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.
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.
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.
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.