Strawberry Shortcake Chiffon Cupcakes

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Putting a fun twist on a classic recipe with these effortlessly pretty, but oh-so delicious Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes! They’re the perfect hand-held treat to enjoy all summer long. A light and airy homemade chiffon cupcake, filled with sautéed strawberries, and finished with the easiest 3 ingredient Chantilly cream. Every bite is reminiscent of the classic dessert, but made in cute cupcake form! It’s sweet, light, full of flavor, and the perfect treat to make to use in-season strawberries this summer.

About The Recipe

Every summer, one of our favorite treats to make are strawberry shortcakes! They’re such a simple and crowd-pleasing treat. Plus, they’re the perfect dessert to make to use fresh strawberries.

Though, this summer, my mom and I thought it would be fun to try something a bit different!

And, since cupcakes are always some of our most popular recipes, we wanted to see if we could turn the classic dessert into a decadent cupcake.

The biggest challenge was trying to figure out the type of cake we wanted to do. My mom and I ran through about a hundred different cake types before finally settling on a chiffon.

It had all the of the qualities we were looking for! Light, fluffy, delicate, but sturdy enough to hold a strawberry filling and a Chantilly cream topping.

Then, our next challenge was figuring out what we were going to do with the strawberries. We didn’t want to put raw strawberries in the middle of the cupcake, but we also didn’t want to fill them with jam, either.

But, we still wanted to celebrate the beautiful flavor of fresh in-season strawberries.

Not gonna lie, this stumped us for a bit.

It wasn’t until my mom had the great idea of making a “quick jam”. I literally had no idea what she meant by this. We’ve always just made jam by cooking down the berries. What was a quick jam exactly?

Well, it turns out, it was exactly what we were looking for!

Lightly sautéed strawberries with a little bit of sugar, water, and cornstarch. This allows the strawberries to still bring a little bit of texture and their natural flavor, while the cornstarch keeps it thick enough that it doesn’t run as soon as you take a bite.

All together, these components create one of the most summery and delicious cupcakes that we’ve published on the blog to-date!

Each and every bite is bursting with strawberries, with the cupcake being oh-so light, tender, with a hint of vanilla, and a creamy finish from the Chantilly cream. Honestly, it’s so hard to eat only one cupcake!

So delicious and perfect for any of your summer baking needs.

Reasons You Will Love These Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes

• Uses fresh strawberries!
• A homemade chiffon cake recipe that’s so much easier to make than you might think.
• Can be made and enjoyed all summer long.
• A real crowd-pleaser!
• Sweet without being too sweet.
• Can easily be made dairy-free, if desired.

Equipment Needed

• Mixing Bowls
• Sifter
• Whisk
• Stand Mixer
• Rubber Spatula
• Muffin Pan
• Cupcake Papers
• Large Cookie Scoop
• Cake Tester
• Medium Saucepan
• Wooden Spoon
• Cupcake Corer
• Piping Bag
• Piping Tips

Ingredients

Full ingredient amounts and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

For The Cupcakes:

• Cake Flour – For a chiffon, cake flour is absolutely essential! This creates the the signature light, fluffy, but tender structure that we all know and love.
• Granulated Sugar – Adds just the right amount of sweetness, without being too much.
• Baking Powder – Leavening is essential for baking, as this is what creates the light and fluff texture.
• Salt – A dash of salt enhances the flavor of this cake, while cutting the sweetness just a little bit.
• Egg Yolks – By adding egg yolks to the cake batter, it creates a richer and more flavorful cake.
• Vegetable Oil – This cake is naturally dairy-free and uses vegetable oil to add richness and moisture.
• Water – Unlike a traditional cake, the liquid in this cake (in addition to the vegetable oil!) is water.
• Vanilla Extract – This is what gives this cake all of it’s flavor! Be sure to use a high quality vanilla for the ultimate flavor.
• Egg Whites – Similar to an angel food cake, whipped egg whites are used to bring a lightness to this cake!
• Cream of Tartar – For the perfect whipped egg whites, cream of tartar is essential! It makes the egg whites more stable by lowering their pH.

For The Strawberries:

• Chopped Strawberries – It’s best to use fresh in-season strawberries for the best flavor.
• Granulated Sugar – Adds just the right amount of sweetness to the strawberries, while also helping create a more jam-like texture.
• Cornstarch – This is what thickens the mixture aka creating a quick jam!
• Water – This is essential, as it keeps the sugar from burning as it cooks.

