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Strawberry Cupcakes (Box Mix)

Last Updated On: January 28, 2024 | Published: May 07, 2023 by Melissa Diamond | 5 Comments
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Calling all strawberry lovers- these fluffy, tender strawberry cupcakes are so delicious, and start with a box cake mix!

If you are a fan of strawberry desserts, don't miss this delicious recipe. It is a twist on the usual white cake mix recipe, but it also has strawberry jello and fresh strawberry puree, giving it wonderful flavor!

These cupcakes are based on our doctored cake mix strawberry layer cake from our recipes section. They can be paired with all sorts of fillings and frostings, but today we are frosting with strawberry cream cheese frosting.

Make sure to check out our scratch strawberry cupcakes recipe as well!

How to Make Strawberry Cupcakes from Cake Mix

This recipe for moist strawberry cupcakes is simple and delicious! You can find the full recipe card further down in this post. Here is a quick rundown of our steps!

  • First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and line the wells of cupcake pan(s) with cupcake liners. (We use paper liners).
  • Puree strawberries in a small blender or food processor. Since you will also use a small amount (3 tablespoons) of strawberry puree in the frosting, make a bit extra. Measure out ¾ cup puree for the cake, and set aside 3 tablespoons to be used in the frosting later.
Sliced strawberries in small bullet blender.
  • Next, put cake ingredients into your mixing bowl (wet ingredients and dry ingredients) and mix on low speed until the ingredients are blended. This includes white cake mix, all purpose flour, strawberry jello powder, eggs, vegetable oil, and ¾ cup pureed strawberries.
Bowl filled with strawberry cupcake batter ingredients
  • Mix all of the cake ingredients in the mixing bowl on low speed (with paddle attachment if using a stand mixer) until the ingredients are blended. Then, increase to medium speed and mix for about two minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula mid way through.
  • Fill the cupcake liners in the cupcake pan about ⅔ full (about ¼ cup cupcake batter per cupcake).
Cupcake liners filled with strawberry cupcake batter
  • Bake for 15-18 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Baking times can vary. This recipe makes about 25 fluffy strawberry cupcakes! The cupcakes have very small domes. We like to take the baked cupcakes out of the pan and place on a cooling rack as soon as possible (within a few minutes) to prevent over-baking.
  • Cooling the cupcakes on a wire rack allows for air circulation all around the cupcakes, which allows them to cool more evenly.
Cooling rack topped with freshly baked strawberry cupcakes

Strawberry Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

There are many frostings that are delicious with strawberry cupcakes. Strawberry buttercream frosting is a great option, as is the strawberry cream cheese frosting from our Homemade Strawberry Cake recipe, or even vanilla buttercream, chocolate buttercream, and classic cream cheese frosting.

Today, we decided to go with a light and delicious strawberry whipped cream cheese frosting. Here is a quick look at our steps!:

  • First, freeze the mixing bowl and beaters 10-15 minutes before whipping the cream).
  • Next, attach the whisk attachment for a stand mixer, or beaters if using an electric hand mixer.  Starting on medium speed and increasing to high, mix the heavy cream until stiff peaks form.  When you can lift the beater and the whipped cream stands straight up forming a peak, it is ready.
Bowl of whipped cream
  • In another bowl, add the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, strawberry puree and strawberry extract (optional). Mix with an electric mixer until blended and smooth.
  • Gently fold in the whipped heavy cream until well combined.
Bowl of whipped cream and strawberry cream cheese mixture for the whipped cream cheese frosting.
Strawberry Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting, in bowl with spatula
  • This soft strawberry frosting requires refrigeration because of the whipped cream and cream cheese.
Strawberry Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

Decorating the Cupcakes

Now, it is time to decorate the cooled cupcakes!

Pipe a swirl of frosting onto each cupcake with a large star piping tip (1M).

To make this type of swirl, start in the center and spiral outward.

Piping frosting onto strawberry cupcakes using a 1M star tip
Platter of frosted strawberry cupcakes

Next, we topped the cupcakes with fresh strawberries sliced in half. So pretty (and simple)!

Strawberry cupcakes on a platter

Recipe FAQs

These strawberry cupcakes should be refrigerated because of the strawberry whipped cream cheese frosting. I would remove the finished cupcakes from the refrigerator about an hour before serving so that they will have time to warm up and soften.

Yes, just as with our Caramel Cupcakes, Banana Cupcakes, Carrot Cake Cupcakes, and more, unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen for up to three months.

To freeze, line up the rows of cupcakes onto a cake board, cover the cupcakes with a sheet of plastic wrap, followed by foil. Then freeze.

To thaw, place the wrapped cupcakes onto the countertop until condensation forms on the foil (about 30-45 minutes or so). Then, unwrap and frost the cupcakes.

*I don't think that the whipped frosting would handle being frozen very well. So, I only recommend freezing the unfrosted cupcakes. Then, frost after thawing.

Yes! You can use fresh or thawed, frozen strawberries in this recipe. When using frozen, we use unsweetened strawberries (rather than strawberries frozen in syrup).

Yes! This is the same recipe as our Strawberry Cake from Cake Mix. However, you should double the recipe for the whipped cream cheese frosting if you plan to use it as a filling and frosting for the cake.

Keep in mind that while this frosting recipe is very easy to pipe with, it does not spread as smoothly as buttercream frosting does, as it behaves more like whipped cream.

