Easy Filled Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes

White cupcakes filled with a strawberry jam and topped with a strawberry whipped cream topping.

5 from 13 votes

Easy Filled Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes

Filled Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes add a fun and eye-catching twist to traditional strawberry shortcake by adding a strawberry filling in the cupcake. They're perfect as a Spring or Summertime dessert!

Prep Time40

Cook Time22

Total Time1 2

Course: Cupcake dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: cupcakes

Calories: 371kcal

Author: Marisa Franca @ All Our Way

Equipment

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

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 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.

**Medium peaks are between soft/loose peaks and stiff peaks, and are the perfect consistency for topping and piping on desserts. If you accidentally over-whip the cream, and it looks curdled and heavy, pour in a little bit more cold heavy cream, and fold it in gently by hand with a spatula until it smooths out.

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