I’ve shared a recipe for naturally red frosting that gets its hue from beets (read Naturally Colored Frosting). I wanted to do a baby pink frosting for Valentine’s Day that’s colored and flavored with whole fruit.
For naturally pink frosting, start with a half-pound of fresh strawberries. Blend them until smooth. I like the idea of using the whole berries in the frosting, and my high-powered blender pulverizes the heck out of strawberry seeds. But if your puree looks too seedy, pour it through a mesh strainer.
Cook the strawberry puree on the stove over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, for about 15 minutes. During this time, it will cook down a bit and thicken. Then add the puree in place of the milk in your frosting. You can use your favorite recipe for buttercream or scroll down for the one I made, which has a bit of fresh lemon juice for some extra zing.
In case you need a time-saver this Valentine’s Day for your cake or cupcakes, I love these baking mixes from Immaculate Baking Company. This mix has just six simple ingredients, then you add your own milk, butter, and eggs.
This recipe makes enough to either very generously frost a dozen cupcakes or spread more conservatively on 24 cupcakes.
Have leftover strawberry puree? Toss it in a smoothie or swirl it into plain yogurt.
Very Berry Naturally Pink Frosting
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound fresh strawberries
- 4-5 cups powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1-2 tablespoons shortening, optional--this is helpful if you plan to pipe out the frosting and want it to keep its shape; I use Spectrum Organic shortening
Instructions
- Rinse and slice strawberries, then place them in a blender and puree until smooth.
- Cook strawberry puree in a saucepan on the stove over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, for 15 minutes or until mixtures starts to cook down and thicken. Remove from heat.
- Place 4 cups powdered sugar, butter, lemon juice, and 4 tablespoons strawberry puree in a mixing bowl and blend for 30 seconds on low until combined. Scrape down sides of bowl and continue beating, adding more powdered sugar or puree until you achieve a consistency thick enough for spreading or piping.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1 servingAmount Per Serving: Calories: 120Sodium: 21mgCarbohydrates: 23gSugar: 22g
Your pictures are great Sally! I made some sugared cranberries and pureed those to mix with Greek Yogurt tonight as a topping for homemade chocolate pudding.
Thanks Cindy! That topping sounds great.
these photos are gorgeous!
Thanks Lindsay!
Sally, my mouth is watering! First of all, I love that this frosting is made with strawberries. genius and delicious! Second, your frosting skills are out of control amazing! I want to reach into my screen to grab one!
Thanks Jessica! A friend of mine actually came over, brought some decorating tips, and showed me her tricks. So now my cupcakes are going to be super fancy. 🙂
SO pretty!! I love that you used fresh strawberries to color it. I had a cupcake with some super sweet artificial frosting on it the other day and it was terrible, I couldn’t even eat the cupcake. But this makes me want a cupcake right now!
Thanks Heather!
Do you really think the food coloring is that big of deal when you are using all that sugar?
Big frosted cupcakes are something I reserve for birthdays and a holiday like Valentine’s Day, so I’m okay with the sugar. And yes, artificial dyes are something I like to avoid whenever I can. There is research showing dyes–even in amounts typically eaten by kids–may affect behavior, including worsening attention problems in some children. So that’s something I will stay away from whenever I can!
can you use frozen strawberries instead of fresh?
Jennifer–I haven’t tried it with frozen, but I’m sure you could. You may just have to cook it a bit longer to get it to a thicker consistency if it has a lot of moisture in it.