Whether nestled between layers of moist sponge cake or elegantly piped on top of your favorite cupcakes, strawberry cream cheese frosting is a burst of fruity and delicious pink perfection! Crafted with fresh strawberries cooked down into a perfectly sweetened jam and then whipped together with velvety cream cheese and rich butter, this heavenly cream cheese frosting strawberry style is easy to make and impossible to resist!
Why this is the best recipe
- It’s delicious - Free from red food coloring and additives, this easy strawberry cream cheese frosting celebrates the essence of ripe strawberries. By cooking down fresh strawberries, it brings a burst of all-natural fruity vibrance to your favorite baked goods.
- Its velvety creaminess - The luxurious combination of tangy cream cheese and rich butter results in a frosting with a velvety smooth texture that glides onto cakes, cupcakes, and macarons effortlessly.
- It’s pretty and pink - The natural pink hue of the strawberries gives the frosting a beautiful pink color. From birthday celebrations to quiet date nights, this elegant frosting is a treat for the taste buds and the eyes.
- It’s easy to make - You don’t need any fancy baking equipment or pastry skills. With just a handful of basic ingredients, this simple strawberry cream cheese frosting recipe can be made in just 30 minutes!
- It’s versatile - You can easily customize this recipe. Whether you’re making strawberry cream cheese frosting for cake, cupcakes, or to use as a filling, feel free to incorporate other ingredients such as a bit of chocolate, warm spices, or a hint of citrus.
Ingredients
Visit the original Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting recipe at Spatula Desserts for more details and a printable version of the recipe card.
1 cup Strawberries, cut into very small pieces
1½ tablespoons Granulated sugar
¼ tablespoon Lemon juice, freshly squeezed
½ cup Unsalted butter (82% fat), at room temperature
½ cup Powdered sugar, sifted
1 cup Cream cheese, full fat (33%+), e.g., Philadelphia
Also read: Learn how to make homemade butter to up your baking game and what to do if you find yourself short on powdered sugar.
How to make this recipe
- Begin by washing the strawberries and cutting them into small chunks.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the freshly cut strawberries, granulated sugar, and lemon juice. Next, simmer the mixture over medium heat for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until it reduces to 60g (about ⅓ cup). Then let it cool down to room temperature.
- In a large mixing bowl, use an electric hand mixer to whip the room-temperature butter for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the sifted powdered sugar to the butter and continue whipping until the mixture becomes pale and fluffy.
- Add the cream cheese and continue whipping for an additional 2 to 3 minutes.
- While the mixer is running, slowly begin adding the strawberry jam, one tablespoon at a time, until it’s combined with the butter cream cheese mixture.
- Once you get the frosting made, transfer it into a piping bag and then put it in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes before using.
- The strawberry cream cheese frosting will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge.
Top Tip: If you forgot to leave your butter out to come to room temperature. Don’t worry! You can learn how to soften butter quickly in just a few minutes.
Visit the original Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting recipe at Spatula Desserts for more details and a printable version of the recipe card.
Flavor variations
- Freeze-Dried Fruits: Intensify the strawberry flavor by adding some ground freeze dried strawberries. You can also experiment with other types of freeze dried fruit like raspberries or mangos.
- Berry Fusion: Turn the strawberry cream cheese icing into mixed berry icing by using a combination of different berries such as raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries.
- Strawberry Chocolate: Add a little cocoa powder to your frosting in place of the powdered sugar.
- Citrus: Infuse the icing with lemon zest to make strawberry lemon cream cheese icing.
- Vanilla: Enhance the strawberry goodness with a teaspoon vanilla extract.
- Spices: Add some warm spice with a pinch of ground cinnamon or ground ginger.
Also, check out my signature Cream Cheese Frosting recipe to get more ideas.
Expert tips
- Measure all your ingredients with a digital scale for the best results.
- Use full-fat (33%+) cream cheese for the proper consistency. Lower-fat versions contain too much water. My personal favorite is Philadelphia strawberry cream cheese frosting. I find that the Philadelphia brand produces the best flavor.
- Always use unsalted butter in baking. It should also have a fat content of at least 82% and be at room temperature before you begin this frosting recipe.
- Cut the strawberries into very small chunks to help them quickly cook down. If there are any chunks of strawberries after cooking, you can strain the mixture with a mesh sieve or puree it in a food processor.
- While many recipes call for soft cream cheese, you don't need to use softened cream cheese to make this recipe.
- Be sure to sift your powdered sugar to prevent any lumps in the icing.
- The strawberry jam must be at room temperature before mixing it together with the cream cheese frosting. Warm jam will melt the frosting.
- You must incorporate the jam into the frosting one tablespoon at a time. If you add it all at once, the frosting can break.
- Chill the frosting for 30 minutes before decorating your baked goods. But be cautious not to over-chill, as the butter might solidify too much, making it hard to pipe.
- Add ¼ cup of freeze-dried strawberries to the icing to intensify the fruity flavor and pink color.
Visit the original Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting recipe at Spatula Desserts for more details and a printable version of the recipe card.
Use it to top baked goods
- Vanilla muffins or vanilla cupcakes with strawberry cream cheese frosting is a classic combination
- Make a pretty cake by using this colorful icing to frost my pink cake
- Instead of strawberry cupcakes with cream cheese frosting use this strawberry cream cheese icing
- Make a neapolitan cake with chocolate sponge, this fresh strawberry frosting, and a drizzle of vanilla custard
- Top strawberry cake with cream cheese frosting infused with fresh strawberries
Use it as filling
- Spread it between French macarons (you might need to slightly alter the recipe eg. adding more butter so the frosting is more stable)
- Use it as a strawberry cream cheese filling for cupcakes
- Spread a layer of it between strawberry shortcake
- Make cookie sandwiches with chocolate chip cookies
Serve it on the side
- Use it as a dipping sauce for fresh fruit
- Serve it alongside French toast, crepes, or pancakes
- Pair it with some chocolate covered pretzels
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This article was first published as Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting recipe at Spatula Desserts.
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