Strawberry Basil Buttercream
Smooth buttercream with bright strawberry flavor complemented by hints of savory basil. Give your cakes and cupcakes a little something extra with this delicious, perfectly summery buttercream.
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I’ve been baking up a storm lately. So much so that I feel like I made this buttercream a lifetime ago, not a month ago. But man, oh man, was it good. That I don’t forget. Perfectly sweet and strawberry-y with this surprising hint of basil. Not too strong. Just enough to bring a unique twist that everyone loved.
I chose to make a concentrate of my strawberry basil compote that I thickened, strained, cooled, and added to the buttercream at the end. It was the only way to make the basil flavor pop. You’re welcome to do this differently, but if you want that strawberry-basil flavor to really come through without tasting like soap, this is pretty much the only way to go.
How to make strawberry basil buttercream
Make the strawberry basil concentrate. Let it cool.
Cream the butter.
Add the powdered sugar.
Add vanilla, salt, and cooled concentrate.
Adjust flavors then beat until smooth.
Enjoy!
Pairs well with:
Anything! The pictures here are with lemonade cupcakes (recipe coming soon), but this buttercream would pair well with a variety of cakes and cupcakes.
Lemon and Mascarpone Cake (sub for the triple lemon buttercream and sub some strawberry basil compote for the lemon curd in the filling!)
Old Fashioned Lemon Cake (a denser lemon cake that is perfect for this fruit-forward frosting! also pairs well with strawberry basil compote filling!)
Tips and notes for this recipe
Making strawberry basil concentrate
The concentrate takes about 10 minutes to make and just a few minutes to cool. In fact, you could pop it in the fridge while you start the buttercream and it’ll be ready by the time the butter and sugar is fluffy. It’s important to let it cook down fully, which means you could use your spoon/spatula to speed things along. Just be sure not to add extra lemon juice, as it will create a thinner concentrate that will thin out the buttercream too much. Also, this concentrate calls for a lot of lavender, but the buttercream masks quite a bit of that flavor.
If you want a more subtle lavender flavor, you could make a small batch of my strawberry basil compote, strain it, and use a few teaspoons of that instead!
The fridge is your friend
Don’t be afraid to chill the strawberry basil concentrate and even the finished buttercream. This allows the flavors to deepen and helps smooth out the final product. Plus, it helps keep the frosting from thinning out after you add the concentrate.
Use pink dye
After taking these photos, I kinda wish I’d used pink dye. I was already making these alongside two other buttercream flavors that had strong colors, so I liked the pale pink. However, on their own they might not have the look you’re going for. In that event, feel free to use a teeny tiny bit of pink gel food coloring. My favorites are AmeriColor and Wilton.
My buttercream tools
Here are my must-have tools I use for making this buttercream. Affiliate links provided.
Strawberry Basil Buttercream
- prep time: 5-10 minutes
- bake time: 10-15 minutes
- total time: 20-25 minutes
yields: about 2 ½ to 3 cups (enough for a two or three layer cake or 24 cupcakes)
Ingredients:
for the strawberry basil concentrate
- 6 ounces fresh strawberries, rinsed and diced
- 1 tablespoon (21g) honey
- squeeze of lemon juice
- ¼ cup (20-30 leaves) packed basil
- 1 tablespoon (7g) cornstarch (optional, use if it’s very warm out)
for the strawberry basil buttercream
- ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter*, softened slightly**
- 4-5 cups (500-625g) powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon(13g) pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon (3g) sea salt
- strawberry basil concentrate, strained
- ½ ounce (15g) freeze dried strawberries (optional, use if it’s very warm out)
Instructions:
make the strawberry basil concentrate
- Combine all concentrate ingredients, except for cornstarch, in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally and adjusting heat to keep it at a good simmer but not a boil. When the strawberries begin to break down, you can help them along by crushing them with a wooden spoon or spatula.
- If you need a sturdy frosting (for outdoor events in warm weather), remove about 2 tablespoons of the juice early on once it becomes somewhat liquidy. It’s best to do this before the jam is done, so you get the thinner juices. Once the strawberries are nearly broken down, after about 5 minutes, add 1 tablespoon cornstarch to the reserved liquid and whisk until well-blended. Add this to the pot and stir until well-blended.
- Continue cooking 5-10 minutes, until the strawberries are fully broken down and the mixture has thickened slightly (no more than 10 minutes after adding cornstarch, or it can actually break and separate once cooled).
- Strain through a fine mesh sieve, pressing well to get all of the juices out. Set aside to cool (or refrigerate while you begin beating the butter--it should be cool by the time you need it).
make the strawberry basil buttercream
- While the concentrate cools, beat the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, and beat first on low then slowly increase to high until smooth after each addition. Scrape down the bowl after every other cup.
- Once you’ve added 4 cups powdered sugar, add the vanilla, salt, and half of the cooled strawberry basil concentrate. Beat on high until well-blended, about 1 minute. Taste. Add more concentrate and/or powdered sugar to taste.
- If the buttercream is for a dessert that will be outside or in high heat, you may need to add a small amount of finely ground freeze dried strawberries. Do this in small increments, as the flavor can overpower the concentrate and you won’t taste any basil.
- Once the taste is to your liking, scrape down the bowl and beat on high for about 1 minute, until fully blended.
Enjoy!
Buttercream can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 weeks or in the freezer for 1-2 months.
*I highly recommend European style butter for frosting! It has less water and makes a creamier frosting.
**If your butter has become shiny or oily, put it back in the fridge for 5-10 minutes until it firms up a bit (not hard) and is matte in appearance.
