Strawberry buttercream with freeze-dried strawberries
Naturally pink, properly fruity and firm enough to pipe. The trick is freeze-dried strawberries, which bring all the flavour and none of the water.
- 15 minPrep
- Enough for 12 cupcakes or one 20cm cakeMakes
- EasyLevel
Ingredients
- 20g freeze-dried strawberries (or 20g freeze-dried strawberry powder)
- 250g unsalted butter, softened
- 500g icing sugar, sifted
- 1 to 2 tbsp milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- A pinch of fine salt
Method
- Blitz the freeze-dried strawberries in a dry blender or spice grinder until you have a fine powder. For a very smooth icing, pass it through a sieve to remove the seeds.
- Beat the butter on its own for 3 to 4 minutes until pale and fluffy. This is what makes the buttercream light.
- Add the icing sugar in three lots, beating slowly at first so it does not cloud the kitchen, then faster until smooth.
- Add the strawberry powder, vanilla and salt, and beat for another minute. The colour deepens as the powder hydrates.
- Loosen with milk, a teaspoon at a time, until the buttercream is soft enough to spread or pipe.
- Use straight away, or keep covered at cool room temperature for a few hours. Beat briefly before using if it has firmed up.
This is the recipe that converts bakers to freeze-dried fruit. It tastes of real strawberries because that is all the flavouring is, and the soft pink colour is entirely natural.
It works because freeze-dried strawberries carry the flavour without the water. Fresh strawberry purée is about nine parts water, and that water is exactly what makes buttercream split or turn soupy.
How much strawberry powder to use
The quantities below are for this recipe's 750g of finished buttercream. Add the powder at the end, then let the bowl stand for ten minutes: both the colour and the flavour deepen as the powder takes up moisture from the butter.
| Powder | Colour you get | Flavour | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10g | Pale blush pink | Gentle, in the background | Wedding and christening cakes, anything delicate |
| 20g | Clear strawberry pink | Obviously strawberry | The everyday choice, and what this recipe uses |
| 30g | Deep rose | Strong and slightly tart | Cutting through very sweet sponge or white chocolate |
| 40g | Dusky, almost red | Intense, noticeably sharp | Piping small amounts, or layering with plain cream |
Past about 40g the buttercream starts to stiffen and taste dry, because the powder is absorbing moisture faster than the butter can give it up. If you want more colour than flavour, beetroot powder is the better tool.
Tips for the best result
- Start with properly soft butter. It should yield easily to a finger but not be greasy or melting.
- Grind only what you need. Strawberry powder absorbs moisture from the air and clumps, so blitz it just before you use it.
- Let it sit for ten minutes. The flavour and colour both bloom as the powder takes up moisture from the butter.
- Seeds or no seeds? The tiny seeds give a pretty speckled look. Sieve them out if you are piping through a fine nozzle.
Make it your own
Swap 100g of the butter for full-fat cream cheese for a tangy frosting, or fold a few crushed freeze-dried strawberry pieces through at the end for texture. For a dairy-free version, use a block-style plant butter.
For a sharper icing, raspberry powder needs only about 15g to reach the same intensity, because raspberries are more acidic. Blueberry gives a lilac that fades in daylight, and mango a warm yellow that suits a lemon sponge.
When it goes wrong
| What happened | Why | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Grainy, not smooth | Icing sugar added too fast, or butter too cold | Keep beating; it usually comes together in two or three minutes |
| Colour barely showing | Not enough powder, or not rested | Add 5g more and leave it ten minutes before judging |
| Stiff and dry | Too much powder for the amount of butter | Beat in milk a teaspoon at a time |
| Soupy | Kitchen too warm, or fresh fruit added | Chill for 20 minutes and re-beat. Never add fresh purée |
| Speckled when you wanted smooth | Seeds from the ground fruit | Sieve the powder before adding it |
Storing
The buttercream keeps for up to a week in the fridge in an airtight container, and it freezes well for up to a month. Bring back to room temperature and beat until smooth before using.
More techniques for working with fruit powders and pieces are in our guide to baking with freeze-dried fruit.
Good questions, short answers
Why use freeze-dried strawberries instead of fresh in buttercream?
Fresh strawberries are about 90 per cent water, which makes buttercream split or turn runny. Freeze-dried strawberries add the flavour and the colour without the water, so the icing stays stable.
How much freeze-dried strawberry powder should I add?
About 20g for this quantity gives a clear strawberry flavour and a soft pink. For a stronger flavour and deeper colour, go up to 30g.
Can I make it with other fruit?
Yes. Raspberry is sharper and more intense, so start with 15g. Blueberry gives a lilac colour, and mango a warm yellow.
