Happy Monday!
It was a rainy, wet and windy weekend around here but I spent it all inside the nice toasty yoga studio, knocking out another 15 hours of teacher training. Friends that are thinking of becoming certified: it’s so much fun but SO time consuming! Be ready to be glued to your mat for six months. Bonus! abs of steel. At least that’s what they tell me. I’m too busy baking and eating cupcakes to notice such things. I’m prettyyyyyy sure eating your weight in strawberry buttercream frosting completely counteracts any potential six-pack. But here’s a secret—I’d rather eat the frosting! Six-packs are overrated…these cupcakes are not. Plus, isn’t the whole point of yoga to be totally present at all times? Let me tell you, I am completely and totally present licking a whisk or taking a big bite of cupcake. THEREFORE, cupcakes = yoga. Amen.
That being said, it goes without saying that my very favorite place in Savannah other than my mom’s yoga studio is Back in the Day Bakery. I adore this little bakery. I want to live in it. I want to sleep in it. I want to quit my job and just work there forever and ever and ever.
Kidding!!!! I would never quit my job. I’d miss you too much.
But trust me on this bakery! It’s the very best. Whenever I visit, mom and I will go take a yoga class and then hit up Back in the Day for lunch and sweets. They also have the best iced chai tea that I’ve ever had. Fact.
Last time when I visited (just the other week!), mom surprised me with this cookbook! It’s brand new and contains recipes for all my favorite treats that I sit and dream about three thousand miles away on a somewhat daily basis.
The food photography is stunning and the recipes are to die for. I couldn’t wait to get home, bust out the butter and start baking!
And what did I make first? These strawberry cupcakes, of course! Both the cupcake and the frosting are jam-packed with bits of fresh strawberries. Trust me, you want to make these as soon as humanely possible.
Just look at the strawberries in the batter! You literally take two cups of juicy whole strawberries, whirl ‘em in the blender for a few seconds and then mix them with milk, vanilla and lemon zest before adding to the batter.
And the frosting!!!! Oh, the frosting.
I had some extra after icing the last cupcake so I took to just dipping whole strawberries in it. You know, for the yoga aspect of it.
If you love strawberry shortcake, you’ll go crazy for these! A big thanks to Back in the Day Bakery for such a yummy spring recipe! I can’t get enough.
Strawberry Cupcakes with Fresh Strawberry Frosting
from The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook
makes about 24 cupcakes
Ingredients:
for cupcakes—
3 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/3 cups pureed fresh strawberries (from about 2 cups whole strawberries—puree in a blender until smooth)
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp lemon zest
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
4 egg whites
for fresh strawberry frosting—
4 sticks unsalted butter, softened (1 pound)
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp sea salt (original recipe calls for fleur de sel, which you can find at specialty shops)
8 cups powdered sugar (from two 1-lb boxes)
1/2 cup pureed strawberries (about 1 cup whole strawberries)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line or grease 24 cupcake tins.
Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
Whisk together the pureed strawberries, lemon zest, milk and vanilla in another bowl. Also set aside.
Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and egg whites gradually, beating after each, until combined. Alternate between adding the dry ingredients and the wet strawberry ingredients to the butter mixture, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
Scoop batter into prepared cupcake tins, filling up 2/3 to 3/4 the way full (depending on the size of your tins…I have really small cupcake tins so I filled mine up all the way). Bake cupcakes for 25 minutes or until golden. Be sure to test using a toothpick to make sure they are completely done in the center. Let cool.
While the cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting! Beat the butter until creamy then add the powdered sugar, lemon juice, sea salt and pureed strawberries. Continue beating (ideally with an electric mixer but you can do this by hand if need be) until very light and fluffy.
Pipe or spread frosting on each cupcake. Enjoy!
Time:
2 hours (includes time to cool)
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{ 117 comments… read them below or add one }
Would it be wrong to make JUST the frosting? This looks INSANE!
This is such a perfect spring recipe!! They look gorgeous AND delicious!!
Immediately just went online to order this cookbook. These look AMAZING!
