Give your next batch of cupcakes a serious makeover by combining the flavors and textures of classic strawberry shortcake with vanilla cake mix!
These Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes are a fun and mouth-watering twist to traditional shortcake, loaded with homemade strawberry filling and topped with strawberry-infused whipped topping! These pretty cupcakes are the ideal dessert for spring or summertime or any special occasion.
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❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- Enjoy the flavors of traditional strawberry shortcake in convenient cupcake form!
- It’s an easy recipe that converts plain vanilla cupcakes into a delicious dessert - a perfect dessert for spring or summer!
- These cupcakes are pretty enough to serve for Valentine’s Day, Mother's Day, afternoon tea or coffee, and other special occasions.
Everyone loves these strawberry shortcake cupcakes - they're the perfect size.
🛒 Ingredients
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Note: The full list of this recipe ingredients with their amounts and options are in the recipe card below.
- fresh strawberries -- used to make the sauce and the flavoring in the whipped topping.
- cornstarch -- for thickening the strawberry sauce.
- white cake mix -- I used Duncan Hines.
- granulated sugar -- sweetener for the strawberry sauce and the whipped topping.
- lemon zest -- adding flavor to the strawberry sauce.
- heavy whipping cream -- will be the icing on the strawberry shortcake.
- vanilla extract -- you may substitute vanilla bean paste.
🗒 Instructions
Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Follow the recipe instructions in the recipe card below to make the strawberry filling first. The mixture requires time to cool and thicken.
- Make the cupcakes as directed by the package and bake. Allow the cupcakes to remain in the pan for 10 minutes.
- Transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Create 1-inch deep pockets in the center of each cupcake using a sharp knife and set aside the cut-out pieces. Fill the pockets with 1 ½ teaspoons of strawberry filling. Slice off the pointed ends of the cut-off pieces and press what remains of the round pieces back on top of the strawberry-filled holes.
- Create the whipped cream topping and gently fold in the remaining strawberry filling mixture.
- Top the cupcakes with the strawberry whipped topping with a spatula or knife, and garnish the cupcakes with sliced strawberries and/or fresh mint.
🔪 Equipment
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You’ll need the following items to make this recipe successfully.
- jumbo cupcake tins
- paper cupcake liners
- cooling rack
- electric mixer
- mixing bowls
🤔 FAQs
Questions asked about making Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes recipe:
These cupcakes have a base made from vanilla cake mix. They are filled with homemade strawberry filling and topped with a sweet whipped topping mixed with the leftover strawberry filling!
Making strawberry shortcake is as easy as topping white cake or biscuits with sugar-tossed sliced strawberries and fresh whipped cream.
No. Traditional strawberry shortcake is made with a biscuit or sponge-like pastry base. Strawberry cake is made with a classic vanilla cake base.
The term “short” in baking refers to a pastry base which is what strawberry shortcake is traditionally made with.
👩🏻🍳 Tips
- Speed up the cooling and thickening process of the strawberry filling by placing the mixture in the fridge.
- To prevent the filling and topping from seeping into the cupcake, cool the cupcakes completely.
- If you don’t use the strawberry whipped topping right away, put it in an airtight container. Store it in the fridge for up to 24 hours to keep it fresh.
- Keep the iced cupcakes chilled in the fridge until ready to serve.
- If you want to make these cupcakes ahead, store the cupcake bases with strawberry filling in the freezer for 1-3 months. Thaw then decorate.
- I don’t recommend using frozen strawberries for the filling. They can get mushy when thawed, which affects the texture.
📚 Variations
- Make your favorite white cupcakes recipe or use your preferred mix.
- Fill these cupcakes with lemon curd, blueberry filling, blackberry filling, or raspberry filling.
- Use gluten-free ingredients for gluten-free strawberry shortcake cupcakes.
- Add white chocolate shavings as extra garnish.
- Use a strawberry confectioner frosting.
🥫 Storage
These strawberry shortcake cupcakes are best served immediately after decorating and garnishing. If you can't serve them right away, you can store them in the fridge for up to 5 days.
If you intend to transport these cupcakes to a function or party, it's best to use a cupcake/cake carrier. Wait to garnish the cupcakes with the sliced strawberries until you reach your destination.
📗 Related Recipes
- Panna Cotta With Strawberry Sauce - A light and silky dessert showcasing sweet and tart strawberry sauce!
- Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake - This cake consists of crescent rolls, cream cheese, and juicy raspberries.
