These small batch strawberry-filled cupcakes are one of my favorite desserts for summer dinner parties or small get-togethers! The cupcakes are light and fluffy, topped with my best-ever strawberry buttercream, and have a jammy surprise in the centers. If you're a fan of strawberries like me, then you're gonna want to give these a try!

A cupcake with a bite taken out of it next to small batch strawberry filled cupcakes on a white counter.

When I was in pastry school, I ran a little cupcake business out of my house, which was very fun, and also, I would never do it again lol. Dealing with brides was a little too much for 17-year-old me.

But my first ever wedding order was from a very chill bride who requested vanilla cupcakes with strawberry filling and cream cheese frosting. The other day, I literally found a container of the black-and-white damask liners I used (so 2012 hahah) and remembered how good they were. So here we are! That same recipe nearly 15 years later, but small batch.

This recipe stars my small batch vanilla cupcakes, which are my all-time favorite! Of course, if you wanted to make this recipe with my chocolate cupcakes or even my red velvet cupcakes, that would be incredible too. Top them with whatever frosting you like, but I definitely think strawberry is my favorite!

Cake filling

A white bowl of strawberry compote next to fresh berries on a white marble counter.

Obviously, the key to this dessert is my small batch strawberry filling. It's so easy, and it comes together in under 20 minutes while the cupcakes are baking! I mean, yes, you could use store-bought, but I find that they're usually too goopy. Homemade is the way to go here!

Baking directions

A white bowl of sugar and butter on a white counter. — Add the sugar and softened butter to a bowl.

A white bowl of whipped butter and sugar. — Whip the butter & sugar until it's very light & fluffy.

A white bowl of whipped butter and sugar, an egg, and vanilla on a white counter. — Then, add the egg and vanilla extract.

A white bowl of flour with batter on a white counter. — Mix in the flour, baking powder, & Kosher salt.

A white bowl of batter for small batch strawberry filled cupcakes. — After, you'll mix in the whole milk & neutral oil.

A pan of raw cupcakes for small batch strawberry filled cupcakes. — Divide the batter between 6 liners, bake, & cool.

Make sure you use room temperature ingredients (butter, egg, milk) because it makes for a smoother batter. I also like to sift the flour for completely lump-free cupcakes!

How to fill

A hand using a knife to cut a hole in the center of a cupcake. — First, use a paring knife to cut a cone out of the center of each cupcake. Don't cut all the way to the bottom!

Rows of cupcakes with holes cut out of the middles on a white counter. — Then, slice the pointed part of each cone, so you have a small, flat round of cake. You will use this for the top.

Rows of cupcakes with red jam in the center. — Fill the cupcakes with the cooled compote. I like to use a piping bag, but a spoon works too!

Rows of cupcakes filled with jam and topped with a piece of cake on a white table. — Place the leftover cake round on top of the filling. Do your best to make it level with the rest of the cupcake.

A piping bag frosting cupcakes on a white counter. — Then, pipe the frosting on top. I like to pipe two layers with a big round tip, leaving the center hollow.

Rows of small batch strawberry filled cupcakes on a white counter. — Lastly, spoon a little more compote in the center of the frosting. This is optional, but it looks so pretty!

Usually, I do not like to refrigerate cupcakes, because the cake dries out faster. But, since this recipe has fresh berries, you will need to keep them chilled. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days!

If you try this recipe, I would love if you left a star rating and review. I read every comment and love hearing what you think about my recipes. Thanks so much for supporting Midnight Bake Club!

When it comes to small batch baking, I always recommend using a scale to measure the ingredients. Just a small amount of flour can make or break an entire recipe. But if you don't have a scale, use the fluff, spoon, & level method to measure flour, cocoa, & other dry ingredients. Here is a whole guide on how I measure ingredients for small batch baking!

Easy Small Batch Strawberry-Filled Cupcakes

These small batch strawberry-filled cupcakes are one of my favorite easy summer desserts! The cupcakes are light and fluffy, filled with juicy homemade strawberry compote, and topped with my best-ever strawberry buttercream. The recipe makes 6 servings, so it's perfect for dinner parties or small get-togethers!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 30

Cooling Time 1

Total Time 2

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings cupcakes

Equipment

Hand mixer
Standard cupcake pan
Paper cupcake liners

Ingredients

80 grams all-purpose flour (⅔ cup)
¾ teaspoon baking powder
⅛ teaspoon Kosher salt
60 grams unsalted butter softened (¼ cup)
75 grams granulated sugar (6 Tablespoons)
1 large egg room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
80 milliliters whole milk (⅓ cup)
2 teaspoons neutral oil
1 batch strawberry filling
1 batch strawberry buttercream

Instructions

Bake the Cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a standard cupcake pan with 6 paper liners. Then, combine the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and Kosher salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
Add the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar to a medium mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer with beaters, cream the butter and sugar until it's very light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula halfway through to ensure there are no streaks. Then, mix in the egg and vanilla extract until smooth.
Add the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt) to the wet ingredients. Mix until the batter is about 75% combined. Then, add the whole milk and neutral oil. Mix just until the batter comes together and there are no more streaks of flour. Don't over-mix because it can make the cupcakes dense!
Using a cupcake scoop, evenly divide the batter between the cupcake liners. They should be about ⅔ of the way full. Bake the cupcakes for 16-18 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick has just a few moist crumbs. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for about 5 minutes. Then, transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.

Assemble the Cupcakes

Once the cupcakes are cooled, use a paring knife to cut a cone in the center of each cupcake, but don't cut all the way to the bottom. Then, slice off the tips, so you have 6 round, flat pieces of cake for the tops.
With a piping bag or spoon, fill the cupcakes with 1-2 teaspoons of the strawberry filling, leaving a little space at the top. Then, place the leftover cake rounds on top of the filling. Do your best to make it level with the rest of the cupcake.
Next, fit a piping bag with a round tip and transfer the strawberry buttercream (or frosting of choice) to the piping bag. Pipe two layers of frosting around the cupcake, leaving the centers hollow. Then, fill the centers of the buttercream with extra filling. (See the blog post for a visual.) Enjoy right away or store them in an airtight container and refrigerate for 2-3 days.

Notes

With small batch baking, it's important to weight the ingredients with a scale instead of measuring cups. Even just a little extra flour can completely derail the recipe. But, if you don't have a scale, here's how to measure the flour. First, fluff it with a whisk. Spoon the fluffed flour into the measuring spoon and level it off without packing it in.

I used Diamond Kosher salt when I was testing this recipe. If you use Morton's, halve the amount of salt.

For high-altitude (around 4,500 feet), use half the amount of baking powder.

Try topping the cupcakes with my small batch vanilla buttercream or my small batch cream cheese frosting instead!

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupcakeCalories: 408kcalCarbohydrates: 54gProtein: 3gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 10.7gCholesterol: 79mgSodium: 105mgPotassium: 51mgFiber: 1.7gSugar: 41g

Keyword 6 servings, cake, cupcakes, strawberry

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