Mmm…it’s strawberry season in Charleston and I’m so excited to go pick some strawberries!
These look perfect for the spring!
I think I will make these for Easter. Cake flour or regular flour? Thanks!
They look beautiful! What kind of lens are you using?
Thank you! I’m using a 100mm macro lens here.
That icing….oh my gosh
What a fantastic looking cupcake! I bet it’s to-die-for delicious!
My Mr would FLIP for these! Strawberries are his favorite!
These look perfect for an Easter treat! And yoga is all about the balance… these totally fit into my balance every now and again. Thanks for the recipe Jenna!
That frosting is fabulous! Love it!
I’d be content with just the frosting! You’re right – even just from the couple of shots you took of the book, the photography looks beautiful. (Yours does too of course, as always!)
Must. Make. Stat.
holy yum!! the frosting looks heavenly!
Wow, love it! Do you have to ask “permission” to post a cookbook recipe online first?
There are no “rules” that say you can’t re-publish something online if you change some of the copy (for print it’s completely different) but in this case, I did speak with the bakery owner first.
Maybe this was planned but the Nook Daily Deal through B&N is this book and its only 4 bucks!
I just went strawberry picking on Saturday and made muffins. Should’ve made cupcakes. That frosting! Oh, that frosting.
strawberry cake (and cupcakes) is/are my FAVORITE thing in the whole world. seriously. love anything strawberry. i can’t WAIT to try these!
The six-pack will still be there, it will just be a well insulated six-pack.
YUM! I just picked up my first quart of fresh strawberries yesterday at the farmer’s market so looks like I have no excuse NOT to make them! They look so pretty.
High fives for going through all this yoga training and starting down the instruction road! I agree on the six pack thing – sure it’s great to be strong and healthy, but looks aren’t everything and enjoying the little things like great homemade frosting is way more fun than staring in the mirror
The cupcakes look moist and flavorful – I love the heaping amount of frosting on the cakes – you’re too cute 
Oooo I love back in the day! I live in Savannah and went there just the other day! My husband and I tried the drunken blondes and they were to.die.for! I’ll have to try the chai tea on the next trip!
It’s hard to beat strawberry cupcakes…they’re one of my favorites during summer!
That frosting! OH WOW! Strawberry frosting made with real strawberries and the little specs of them in the mix has got to be the best thing ever.
Congrats on making it through a very time-consuming (and rewarding) 6 mos of YTT. I did a month-long intensive when I did mine and completely relate to it feeling like it takes over your life…it kind of does!
Oh my….I think my heart just skipped a beat Jenna.
Love the idea of fresh fruit in a cupcake!
I’ve been waiting for you to post this recipe. The Instagram photos were killing me:)
I’ve made Annie’s Eats strawberry cupcakes and they were delicious! I’ll have to give this recipe a try.
These look amazing. My neighbor has her own custom cake business and makes a strawberry cupcake with strawberry and it literally tastes like fresh, ripe strawberries, the flavor is incredible.
I’m so excited to try these! You said you had frosting left over and the cupcakes look to be generously frosted, do you think it would be enough if I halved the frosting recipe?
I do…I halved both the cupcake and the frosting recipe when I made it and had some left over so I think you would be fine!
Wow do these look amazing!
I love anything with strawberries – and anything pink!! Thanks for sharing the recipe. Yoga=cupcakes for sure.
Strawberries are so amazing right now, these are perfect!
This looks amazing! Can this recipe be made into a cake instead of cupcakes?
I love all things strawberry and these just look amazing! And love the fresh fruit in the frosting.
These cupcakes are gorgeous! Your cookbook looks darling…
I get sad that my ab muscles never show, but then I take bites of all the desserts I make and come to a happy conclusion that I will never get there… Balance is vital in life.
I just saw this cookbook on TV this weekend & then I come here this morning to find this delicious recipe! I’m thinking it’s definitely a sign to go buy the cookbook ASAP
Most delicious looking frosting. Fact.
I have a ton of frozen strawberries in the freezer from last year’s garden. Do you think I could use those instead of fresh berries and have everything turn out okay?