- No-Bake Cherry Delight Dessert - A no-bake dessert with crunchy Graham cracker crust, cream cheese filling, and tart cherry pie topping.
- Quick Strawberry Dessert - If you need a last-minute dessert this Easy Strawberry Dessert is a no-fail recipe that will satisfy your sweet tooth in no time.
- Strawberry White Chocolate Blondies - These bar cookies are sweet, buttery, bursting with juicy strawberries and creamy white chocolate.
🍽 Serve with
Enjoy these strawberry shortcake cupcakes with fresh strawberries and vanilla ice cream. They are indulgent enough to eat alone too!
📞 Chiacchierata (chat)
I love adding fun and delicious twists to classic recipes! We decided to take a classic strawberry shortcake and made it into cupcake form. I found a delicious way to combine traditional strawberry shortcake in cute cupcake form!
These cupcakes are light and fluffy with bright flavors of fresh strawberry filling and comforting sweetened whipped topping! They are a delicious change from the heavier spongecake based shortcake.
Tutti a tavolo, è pronto!
What's new? Check out my All Our Way Store on Amazon. We'll be adding more items we love and use or wish we had to make cooking fun and easy.
📝 Recipe Card
Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes add a fun and eye-catching twist to traditional strawberry shortcake. They consist of vanilla cupcake bases filled with homemade strawberry filling and topped with sweetened whipped cream.
Garnish with freshly sliced strawberries and mint leaves!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
📖 Recipe
Easy Filled Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes
Equipment Needed
Ingredients
Strawberry Filling:
- 1.5 Tablespoons cornstarch 11 grams
- 1.5 Tablespoons warm water 23 ml
- 2 cups diced strawberries 300 grams
- 6 Tablespoons granulated sugar 75 grams
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Cupcakes:
- Duncan Hines White Cake Mix made according to directions
Strawberry whipped cream topping:
- 1½ cups cold heavy cream 360ml
- 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar 38 grams
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- reserved ½ cup of strawberry filling
- optional for garnish: strawberry slices and fresh mint
Instructions
Strawberry Filling:
- Using a fork, mix the cornstarch and water together in a small bowl until the cornstarch has dissolved—mixture is thick.
- Warm the strawberries and sugar together in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir the mixture as it cooks, and break up some of the strawberries as you stir. Bring it to a simmer.
- Once it simmers, stir in the cornstarch mixture. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. After 5 minutes, remove from heat, stir in the lemon zest, and cool completely.
- Mixture thickens as it cools. (It must completely cool, so transferring to a bowl out of the saucepan helps speed that up, as does refrigerating it. You can complete a few other steps in the recipe as the mixture cools.)
Cupcakes:
- Follow the package directions. Bake.
- Remove cupcakes from the oven and allow them to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Cupcakes must be completely cooled before filling and topping.
- Cool the cupcakes completely before filling and topping.
Cupcake filling:
- Using a sharp knife, cut a circle into the center of the cooled cupcakes to create a little pocket about 1 inch deep. The piece you remove looks like a sugar cone.
- Use some of the cooled and thickened strawberry to fill inside each small crater in the cupcake. A teaspoon is handy to use and about 1½ teaspoons of filling will fit into each hole.
- Cut off the sharp end of the pointy end of the piece you removed from the cupcake. Press the round piece on top of the strawberry filling. The leftover filling you'll use in the whipped cream topping.
Whipped Cream Topping:
- Using an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla on medium-high speed until medium peaks form**, about 3–4 minutes.
- Fold in ½ cup of strawberry filling, or however much you have left. Use immediately or cover tightly and chill in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
Frost Cupcakes:
- Use an icing spatula or a knife to pile the whipped cream high on the cupcakes. Everyone LOVES that whipped topping. Garnish cupcakes with sliced strawberries and/or fresh mint.
- Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. You may store leftover covered cupcakes in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. For storing and transporting decorated cupcakes I really recommend a cupcake/cake carrier.
Notes
- Speed up the cooling and thickening process of the strawberry filling by placing the mixture in the fridge.
- To prevent the filling and topping from seeping into the cupcake, cool the cupcakes completely.
- If you don’t use the strawberry whipped topping immediately, to prevent it from spoiling, transfer it to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
- Keep the iced cupcakes chilled in the fridge until ready to serve.
- If you want to make these cupcakes ahead, store the cupcake bases with strawberry filling in the freezer for 1-3 months. Thaw then decorate.
- I don’t recommend using frozen strawberries for the filling as the texture will be mushy.
Nutrition
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