Light & Fluffy Strawberry Crunch Cupcakes

Say hello to strawberry crunch cupcakes! They’re moist and fluffy and an easy treat to whip up for any gathering. These cupcakes are topped with whipped cream cheese frosting and a simple, homemade strawberry crunch crumble.

If you love the classic strawberry crunch ice cream bars, then you’ll love these strawberry crunch cupcakes. They’re tender and fluffy strawberry cupcakes topped with a light and airy cream cheese frosting. And for a nostalgic twist on the classic, they’re topped with a strawberry crunch crumble.

When you are short on time like I am, with three little ones to chase after, quick and easy dessert recipes are a dream. And come strawberry season, these cupcakes, strawberry cookies, and strawberry cake are at the top of the list.

Strawberry crunch cupcakes are perfect for a party, school bake sale, or cupcake craving. Let’s get baking!

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Bakery-style cupcakes. These cupcakes are moist, soft, and tender, with an extra fluffy cream cheese frosting. Everything you would find in a bakery cupcake but made from scratch in the comfort of your kitchen.
• No artificial ingredients! Freeze-dried strawberries add a crunch and fresh strawberry flavor to the topping (just like in my strawberry shortbread). No strawberry jello powder needed!
• Fluffy cream cheese frosting. I find that cream cheese frosting can be heavy for cupcakes, so for this recipe, I’ve added butter and reduced the amount of cream cheese to create a light and fluffy whipped frosting with a hint of tanginess.

Ingredients You'll Need

• Cake flour. Produces a soft, tender cake crumb. 
• Baking powder and baking soda. Leavening agents cause the cupcakes to rise and have a fluffy texture.
• Salt. Just a bit is needed to enhance the sweetness of the cupcakes.
• Butter. Use unsalted butter to control the amount of salt that goes into the batter. Make sure to soften to room temperature. The butter should be slightly firm to the touch and not greasy, yet leave the impression of your finger when you press into it.
• Sugar. Adds sweetness to the cupcakes. When granulated sugar creams with butter, air is incorporated into the batter, which creates the perfect light and tender cupcake.
• Egg whites. The key to creating a white cake batter with a light and airy crumb. Save the yolks to make ice cream or creme brulee.
• Vanilla. Always select a good quality pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
• Milk. Using whole milk adds richness to the cupcakes. Ensure your milk is at room temperature so it easily incorporates the other ingredients into a smooth batter.
• Strawberries. Lightly puree fresh strawberries in a food processor until thin enough to mix into the cupcake batter but not completely smooth so you can still see small pieces of the berries.
• Golden Oreo cookies. Adds a delicious flavor and creates a crunchy texture for the topping.
• Freeze-dried strawberries. Adds a fresh strawberry flavor to the crunch topping. Their texture contributes to creating a crunchy topping.
• Cream cheese. Use block cream cheese. It has a dense, firm texture that is perfect for making creamy frosting. The tub of whipped cream cheese has too much air incorporated into it and is not ideal for frosting. Bring cream cheese to room temperature to create a smooth and creamy frosting.
• Powdered sugar. Adds sweetness to the frosting. Its fine texture creates a smooth and creamy frosting consistency.
• Heavy cream. Thins out the cream cheese frosting to the ideal consistency. Add just enough so the frosting is spreadable but will still hold its shape.

How to Make the Cupcakes (Step-By-Step Instructions)

Note: At the 17-minute baking mark, gently press the top of a cupcake. If it springs back, then you know your cupcakes are ready!

How to Make Strawberry Crunch Topping

Note: No food processor? Add the cookies and strawberries to a plastic reusable storage bag and crush the ingredients into crumbs using a rolling pin. Add the butter to combine everything.

How To Make Cream Cheese Frosting (Step-By-Step Instructions)

Recipe Tips & Tricks

Cupcakes are easy and fun to make. As a trained pastry chef, I follow these guidelines to bake beautiful cupcakes with the perfect texture.

• Use room temperature ingredients. Make sure the butter, egg whites, milk, and strawberry puree are at room temperature so they incorporate evenly. 
• Cream butter and sugar. Beat together until light and fluffy. Don’t skip this step because it will incorporate air into the batter for a light and tender cupcake.
• Use high-quality cupcake liners. Use grease-proof liners to keep cupcakes from sticking to the wrapper’s sides.
• Fill cupcake cavities 2/3 full. Use a cookie scoop or piping bag to fill the cupcakes. Too much batter can cause cupcakes to spill or rise quickly and sink in the middle.
• Cool cupcakes completely. Frost completely cooled cupcakes to prevent the cream cheese frosting from melting.

Recipe Variations

• Use whipped cream. For a lighter topping similar to strawberry shortcake cupcakes, frost the cupcakes with whipped cream.
• Add a filling. Fill these cupcakes with strawberry filling for an extra pop of flavor.
• Make it gluten-free. Substitute a good quality cup-for-cup gluten-free baking flour for the cake flour.

Recipe Substitutions

I love how easy strawberry crunch cupcakes are to make using staple baking ingredients. Here are a few easy substitutions you can make:

• Make cake flour. If you don’t have cake flour, measure 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour, replace 3 tablespoons of it with 3 tablespoons of cornstarch, and whisk to combine.
• Golden Oreos. Replace the Golden Oreo cookies with any vanilla sandwich cookies for the strawberry crumble topping.
• Sour cream. You can substitute an equal amount of sour cream or Greek yogurt for the whole milk in the cupcake batter. It will create an even more moist cupcake with a softer texture.

Storage Tips

• In the refrigerator. Store leftover strawberry crunch cupcakes in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving.
• Unfrosted cupcakes. Tightly wrap unfrosted cupcakes with plastic wrap and store in a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, thaw in the refrigerator overnight and frost.
• Frosted cupcakes. Store leftover cupcakes in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

FAQ

Please leave a starred rating and comment below if you make these Strawberry Crunch Cupcakes. I love reading your feedback! And if you’d like to make this recipe later, don’t forget to pin it on Pinterest! Happy Baking!

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