This Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting takes 5 minutes to make and is so velvety smooth. Freeze dried strawberries give this frosting an intense strawberry flavor along with a beautiful color without the need for food coloring. Cream cheese adds a rich, tangy flavor that when combined with butter creates the perfect frosting for cakes or cupcakes.
A Fun Twist on a Classic
For this recipe, we’re making a cream cheese frosting with freeze-dried strawberries for a fruity twist. Plain cream cheese frosting is a classic frosting for so many desserts. But what if you could make flavored cream cheese frosting?
One of my favorite ways to jazz up a basic cream cheese frosting recipe is by adding flavors to it like a cinnamon cream cheese frosting, a caramel cream cheese frosting or a decadent chocolate cream cheese frosting.
This recipe uses freeze dried strawberries, which gives the frosting a vibrant dark pink color without the need for red food coloring. I tried using strawberry jam or fresh strawberries and it just adds too much liquid to the frosting and you have to add so much powdered sugar to offset it.
The solution is freeze dried strawberries. Not only do they add a beautiful color but the strawberries are concentrated which adds so much real, not artificial, strawberry flavor to the frosting.
Perfect for piping onto vanilla cupcakes, strawberry cupcakes, or try it on moist lemon cupcakes.
Why You Need This Frosting in Your Life
- Quick: You only need 5 minutes to make this delicious frosting.
- Gorgeous Color: Freeze dried strawberries give it an intense pink color, perfect for Valentine’s treats.
- Simple: This recipe uses 5 basic ingredients for a no-fuss, low-effort frosting.
- Easy Piping: This frosting is thick enough that you can easily pipe swirls or flowers.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Dairy: You’ll need full-fat cream cheese for this recipe. Use the block kind, not the tub kind. Grab some unsalted butter, too.
- Freeze-dried strawberries: You can usually find these in the dried fruit section or snack aisle of your grocery store.These are ground to a fine powder and incorporated into the frosting.
- Pantry staples: You’ll need vanilla extract and powdered sugar.
How To Make This Strawberry Frosting Recipe
Step One: Make the Strawberry Powder and Creamy Base
Grind the freeze-dried strawberries into a powder using a food processor, or crush them in a ziplock bag with a rolling pin. Then, mix the cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy.
Step Two: Add the Sweetness
Using an electric mixer or food processor, blend in the powdered sugar and vanilla until everything is well combined, smooth and at your desired consistency. Your strawberry frosting is now ready for cupcakes or anything else you want to top! If the frosting is not firm enough to pipe, chill it for a few minutes.
Storage
Strawberry cream cheese frosting will last in the refrigerator for up to one week or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Before using it, you might have to beat it with a hand mixer or stand mixer to get it fluffy again.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- Feel free to add a little bit of lemon zest to the frosting for a zingy twist.
- Use room temperature butter and cream cheese so your frosting isn’t lumpy.
- Add frosting to a piping bag for more accurate detailing, or simply spread it over the top of your favorite cupcakes, cakes, cinnamon rolls, or whatever you like.
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Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temp
- ½ cup butter room temp (1 stick)
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup freeze dried strawberries
Instructions
- In a food processor, grind the dried strawberries, you will get about ½ cup of powder. Add cream cheese and butter and process until creamy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and process until smooth.
- In the alternative you can place the strawberries in a ziplock and use a rolling pin to crush them. Then use a hand mixer instead of a a food processor to make the frosting.
Notes
- If the frosting is too thick, you can add a little milk. If it is too thin, add more powdered sugar or refrigerate if it has warmed up.
- This makes enough frosting to frost a two layer cake or 18 cupcakes.