We did not fill our cupcakes, but we often do! If you would like to add more whipped cream cheese frosting to the center of the cupcakes, simply add it to a piping bag, snip away the tip, insert it halfway into the unfrosted cupcake, and squeeze for a few seconds. Then frost.

It is a good idea to practice on a plate, squeezing the piping bag for a count of a few seconds to get an idea of how much filling will be in your cupcake, and adjust to your liking. (If you have extra strawberry cupcakes, you can do a trial run and then split the cupcake in half to check the amount of filling.)

If you plan to use this frosting as a filling, you will likely need to increase the recipe by half.

We have several more cupcake recipes from cake mix for you to try! Our Banana Pudding Cupcakes, Oreo Cupcakes, Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes, and Carrot Cake Cupcakes are just a few.

Keep in mind that any of our cake mix recipes can also be used as cupcakes!

Frosted strawberry cupcakes on a platter, topped with strawberry halves.

More Strawberry Cakes to Try

In addition to today's delicious strawberry cupcakes, we've made several more strawberry recipes over the years! Some of our favorites are Strawberry Pound Cake, Strawberry Shortcake Cake, and Strawberry Lemonade Cake.

Don't miss roundup of Favorite Strawberry Cakes!

Thanks so much for stopping by for this quick and easy strawberry cupcake recipe!

Keep these moist and flavorful strawberry cupcakes in mind for all sorts of occasions from birthday cake recipes to spring and summer gatherings and more!

Because of their pretty pink shade, these make great cupcakes for girl baby showers and Valentine's Day Cupcakes, right along with Pink Velvet Cake or Cherry Cake!

Have you made this? We would LOVE for you to leave a ⭐️ rating as well as a comment and photo below! We really appreciate your feedback!

Frosted strawberry cupcakes on a platter, topped with strawberry halves.

Strawberry Cupcakes (Box Mix)

BY Melissa and Bebe
These moist, flavorful strawberry cupcakes start with a box of white cake mix! The recipe incorporates jello as well as strawberry puree.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Course: Dessert
Servings: 25
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Ingredients

For the Cake

  • 1 box white cake mix (15.25 oz box)
  • 1 small box strawberry jello (3 oz box)
  • 3 Tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 4 eggs
  • ¾ cup vegetable oil (I used canola oil)
  • ½ cup milk
  • ¾ cup pureed ripe strawberries (You can go ahead and make the puree for the frosting at this time also, and just set aside the 3 tablespoons of puree for later)

For the Strawberry Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 8 oz (226g) Full Fat Cream Cheese, softened
  • 2 Cups (230g) Powdered Sugar, sifted Measure, then sift.
  • 3 Tablespoons (34g) Strawberry Puree (about 4-5 strawberries)
  • 1 teaspoon (4g) Strawberry Extract (optional)
  • 1 cup (232g) heavy cream

For Decoration

  • Fresh Strawberries, halved (optional)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350℉, line the wells of a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
  • Puree strawberries in a small blender. (Since the frosting only calls for 3 tablespoons of puree, you can make enough puree for the cake and frosting at this time.) Measure out ¾ cup puree for the cake batter, and set aside 3 tablespoons for the frosting.
  • Put all of the cake ingredients into your mixing bowl and mix on low speed until the ingredients are blended (about 15 seconds). Then increase speed to medium and mix for two minutes, scraping down sides of bowl mid way through.
  • The pureed strawberries should be well blended into the batter. Fill the cupcake liners in the cupcake pan about ⅔ full (about ¼ cup batter per cupcake).
  • Bake for 15-18 minutes or until tooth pick comes out clean. This recipe makes about 25 cupcakes. These cupcakes have very small domes. Baking times can vary, check on the cupcakes after 15 minutes. They are done when the centers spring back when lightly touched, or an inserted toothpick comes out clean (or with a few crumbs).

For the Strawberry Whipped Cream Frosting

  • Freeze your mixing bowl and beaters 10-15 minutes before whipping the cream).
  • Use the whisk attachment for a stand mixer, or beaters if using a hand mixer.  Starting on medium speed and increasing to high, mix the cream until stiff peaks form.  This can happen very quickly so don't walk away from the mixer.  You are at the stiff peak stage when you can lift the beater and the cream stands straight up forming a peak.
  • In another bowl, add the cream cheese, powdered sugar, strawberry puree and strawberry extract. Mix until blended and smooth.
  • Gently fold in the whipped heavy cream until well combined.
  • This is a soft filling which requires refrigeration. Cupcakes with this frosting should be refrigerated, and removed an hour before serving.

Decoration

  • We swirled the frosting onto our cooled cupcakes, using a large star piping tip (1M). We topped each cupcake with fresh strawberries, halved.
5 from 6 votes (5 ratings without comment)

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5 Comments

  3. I would like to make these for my friend's wedding reception. Any suggestions on how to make this a strawberry champagne cupcake. How much champagne could I add to the mix?

    Reply

  4. 5 stars
    Is this the kind of frosting I can use to make tall cupcakes swirls with or is it too soft for that? TIA I'm planning on making cupcakes for my neices first birthday in July but I want to make a number 1 shape with the cupcakes and also place extras (maybe toys or cookies) into the frosting.

    Reply

    1. HI Ned! The frosting is on the softer side like whipped cream but you should still be able to make taller swirls if you'd like. Hope you enjoy the recipe!

      Reply