How to make strawberry icing for cake

Fresh strawberries are one of my favorite fruits and this frosting is absolutely bursting with strawberry flavor. I crammed almost a full pound of fresh berries into this fresh Strawberry Frosting and you can taste the berries in every bite.

Sweet, but not too sweet, and versatile for all sorts of cakes and decorating purposes. The frosting thickens nicely for a pipeable frosting and it thins out beautifully for a strawberry icing that can be poured over a cake.

Strawberry Icing

Truth told, I made a few different batches of the icing, just to get it right, you know. It was torture to eat graham crackers covered in that frosting several times last week and it’s probably a good thing the frosting is gone now!

But for future reference, this frosting is pretty amazing on crackers anytime you don’t feel like baking a cake. (It’s also irresistible right off the spoon. Just saying.)

When the baby of the family turns four, it’s a pretty big deal. And when his cousin turns five and chooses to share a birthday party with him, it’s an even bigger deal. (It’s hard to believe those cousins are turning 11 and 12 this week!)

The cake requested was “super-extra-strawberry-cake-with-lots-of-strawberries-on-top.” If you say it fast enough and with enough excitement, you just might grasp how excited he was to choose his cake this year.

I’m happy to say that the cake was a huge hit and everyone raved over both the cake and the frosting! (Click HERE for the best Gluten Free White Cake recipe to go with this frosting!)

We’ve also topped the Crazy Cake with Strawberry Frosting. And it’s delicious over these Sugar Cookie Bars.

For a variation, this works beautifully as Blueberry Frosting too!

Updated to add: We’ve been making this frosting for every possible occasion for seven years now. “Cake with the strawberry frosting” is the special request for most birthdays and no one can resist a spoonful of this Fresh Strawberry Frosting when we make it.

The frosting is so easy to make, it just might be your new favorite in record time.

For a laugh, scroll down to the bottom of the post and watch the outtake clip from behind the scenes in our kitchen yesterday. There’s nothing funnier than a 7-year-old’s opinion on cake decorating.

How To Make Strawberry Frosting

The directions for this recipe will make more berry puree than you will need in order to make this frosting. I haven’t found any way around this, simply because it requires a minimum amount of berries in order for the blender to puree them.

Do NOT dump all of the puree into the butter/sugar mixture or you will have a soupy mixture on your hands.

I save the leftover berry puree and add it to smoothies or stir it into oatmeal. You can also freeze the pureed berries in an ice cube tray and toss the cubes in a ziploc bag in the freezer until you are ready to use them.

Kitchen Tip: I used these cupcake liners, this piping tip, and this mixer in the video for this recipe.

Strawberry Frosting Recipe

1. Place 1 ½ cups worth of the berries in the blender or food processor and puree until smooth, stop to scrape the sides as needed. This should only take a minute or two. Place the butter in a large mixing bowl and beat until smooth and creamy, add 1 cup of powdered sugar and beat again. Add 1 more cup of powdered sugar and beat to combine.
2. SLOWLY add just ½ cup of strawberry puree (you will NOT use all of the berry puree) and beat again until smooth. Add the remaining powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth and fluffy.
3. Add more strawberry puree ONLY as desired, for a creamier or pourable icing (the softer icing will only work for a sheet cake, it will need to be as described above for a layered cake) or add additional powdered sugar, for a thicker and more pipe-able frosting for decorating.
4. Use the remaining berries to decorate the cake as desired. Store the decorated cake in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

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Servings: 32 servings (about 4 cups)

• ▢ 1 pound fresh strawberries stems removed and sliced
• ▢ 1 cup butter softened
• ▢ 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• Place 1 ½ cups worth of the berries in the blender or food processor and puree until smooth, stop to scrape the sides as needed. This should only take a minute or two. Place the butter in a large mixing bowl and beat until smooth and creamy, add 1 cup of powdered sugar and beat again. Add 1 more cup of powdered sugar and beat to combine. 

• SLOWLY add just ½ cup of strawberry puree (you will NOT use all of the berry puree) and beat again until smooth. Add the remaining powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth and fluffy. 

• Add more strawberry puree ONLY as desired, for a creamier or pourable icing (the softer icing will only work for a sheet cake, it will need to be as described above for a layered cake) or add additional powdered sugar, for a thicker and more pipe-able frosting for decorating.

• Use the remaining berries to decorate the cake as desired. Store the decorated cake in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Enjoy!

PLEASE NOTE: The directions for this recipe will make more berry puree than you will need in order to make this frosting. I haven’t found any way around this, simply because it requires a minimum amount of berries in order for the blender to puree them. Do NOT dump all of the puree into the butter/sugar mixture or you will have a soupy mixture on your hands. 

I save the leftover berry puree and add it to smoothies or stir it into oatmeal. You can also freeze the pureed berries in an ice cube tray and toss the cubes in a ziploc bag in the freezer until you are ready to use them. 

Calories: 107kcal · Carbohydrates: 14g · Fat: 5g · Saturated Fat: 3g · Cholesterol: 15mg · Sodium: 51mg · Potassium: 23mg · Sugar: 13g · Vitamin A: 180IU · Vitamin C: 8.3mg · Calcium: 4mg · Iron: 0.1mg

{originally published 3/31/14 – recipe notes and photos updated 3/19/21}

Want a peek behind the scenes? (FYI – he calls cupcake liners “skins,” so don’t freak out on me, ok?)