Let’s talk about how to make the BEST strawberry buttercream frosting.

Strawberry frosting can often lead one to feeling a little defeated. The problem tends to present itself when making it with fresh strawberries. You chop them up, even blot their moisture a little bit, then throw them into a vanilla buttercream frosting. And then... it instantly curdles as a result of the excess moisture right? Let me introduce you to freeze-dried amazingness.

The process of freeze drying simply removes the moisture from the fruit while keeping them packed with flavor. They’re perfect for baking in your favorite scone recipes, throwing into pancake batter, or in this case, grinding into a fine powder with a food processor and tossing into a buttercream recipe. And the overall burst of natural coloring is exquisite!

Freeze-Dried Strawberry Buttercream

Name: Freeze-Dried Strawberry Buttercream
Yield: 3
Cuisine: Frosting
Ingredients: 1 cup Freeze-dried Strawberries; 1 cup Butter (unsalted); 4 cups Confectioners' (powdered) Sugar; 1/4 cup Heavy Cream (room temperature); 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract; Salt (to taste)

Servings

Prep Time

A light, balanced raspberry buttercream that's packed with flavor. The perfect addition to any cake!

Image of Freeze-Dried Strawberry Buttercream

Ingredients

1 cup Freeze-dried Strawberries
1 cup Butter (unsalted)
4 cups Confectioners' (powdered) Sugar
1/4 cup Heavy Cream (room temperature)
1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
Salt (to taste)

Directions

Using a blender or food processor, process the freeze-dried strawberries into a powdery crumb. You should have around 1/2 cup. Set aside.
In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, strawberry powder, heavy cream/milk, and vanilla. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then switch to high speed and beat for 2 minutes. Taste. Add 1-2 more Tablespoons of heavy cream/milk if needed to thin out, if desired. (I usually add at least 1 more.) Add a pinch of salt if frosting is too sweet.
Use immediately or cover tightly and store for up to 1 week in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer. After freezing, thaw in the refrigerator then beat the frosting on medium speed for a few seconds so it’s creamy again. After thawing or refrigerating, beating in a splash of heavy cream or milk will help thin the frosting out again, if needed. (It stiffens in the refrigerator.)

Recipe Note

Heavy Cream: Heavy cream produces an extra creamy frosting, but whole milk or even half-and-half work too. Lower fat or nondairy milks work in a pinch, but the frosting isn’t as creamy.

Quantity: This recipe is enough to frost 12-18 cupcakes or a thin layer on a 9×13 inch quarter sheet cake. 1.5x the recipe for a two layer cake. (Doubling the recipe would be far too much.)