For The Topping:

• Heavy Whipping Cream – This is essential to make the Chantilly cream. Be sure to use cold heavy cream to make sure it whips!
• Powdered Sugar – Adds just enough sweetness, without being too much.
• Vanilla Extract – Gives the Chantilly cream a delicious flavor!

How To Make Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes

Step 1: Prepare cupcake batter

Sift flour, 6 Tablespoons sugar, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolks, oil, water, and vanilla. Set aside.

With an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy.

Stream in ¼ cup sugar while continuing to whip. Whip to stiff peaks. Set aside.

Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients. Whisk until smooth.

Fold in meringue.

Step 2: Bake

Use a 3 Tablespoon cookie scoop to portion batter into prepared tins. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until light golden brown.

Step 3: Sauté strawberries

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Cook and stir over medium low heat until sugar is dissolved and mixture is thick, about 2-3 minutes.

Step 4: Make Chantilly cream

Combine heavy cream, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Whip with an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment to medium stiff peaks.

Step 5: Assemble

Core cupcakes. Fill each cupcake with 1 Tablespoon filling. Replace tops of cupcakes.

Pipe or spread Chantilly cream on top

FAQ’s and Troubleshooting

What’s the difference between Chiffon and Angel Food Cake?

While the two are very similar, an angel food cake does not have egg yolks or a fat, while chiffon cake does!

Why are there lumps of flour in my batter/cake?

If there are lumps of dry ingredients in your batter and/or cake, this is likely due to the dry ingredients not being sifted. Sifting is absolutely essential for this recipe and should not be skipped!

Why did my batter deflate?

A deflated batter is caused by mixing/over-folding the egg whites. You have to be very careful when folding in the egg whites and never just mix them in.

Why did my cupcakes deflate?

If you under-whipped the egg whites, this will weaken the structure of the cake, causing it to deflate. Be sure to properly whip the egg whites and check the expiration date on your baking powder!

Why are my cupcakes tough?

Tough cupcakes are caused by over-mixing, which over-develops the gluten and that leads to a tough, dry, and dense cupcake.

Decorating Ideas

The best part about these cupcakes is that they are super easy to decorate! Here are a few of our favorite ways to make these cupcakes even cuter.

• Fresh Strawberries – Of course, the easiest (and cutest!) way to decorate these cupcakes is by adding a fresh strawberry to the top of each scupcake.
• Edible Flowers – One of our favorite decorations during the spring and summer months are edible flowers like pansies! You can typically find organic edible flowers in your local grocery store in the produce section.
• Fresh Mint – Not only does mint add a little bit of flavor, but a sprig of mint can add a cute decorative element to these cupcakes!
• Other Berries – If you love the flavor of mixing berries together, try topping these cupcakes with some of your favorite berries to add color and flavor!

How To Store

If you have cupcakes leftover, the best way is to definitely refrigerate them! If placed in a lidded and airtight container, the cupcakes should keep for 3-5 days.

You can also freeze these cupcakes in a freezer safe container or zip-top bag for up to 1 month!

Substitutions

• This recipe can be made dairy-free if a non-dairy whipping cream is used in the Chantilly cream.
• If you don’t have cake flour, you can make your own! Measure out 2 cups of all purpose flour and place in a glass bowl. Remove 4 Tablespoons and then add 4 Tablespoons of cornstarch. Whisk until well combined.

Looking for more recipes like this? Here are a few you may like:

Strawberry Shortcake Layer Cake

Strawberry Sheet Cake

Fresh Strawberry Bread

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Strawberry Cupcakes

Expert Tips

• It’s easiest to separate the eggs when they are room temperature.
• Do not skip sifting the dry ingredients!
• Be careful to not over-whip or under-whip the egg whites.
• Carefully fold the egg whites into the batter. Do not stir them in! You do not want to deflate the batter.
• Let the cupcakes cool completely before coring, filling, and frosting them
• When you core cupcakes, remember to trim off the bottom of the middles for it to fit.
• When making the filling, do not over-cook it! Once it thickens (about 2-3 minutes), take it off the heat and let it cool before filling the cupcakes.
• Be careful to not over whip the heavy cream for the Chantilly cream!

When you make these Strawberry Shortcake Chiffon Cupcakes, leave a comment down below! We love hearing from you and answering any questions you might have! Also, be sure to tag us on social media and hashtag it #BakersTable.

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