Strawberry Cupcakes with Cake Mix

Strawberry Jello makes these simple strawberry cupcakes with cake mix a little extra special. The homemade strawberry frosting on top uses strawberry jam and a hint of almond for a delicious flavor pairing.

With spring and summer bounding our way, it’s time to pull out all of the simple fruity desserts.  

This Strawberry Cupcakes recipe takes a shortcut by using a cake mix. They are based off our popular Easy Strawberry Cake that has been a favorite for decades. Although they boast a doctored cake mix, they burst with strawberry flavor by adding in a box of strawberry Jell-o and some fresh strawberries.

Strawberry Jell-O and pureéd strawberries are the secret to moist cupcakes!

What you’ll need:

A few notes about ingredients:

• I often use a white cake mix because I usually have one in the pantry, but a strawberry cake mix will pack an extra flavor punch.
• Strawberry pureé is simply fresh or frozen strawberries, finely diced, then run through a food processor.
• Almond extract pairs nicely with the strawberries and gives the cupcakes a fresh, homemade flavor. Vanilla extract works, but gives the cupcakes a warmer flavor.

✨ See the recipe card for full ingredient amounts. ✨

How to Make Strawberry Cupcakes with Cake Mix

• In a large bowl, mix all of the cupcake ingredients together with an electric mixer until well blended, about 2-3 minutes.

2. Put 24 cupcake liners in a muffin pan and fill the liners 2/3 full with cupcake batter. Bake at 325ºF for 17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

3. Make the strawberry buttercream frosting. Using a stand mixer, whip the butter for 2 minutes until it is almost white in appearance. Add in the powdered sugar, almond flavoring, strawberry jam and a drop of red food coloring.

4. Beat on low speed for 2-4 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. If the frosting is too stiff for spreading, you can add in a tablespoon more of jam or milk.

5. Spread the buttercream on the cooled cupcakes with a knife, or use Wilton tip 1M to pipe on a swirl of frosting.

Strawberry Cupcakes with Cake Mix

4.71 from 31 votes

Strawberry Jello makes these simple strawberry cupcakes with cake mix a little extra special. The homemade strawberry frosting on top uses strawberry jam and a hint of almond for a delicious flavor pairing.

Servings 24 servings

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 17 minutes minutes

Total Time 37 minutes minutes

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Ingredients

 

For the cupcakes

• 1 box Pillsbury white cake mix (15.25 ounces)
• 4 large egg whites
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 small box strawberry jello 3 ounces
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup diced strawberries chopped finely with a food processor

For the frosting:

• 1 cup salted butter softened
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon almond flavoring
• 1/4 cup strawberry jam
• red food coloring
• 1-2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream if needed to make the icing more spreadable

Instructions

 

Make the cupcakes:

• In a large bowl, mix all of the cupcake ingredients together with an electric mixer until well blended, about 2-3 minutes. 1 box Pillsbury white cake mix, 4 large egg whites, ¼ cup vegetable oil, 1 small box strawberry jello, ½ cup water, ½ cup diced strawberries
• Put 24 paper liners in a muffin pan and fill the liners 2/3 full with cupcake batter. 
• Bake at 325ºF for 17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Make the frosting:

• Using a stand mixer, whip the butter for 2 minutes until it is almost white in appearance. 1 cup salted butter
• Add in the powdered sugar, almond flavoring, strawberry jam and a drop of red food coloring. 4 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon almond flavoring, ¼ cup strawberry jam, red food coloring
• Beat on low speed for 2-4 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. If the frosting is too stiff for spreading, you can add in a tablespoon more of jam or milk. 1-2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
• Spread the buttercream on the cooled cupcakes with a knife, or use Wilton tip 1M to pipe on a swirl of frosting.

Notes

The frosting makes enough to pipe large swirls of frosting on each cupcake. If you prefer, you can make half a recipe and spread a smaller mount on each cupcake with a knife.

Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks.

The calories shown are based on the recipe making 24 frosted cupcakes, with 1 serving being 1 frosted cupcake. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. **

Nutrition

Serving: 71g | Calories: 261kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 221mg | Potassium: 33mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 238IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 0.5mg

Author Julie Clark

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Calories 261

Keyword easy cupcake recipe, strawberry cupcakes

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