Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a cupcake pan with paper liners. Make sure everything is ready for quick assembly.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sifted flour and granulated sugar until combined and light. This helps distribute the dry ingredients evenly.
Add the softened butter to the dry mixture and beat it in with a whisk or mixer until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs and is well blended.
In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with vanilla extract until well combined and slightly frothy. Pour this mixture into the butter-flour mixture.
Gradually add the buttermilk while mixing, and stir until the batter is smooth and slightly thickened. This helps give the cupcakes a tender crumb.
Gently fold in the chopped strawberries into the batter, distributing them evenly without overmixing, so the cupcakes stay moist and full of fruit.
Spoon or pipe the batter into the cupcake liners, filling about two-thirds full. Smooth the tops with the back of a spoon if needed.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. You’ll smell the vanilla and strawberries as they bake.
Once baked, remove the cupcakes from the oven and let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Dust the cooled cupcakes lightly with powdered sugar for a simple, natural finish that highlights the fresh strawberries inside.
Serve your strawberry vanilla cupcakes at room temperature, enjoying their tender crumb and juicy bursts of fruit with each bite.