Hmm…I think so but not sure since I haven’t tried that personally! Frozen berries might be a little too slushy and puree up too liquid-like for the batter. For BEST results, I would stick with fresh berries but you could certainly try frozen as an experiment!
So pretty Jenna. I love citrus and berry together.
Um, please don’t leave us and work there!
The frosting vs. cupcake ratio is PERFECT.
Oh, goodness gracious! That looks amazing, Jenna! And I love this cookbook. I just took some photos for a friend who writes for Sav. Morning News, the recipe? Strawberry Butter! Next spring, you and I are going strawberry picking, just two miles from your parents house!
My husband asks for strawberry cake for his birthday every. single. year.
I’ll be making these for his next birthday! They look awesome!
So excited to try these! Great post!
Another gorgeous recipe from the lovely Jenna!! Thank you! (p.s. I second Brenda’s question: what do you think about making this into a cake rather than cupcakes? A sheet cake perhaps? thx!)
Do it!! I bet that would be delish!
You are my new frosting friend. THAT is enough frosting on top of a cupcake!!
You’ve got to have a generous topping of frosting.
Gotta love allll the butta’
Can’t wait to make these! Thanks!
I LOVE strawberry cupcakes. Especially when both the cupcake and frosting are filled with fresh strawberries!
i made a similar cake back in the day- but it had frozen coconut thrown in the mix. wonder how that would affect these? also, think i could use (thawed) frozen strawberries…?
love your blog btw! keep the content comin’.
I was just saying that I think maybe frozen berries would puree up to be a little too liquidy and might mess up the cupcake batter. For best results, use fresh berries but you could certainly try frozen…I don’t know since I haven’t tried myself!
My dream is to one day go to Savannah and go to Back In The Day Bakery. For now though, ill have to make these cupcakes. They look to die for!
Jenna, these look absolutely lovely! I can’t wait to try them! I’m going to a yoga class tonight, so I’m pretty much required to eat one of these after…right?
I’d love to hear details of your yoga teacher training. What type of yoga are you training in?
I’m getting trained in Power Vinyasa Yoga through California Power Yoga. It’s so fun!
these are absolutely gorgeous and wonderfully springy! Can I ask you how you did the frosting? Like…how you piped it on? What kind of tip did you use? I’m the WORST at frosting cupcakes! It’s a problem.
I scooped all my frosting out into a large plastic bag with the tip cut off and a large star pastry tip fit in the bottom. You can find large star tips at any general cooking store (I get all mine at Sur la Table!)
I wish I could eat my screen right now! These look fab.
I am so excited to make these for my family’s Easter celebration this weekend. I love Back in the Day Bakery- their cupcakes are out of this world! Thanks for featuring this recipe, I just bought Joy the Baker’s new book but this one is next on my list….
Um, these look amazing! I might have to make these for Easter! I mean, really can’t go wrong with a pound of butter for frosting!
Thanks for the recipe!
hi honey!! it’s you crazy sis.
I just decided to make these for Dan’s work today! I actually made a couple changes.
subbed 1 c. whole wheat pastry flour for 1 c. white
subbed 1 c. brown sugar for the 2 c. white (we always cut the sugar in recipes in half for Abbi… her blood sugar is just better!)
then i made it into a regular cake! (9×13) and it was so pretty! I wish i used white sugar, as the brown makes it a bit less pink! Then… for the frosting:
i just used 1 stick butter, half cup puree’d berries, and then as much powdered sugar as it took to get fluffy. (Dan was my mixer, as i do not own a mixer at the moment!)
anyways… wallah! After digging a couple tiny pieces out for my fam, D took it into work. Such a yummy, springy surprise! All thanks to YOU!! eeee!!
hug hug hug. I love strawberries and you!
ok i forgot i added milk to the frosting, too.
also… this recipe is FABULOUS as is! I only changed it up so Abbi could have a hunk (less sugar) and due to me using just what i had on hand.
okay, that is all.
