Strawberry Cupcakes (Doctored Cake Mix)

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These Strawberry Cupcakes use a cake mix base with the addition of real fruit for an extra punch of flavor! Top with a homemade strawberry cream cheese frosting for the perfect finish!

These strawberry cupcakes are high on the list of most requested, AND are included in the TOP Dessert Recipes on my site, but they have a secret… They start with a white cake mix.

Insert your gasps here.

I promise even from scratch bakers will fall in love with the bold flavor of this little cake. The addition of jello and fresh fruit really jazz things up and give these a wonderful strawberry taste! A cream cheese frosting (with the addition of more fruit) tops things off giving them the perfect finish!

Recipe Features:

• Cake Mix Hack: This recipe starts with a cake mix, but thanks to the addition of some extra ingredients you would never know!
• Bold Flavor: You will not find a more bold strawberry cake flavor.
• Family Favorite: Requested from my entire family time and time again.

What You’ll Need:

Doctored cake mix recipes are totally in. They are so simple to make and are almost fool proof. I have seen countless cookbooks and bloggers adding fun twists on the classics. This is mine. This strawberry cupcake with Jell-O is too good not to try!

• White boxed cake mix: The powder NOT mixed with anything.
• Strawberry Jell-O: Again, the powder. Do not mix this with water.
• Strawberries: From the freezer section but thawed.
• Cream Cheese: For the frosting

For a full list of ingredients and measurements see the recipe card below.

How to make Strawberry Cupcakes with a cake mix:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two muffin tins with paper liners and set aside.
2. Place the first 7 ingredients into the bowl of an electric mixer. Blend on medium speed until smooth. 
3.  Divide into you prepared cups filling 3/4 full.
4. Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
5. Remove from the pan and allow to cool completely before frosting.

They puff perfectly and have a gorgeous red color.

Top them with a simple strawberry cream cheese frosting and maybe a candied strawberry for presentation and you have yourself a gourmet style cake.

5 tips for bakery worthy cupcakes

1. Bring your ingredients to room temperature. This one seems silly, especially when you are using a cake mix, but is super important. Room temp ingredients help everything blend and combine together leaving you with a smooth batter ready for the oven. It is even more important with the frozen strawberries in this recipe. They need to be THAWED or your cupcakes will sink.
2. Do not over mix the batter. The shortened reason why you should be careful? If you over mix you will have a dense cake.
3. Use a cookie scoop. Using a scoop to get your batter into your liners ensures even cupcake sizes.
4. Preheat your oven. I get pretty impatient and have been known to stick my cupcakes in the oven before it is ready. The result is almost always under or over baked cupcakes. Let your oven heat up to the right temperature before starting.
5. Remove your cupcakes from the pan right away and cool completely before frosting. Your cupcakes will continue to bake as they sit in the hot pan. Pop them out onto a cooling rack. Also, avoid frosting until they are cooled completely. This will help your frosting stick and keep it from melting.

Is the pink color perfect for spring? The leftovers filled our house with a wonderful berry smell and had me craving cupcakes for days after! Try them out and let me know what you think!

Related Recipes:

Like this recipe? You will love my:

• Peach Cupcakes with Cinnamon Frosting
• Carrot Cake Cupcakes
• Red Velvet Cupcakes
• Smore Cupcakes
• Buttermilk Cupcakes
• Strawberry Whipped Cream
• German Chocolate cupcakes
• Blackberry Lemonade Cupcakes

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