Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

American Buttercream Frosting is the easiest buttercream to make. It has a fluffy, whipped texture, is easy to season and the sweet taste is popular with young and old alike.

American buttercream is basically just a combination of butter and powdered sugar that is beaten lightly and fluffy. I take this base and use several strawberry ingredients – strawberry preserves, freeze-dried strawberries, and strawberry extract to make a berry-flavored strawberry glaze!

This strawberry frosting is so versatile. You can use it to piping decorations, frosting cupcakes, or stacking between layered cakes. Here’s a guide on how to glaze a layered cake like a pro!

How to make strawberry frosting

The biggest attraction in this recipe is the lack of shortening. Many American buttercream recipes add a generous amount of vegetable shortening, but I try to avoid it as much as possible.

This is a butter-based frosting, meaning it has a great mouthfeel and won’t stick uncomfortably to the inside of your mouth. To do it, follow these steps:

• In a mixer, beat butter at room temperature with sifted powdered sugar until almost white. This vigorous beating allows the sugar to dissolve and eliminate the graininess that many American buttercreams are notorious for.
• My secret weapon is freeze-dried strawberries. You can find them at most grocery stores. Simply grind them into a fine powder and add them to the frosting for concentrated berry flavor and color!
• I also use strawberry extract, but if you don’t have it or don’t want to use it, you can add an extra 1/4 cup of the freeze-dried strawberries to the mix. Just make sure you grind them first.
• Two other additions: vanilla extract and fresh lemon juice bring out the strawberry flavor in this frosting.

The biggest issue most people have with this type of frosting is the potential graininess the powdered sugar can leave in the finished product. Here are a few tips for the perfect frosting:

• Sift the powdered sugar before using to reduce graininess as it traps more air in the sugar.
• Use a quality sugar and avoid brands with beet sugar, which often contain more additives. Stick to pure cane sugar.
• Towards the end of beating the sugar and butter, rub a small amount of the glaze between your finger and thumb. If it still feels grainy, beat the mixture for another 5 minutes.

When it comes to boosting strawberry flavor, follow these do’s and don’ts.

• Add only the recommended amount of strawberry jam. Increasing the amount of preserves can make the icing too soft to hold peaks and shapes when you squirt it on.
• If you want more strawberry flavor, add an additional 1/4 cup of freeze-dried strawberry powder or another teaspoon of strawberry extract.

How to store strawberry frosting

This buttercream keeps for a good 2 days at room temperature. Just keep covered on the countertop and in a cool area of ​​your kitchen.

You can also store the frosting in the fridge for 5 days or freeze it. Transfer to a freezer safe container and it can be frozen for up to 2 months. When ready to use, place the container with the frosting in the refrigerator overnight and let it thaw. Then place it in the bowl of a stand mixer and use the paddle attachment to mix any remaining large chunks of glaze.

After using or spraying, you can keep your cupcakes, cakes or desserts at room temperature for a few days.

Strawberry Frosting Snapshot

Why you should do it:

• Taste: bright, fruity and almost floral. Cute.
• Texture: very fluffy, light, with a pillowy mouthfeel
• Piping: Top class among glazes for piping. Thick enough to be used as a border between layers or to top stiff roses
• Works best on: Layer cakes, cupcakes, as icing for cookies and on sheet cakes
• Head Start: The frosting can be kept in the fridge for 5 days or you can freeze it for 2 months.

What you should consider:

• Not as rich as a meringue buttercream
• Can remain gritty if not properly whipped
• Unsuitable for extremely hot and humid outdoor environments due to butter content.

More delicious frosting recipes

• 7 Minute Frosting
• whipped cream icing
• Ermine Frosting
• Easy Vanilla Buttercream
• Swiss meringue
• Cream Cheese Frosting