You are just trying to get your 5 servings of Fruit and Veggies in! No harm!
oh…my…I am not a huge Strawberry fan (especailly in a cupcake form) BUT I WOULD LOVE LOVE LOVE to try one of these. The frosting especially.
Thanks for a great recipe and I agree…you still get that Vitamin C in from those Strawberries, right?!
These look amazing! I really just want to take a spoon to the frosting, but the cupcakes sound delicious too!
I think these are beautiful! I am usually a chocolate-cupcake kinda gal, but these look delicious and it’s totally coming into strawberry season. Hooray!
You had me and strawberry and cupcake!
Perfect for an Easter get together this weekend!
These are beautiful!! Such a wonderful spring recipe!
Oh my these look delicious. And that mound of frosting. How did you not just eat it all right up.
Its strawberry season and THIS.IS.PERFECT. OMFG it looks soo good! When I saw your FB post I just had to head over here and get the recipe!
Also, I was thinking of you the other day when I went to Costco to buy strawberries (Yes, a 2-person household needs a 6lb case!) and stopped in front of the cold case of butter. With all your baking do you buy butter from Costco? Not gonna lie, I did for the first time!
Beautiful looking cupcakes!
That looks so amazing!
I can’t wait until I have some free time to spend in my kitchen and whisk up some of that fresh strawberring frosting!
I am swimming in strawberries right now…this is so tempting!
Wow, those look delicious! My weekend was great. My brother and Sister in law were here from out of town for a long weekend visit. So good to have them come!
YUM!! These look refrreshing! Especially since we hit 90 degrees in good old Austin, Texas this past weekend. Adam got it right when left ATX for Cali. Smart move, Adam, smart move.
I love back in the day! They did my wedding cupcakes in April ’09. We had old fashioned (vanilla) and mocha flavored. Our anniversary is this week, and I would die for a cupcake! I MUST get that cookbook. I love their mini cupcakes too–called “newborns!”
YUM! You have got me on a cupcake kick! I made your tiramisu cupcakes last weekend and then your vanilla cupcakes yesterday for a friend’s birthday…now I need some excuse to make these babies…oh heck, they are pretty, that’s my excuse! And full of strawberries, so they’re completely healthy, right?
Hi Jenna
I am loving your website – I love to cook too (did a Cordon Bleu course in London many years ago) and also love to run and do pilates. I am from Australia and am not sure about how much a stick of butter is. What would that be in ounces or grams??
Thanks x
One stick of butter would be 4 oz of butter, or 1/4th of a pound. Hope that helps!
Oh gosh, I want to dive into my screen and lick the frosting off those cupcakes!
Extra strawberries dipped in frosting–yum!
Hey Jenna!
These look delicious, and I will be making them asap! My boyfriend and i are roadtriping next week and will be stopping in Savannah for a night – I’ve heard amazing things about the city! We will, without a doubt, be stopping at this bakery – any other resaurant suggestions?
Thanks!
These look awesome! What a fun spring recipe.
I just stumbled on this website while looking for a flash of inspiration for tonight’s dinner….and i believe i have found my new favorite-est blog ever! That’s because i just love sweet potatoes and lentils, and kale, and you mix them all up togther, but then i saw these cupcakes…..and i am so happy just looking at them!
Thanks Jenna
hi nancy! welcome!
Cupcakes = yoga. My new motto.
I got the most gorgeously huge juicy red berries today just to make this recipe! My butter is softening as I type <3
We have eaten every cupcake I made! They are really tasty and so fragrant. I have extra frosting and am going to use it on my grandmother’s infamous sugar cookie recipe from Sweden. I know it will ne amazing! It was SO nice to have a strawberry recipe!!!
I made these last night!! Thank you, your the bomb! Can you freeze butter cream? I have a TON left over.
I live in Savannah and I’ve never been to Back in the Day. What the heck is my problem?! These look amazeballs.
I love this bakery! I used to live in Savannah and, although it opened after I had moved away, every trip back means a trip to Back in the Day. YUM – SCRUM!
This look incredible! I have to try making these ASAP. I wonder if there is someway I could make them gluten and dairy free without totally ruining them!
