. Then, add another ⅓ of the dry ingredients, followed by the rest of the buttermilk, finishing with the remaining ⅓ of the dry. Take care not to over mix.
7. Pour or spoon the batter into the baking cup-lined cupcake pans, about ¾ full, and bake the cupcakes for about 16 to 18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool on a wire rack completely.
8. While the cupcakes cool, gather and prep your strawberry frosting ingredients according the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
9. Make your puree by adding 3 of your strawberries to the bowl of a food processor, and process until pureed. Strain the puree of seeds, and set that aside for a moment (you should have roughly 2 tablespoons of strawberry puree).
10. Next, finely mince the remaining 3 strawberries into a very, very fine dice, and set those aside in a small ramekin or dish.
11. To the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whip attachment, add the butter and whip for about 30 seconds to 1 minute until fluffy.
12. Add in about 2 cups of the powdered sugar, and whip that in until it comes together with the butter to become fluffy.
13. Then, add in 1 tablespoon worth of the strawberry puree, and another cup of the powdered sugar, and continue to whip until blended. Add in the rest of the puree, plus another cup of the sugar, and whip until that blends in.
14. Next, add in the finely minced strawberries, plus the remaining ½ cup of the powdered sugar, and whip just until combined and fluffy.
15. Spoon the buttercream frosting to a piping bag fitted with a medium-size tip, and place the buttercream into the fridge to chill for 15 to 30 minutes, if too soft.
16. To assemble the strawberry sundae cupcakes, pipe a generous swirl of the strawberry frosting onto each cupcake. Then, finish by sprinkling over each some of the colorful sprinkles, and top each cupcake with a maraschino cherry.
17. Place onto a serving platter and enjoy.

Tips & Tidbits for my Strawberry Sundae Cupcakes recipe:

• Fresh strawberries for the frosting: To give lots of strawberry flavor and pink color to the frosting, I'm using a handful of fresh strawberries here. I'm pureeing about 3 large strawberries and then straining out the seeds to add color and flavor while whipping the frosting. Then, I fold finely minced strawberries in at the end. It's just enough to add good flavor, without adding much liquid to the frosting. (Frozen berries will not work here due to water content.)
• Buttermilk in the batter for richness: Fresh buttermilk adds a nice tang and lots of tenderness to these vanilla cupcakes, and offers nice richness as well.
• Lots of pure vanilla extract: Opt for pure vanilla extract for this recipe, for lots of warm vanilla flavor. And the recipe does call for a generous amount—1 ½ tablespoons—for that aroma. Typically, a cake recipe will call for just a teaspoon or two (never enough, in my opinion!), but you'll need the amount I'm recommending for better flavor.
• Make these strawberry sundae cupcakes ahead: You can bake off the cupcakes, place onto a tray, and wrap them in plastic wrap once cooled. You can also prep the strawberry frosting, and keep it in a piping bag in the fridge. Once ready to assemble the cupcakes, allow the frosting to come to room temp for about 15 to 20 minutes, if very cold and firm, then pipe the cupcakes, and finish with sprinkles and cherries.
• Don’t want cupcakes? Make a cake instead: You can use a 9 by 13 inch cake pan or two, 8 by 8 inch cake rounds to make a simple sheet cake or layer cake instead of cupcakes. Bake the 9 by 13 inch for roughly 38 minutes, and the 8 by 8 inch for roughly 32 minutes, checking with a skewer (or wooden toothpick) for doneness.

Craving more cozy and sweet treats? Check out my recipe for Strawberry Cake, Strawberry Oatmeal Bars, Strawberry Lemonade Scones, White Chocolate Blondies with Raspberries, Lemon Cheesecake Bars, Lemon Blueberry Cake, or my recipe for Cherry Cobbler with Cream Biscuit Topping!

Cook's Note: This recipe was originally published in 2015, and has been updated with even more love!