Make Valentine’s Day or any occasion even more special – and beautifully pink! – with these strawberry cupcakes with strawberry filling! Soft, fluffy, and topped with decadent frosting, they’re sure to sweeten the occasion and jazz up any day of the year.
Cupcakes are the unsung heroes of the dessert world. Not only are they easy to make and so enjoyable to eat, but it’s so easy to tailor them for any occasion! I make themed cupcakes for Christmas, Thanksgiving, and even Halloween, and they’re a crowd favorite every single time.
Valentine’s Day is no exception! That’s why for this special day, I’m making a batch of my homemade strawberry cupcakes with strawberry filling. Not only are their colors perfect for Heart’s Day, but they taste so good, too!
Don’t let their elegant appearance fool you. I’m happy to say that these cupcakes are pretty simple to make! So grab that apron, and let’s start baking these babies. I promise this one will be a staple in your dessert rotation all year!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Ingredients Needed For Pink Strawberry Cupcakes
Cake
- 2 cups cottage cheese, plain
- 3 eggs
- ⅓ cup lemon juice
- 1 box of strawberry cake mix
Frosting Mix
- 3 oz cream cheese, softened
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 3 cups heavy whipping cream, cold
- ¼ cup strawberry Jell-O powder
Filling
- 1 cup frosting mix
- ½ cup freeze-dried strawberries, ground
Step-by-Step Instructions With Pictures
1. Preheat the oven to 350° F, then line a 12-cup muffin pan or tin with cupcake liners.
2. Combine cottage cheese, lemon juice, and eggs in a large mixing bowl.
3. Use a hand mixer to beat the mixture until it’s soft and creamy.
4. Add the strawberry cake mix.
5. Mix until fully combined.
6. Use a cookie scoop to fill the cup liners with the mixture until they’re ¾ full.
7. Bake for 22-25 minutes or until the cupcakes begin to brown.
8. Remove them from the oven, and carefully remove the cupcakes from the baking tin. Allow them to cool completely on a wire rack.
9. Add softened cream cheese and powdered sugar to a large bowl to prepare the frosting.
Tip! If you’re out of powdered sugar, here is how to make it at home.
10. Using an electric hand mixer, blend these ingredients until creamy.
11. Add the heavy whipping cream and Jell-O powder to the frosting mixture.
12. Whip the cream cheese frosting up until stiff peaks form.
13. Place 1 cup of frosting mixture into a separate bowl. This will be used for the filling in the center of each cupcake later on.
14. Add the remaining frosting to a large piping bag with your desired decorative tip attached. Place it in the refrigerator until it’s ready to use.
15. Grind the freeze-dried strawberries, then add them to the bowl with the 1 cup frosting mixture. Stir them until thoroughly combined, then set aside.
16. Once the cupcakes have completely cooled, use a knife or cupcake corer to remove the center from the top of each cupcake.
17. Fill the middle of each cupcake with the filling mixture using a butter knife or frosting spreader.
18. Take out the piping bag from the fridge and pipe the frosting on top of each cupcake using a circular motion.
19. Serve and enjoy!
Secrets For Making The Best Strawberry Lemon Cupcakes
- Use Room Temperature Ingredients: For easier and smoother mixing and better texture, ensure your ingredients, like the eggs and cream cheese, are already at room temperature before using them.
- Grind Them Up: You can use a blender to grind the freeze-dried strawberries into powder or place the fruits inside a ziplock bag and crush them with a rolling pin until they’ve reached a powder-like consistency.
- Chill For Best Results: To make the frosting firmer and easier to handle, chill it in the fridge for about 30 minutes before you pipe it on each cupcake.
- Check For Doneness: Insert a toothpick at the center of the cupcake to see if it’s finished baking. If the toothpick comes out clean or with only a few moist crumbs, then they’re done.
- Just Add Salt: If needed, incorporate a pinch of salt into the batter or frosting to keep the cupcakes from being overwhelmingly sweet.
How To Serve Strawberry Cupcakes With Cream Cheese
Want to make your batch of strawberry cupcakes with strawberry filling even more enticing? Try any of these presentation ideas:
- Fresh Is Best: Top each cupcake with real strawberries (whole or sliced) for maximum strawberry flavor.
- Strawberries and Cream: Serve the cupcakes with a dollop of whipped cream and some fresh strawberries on the side.
- Flower Power: Add edible flowers on top of every cupcake, making them especially pretty and perfect for garden-themed parties or weddings.
- Tiered Desserts: Use a tiered stand when serving the cupcakes.
- A Touch Of Chocolate: Drizzle melted chocolate or sprinkle chocolate shavings on the frosting for added creaminess.
Amazing Twists On Strawberry Cupcakes Recipe
Here are some fabulous ideas to make your strawberry dessert truly unique:
- Dipped In Chocolate: Dip the cupcakes in melted chocolate before piping the frosting. This will give you strawberry chocolate cupcakes!