Oh wow…just wow! I have no other words for how I feel about these cupcakes. I can’t wait for strawberry season…the little bite-sized kind that almost just melt in your mouth.
Boom! This is the recipe I’ve been looking for! Easter Sunday here I come!
made these and i will just say… it was love!
I made these today for Easter, and they were FABULOUS! Beautiful and so, SO delicious! I had a lot of frosting left over, but that is not a bad thing because it is so tasty. I put it in a freezer Ziploc bag, laid it flat and stuck it in the freezer for later. Thanks for sharing Jenna, these were a huge hit!
These are amazing cupcakes…I have never made homemade frosting and was impressed with how easy it was! Should these be refrigerated or is okay to leave them out?
Have you frozen these before?
I made these last weekend and they are to die for. I had extra frosting so I whipped up a quick batch of sugar cookies and used it to ice those. So good!
These cupcakes are absolutely delicious. I made the full batch of cupcakes but halved the recipe for the frosting. The frosting was a little sweet for my taste so I added a little cream cheese and thought it was wonderful! I had to refrain myself from licking the bowl! Thanks for the recipe – it’s a keeper!
That’s an intelligent answer to a diffilcut question xxx
just made these. delicious! and so easy. do they need to be refrigerated or can I leave them out overnight?
I made these cupcakes over the weekend after going to a strawberry farm and picking 8 lbs. of strawberries. I shared them at a Memorial Day cookout, and everyone was raving about the frosting, and I agree, it is awesome! It was so fluffy and light, but still had the buttercream taste I love. I did add about 1/3 cup extra strawberry puree to the icing because I had extra, which made the icing have a stronger strawberry flavor. Next time I make these, I am going to add extra strawberry puree to the cupcake batter, as well. Very solid recipe, thanks for sharing. Amazing!
This recipe looks fantastic. I am thinking of making these for a bridal shower – but I want to make a cake. Would I use the same oven temp? How long should it bake?
Thanks!
My 4 year old wants chocolate cupcakes for his birthday today, and I’m trying desperately to avoid chocolate icing. I did a google search for strawberry frosting (I should really go check now and make sure we still have some strawberries left), and after checking out several, I’ve landed on yours. And I’m going to make it because it came from Savannah. And anything that comes from that enchanting city is sure to be delightful
These cupcakes are INCREDIBLE! I initially halved the recipe and they were SO popular, that I’m just about to make another batch right now. So so so so so good! Thanks, Jenna!
BTW, to everyone out there: this frosting really is THAT good!
My daughter has asked for strawberry cupcakes for her birthday party. I stumbled across your website and these cupcakes look like they will be perfect. I need to make the cakes the day before the party and am wondering if I should wait until the day of the party to add the frosting. The frosting looks so light and fluffy. Does it soak into the cupcake as it sits or loose its shape over time? Thank you for sharing this recipe with us!!
I made these cupcakes let week and I can’t get the frosting right. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong it comes out runny and too sweet…and suggestions on how to fix it? the cupcakes were delicious!!
Does the lemon zest overpower the strawberry? Cause I would want to just taste the strawberry… Lol Thanx
I made the frosting the other day and it was Delicious
I made these (but converted to mini cupcakes) for a bridal shower last weekend and they were SO amazing! Lots of people asked for the recipe. I loved them so much I am going to make the same recipe but in cake form for my Dad’s birthday next weekend. Thanks so much for sharing!! This will definitely become a go-to for me!
My son wanted strawberry cupcakes for his birthday and I found this recipe. I finally found a recipe that did not have box cake mix listed as one of the ingredients. Anyway, today, March 12th is my son’s birthday and I made these cupcakes and they are to die for!!! They are so good, and the icing. Well, the icing, I do not have words to describe it now. My husband ate one of the cupcakes right out of the oven!!! I will purchase this cookbook. Thank you so much for sharing!!
Hi there! These cupcakes look amazing! But being in the UK, whilst I have cups for measuring, I’m unsure as to how much a stick of butter is?? Can you tell me in grams please? Thanks
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