- Make Them Lemony: Add lemon zest or juice to the frosting too for a brighter, more citrusy flavor.
- Strawberry Cheesecake-esque: Add some crushed graham crackers at the bottom of the cup liners before pouring the cake batter in to make the cupcakes look like cheesecakes.
- Berry Good: Mix ground freeze-dried strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries for the cupcake filling.
- Vanilla Burst: Add drops of vanilla extract to the batter or frosting to make lovely strawberry vanilla cupcakes.
Storage
In case of leftovers (lucky you!), store them in an airtight container before keeping them in the fridge. They should be safe to eat for up to 4 days.
Store them in a single layer for best results to prevent them from smushing or damaging the frosting.
Once you’re ready to serve these strawberry cupcakes with strawberry filling, let them sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes first. This will help soften the frosting.
One Last Thing
If you’re looking for a fantastic dessert to whip up this Valentine’s Day, try these strawberry cupcakes with strawberry filling! They’re pretty simple to make, and you’ll end up with a sweet treat that tastes and looks so good.
You can serve these cupcakes in many ways to impress your family and friends. And who says you can only make them on Valentine’s Day? They’re practically perfect for any occasion, any day of the year!
This is one pretty pink cupcake recipe you shouldn’t miss!
Your Turn
If you make these strawberry cupcakes with strawberry filling, please take a moment to let me know how you liked them by leaving a rating and a comment below on the recipe card. Follow me on Pinterest and Facebook for more easy and tasty recipes!
More Sweet Recipes To Try This Valentine’s Day
Strawberry Cupcakes With Strawberry Filling: The Perfect Valentine’s Dessert
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- hand mixer
- muffin tin
- cooling rack
- desired decorating tip
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups cottage cheese plain
- 3 eggs
- ⅓ cup lemon juice
- 1 box of strawberry cake mix
Frosting Mix
- 3 oz cream cheese softened
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 3 cups heavy whipping cream cold
- ¼ cup strawberry Jell-O powder
Filling
- 1 cup frosting mix
- ½ cup freeze-dried strawberries ground
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F, then line a 12-cup muffin pan or tin with cupcake liners.
- Combine cottage cheese, lemon juice, and eggs in a large mixing bowl.2 cups cottage cheese, 3 eggs, ⅓ cup lemon juice
- Use a hand mixer to beat the mixture until it’s soft and creamy.
- Add the strawberry cake mix.1 box of strawberry cake mix
- Mix until fully combined.
- Use a cookie scoop to fill the cupcake liners with the mixture until they’re ¾ full.
- Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until the cupcakes are slightly beginning to brown.
- Remove them from the oven, and carefully remove the cupcakes from the baking tin. Allow them to cool completely on a wire rack.
- Add cream cheese and powdered sugar to a large bowl to prepare the frosting.3 oz cream cheese, ¾ cup powdered sugar
- Using an electric hand mixer, blend these ingredients until creamy.
- Add the heavy whipping cream and Jell-O powder to the frosting mixture.3 cups heavy whipping cream, ¼ cup strawberry Jell-O powder
- Whip the cream cheese frosting up until stiff peaks form.
- Place 1 cup of frosting mixture into a separate bowl. This will be used for the filling in the center of each cupcake later on.
- Add the remaining frosting to a large piping bag with your desired decorative tip attached. Place it in the refrigerator until it’s ready to use.
- Grind the freeze-dried strawberries, then add them to the bowl with the 1 cup frosting mixture. Stir them until thoroughly combined, then set aside.½ cup freeze-dried strawberries, 1 cup frosting mix
- Once the cupcakes have completely cooled, use a knife or cupcake corer to remove the center from the top of each cupcake.
- Fill the middle of each cupcake with the filling mixture using a butter knife or frosting spreader.
- Take out the piping bag from the fridge and pipe the frosting on top of each cupcake using a circular motion.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Use Room Temperature Ingredients: For easier and smoother mixing and better texture, make sure your ingredients, like the eggs and cream cheese, are already at room temperature before using them.
- Grind Them Up: You can use a blender to grind the freeze-dried strawberries into powder, or place the fruits inside a ziplock bag and crush them with a rolling pin until they’ve reached a powder-like consistency.
- Chill For Best Results: To make the frosting firmer and easier to handle, you can chill it in the fridge for about 30 minutes before you pipe it on each cupcake.
- Check For Doneness: Insert a toothpick at the center of the cupcake to see if it’s finished baking. If the toothpick comes out clean, or with only a few moist crumbs, then they’re done.
- Just Add Salt: If needed, incorporate a pinch of salt into the batter or frosting to keep the cupcakes from being overwhelmingly sweet.
Nutrition
Tamara Tsaturyan is the owner and writer of Thriving In Parenting, a website focused on providing simple tips for busy parents — easy and healthy recipes, home decor and organization ideas and all things P A R E N T I N G.
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