These Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes have a creamy no bake cheesecake center and are topped with homemade strawberry frosting. These easy cupcakes are flavorful and perfect for every spring or summer celebration.
I have decided to give up sugar for a week or two. This is very hard for my sweet tooth to handle. So far, it has been good, but it has only been one day. Thank goodness for this Healthy Chocolate Lava Cake! I may eat one every day.
I want to see if it makes a difference in my weight. Sadly, that means I can't bake for that time either because I always find myself taste-testing when I am baking. That kind of breaks the no-sugar rule. It's all lean and green recipes this week!!!
Now, I know some of you are cheering because you think that means no sugary pictures to tempt you and make you drool. Well, that's not true because I have plenty of ones I haven't even shared yet.
So, even though I won't be eating things like these Take 5 Bars this week, I'm still going to share them with you.
Let's start with some strawberry cupcakes with cheesecake filling. Cupcakes that have fresh fruit and dairy in them can't be a bad thing, right?
Okay, okay. I'll just share how to make them, and you can enjoy them for me until I come to my senses and start enjoying sugar again.
Key Ingredients
For the Strawberry Cupcakes
- Strawberry Cake Mix - This particular recipe uses a box cake mix. Doctored-up cake mixes are my specialty. If you like to bake from scratch, that works too.
- Instant Strawberry Pudding Mix - Adding pudding mix to a cake batter gives it more structure and makes it bake more moist.
- Oil - Helps the cake bake moist, fluffy, and tender. You can use melted butter, but butter has water added to it, so while it may taste better, the texture isn't the same.
- Large Eggs - They provide structure in recipes. It is important to follow the recipe and use the specified egg size, as it affects the amount of liquid in the recipe.
- Milk - Using milk instead of water makes a cake mix taste more like a homemade cake. Using buttermilk will also add a rich flavor.
For the Homemade Strawberry Frosting
- Shortening & Butter - Using a combo of these 2 ingredients gives the buttercream a better structure for piping.
- Salt - Balances out the sweetness.
- Vanilla & Strawberry Extract - Mixing these two extracts adds a great flavor to the box mix.
- Strawberries - For the best flavor, choose sweet, ripe strawberries. Puree the berries in a blender or food processor. If the berries are not juicy, add a little bit of water.
- Powdered Sugar - Thickens the strawberry buttercream and adds sweetness. Use more if you want a thicker frosting, although this will affect the strawberry flavor.
How to Make Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes
- Mix the dry strawberry cake, pudding mix, eggs, oil, and milk. Divide the batter evenly in the muffin liners and bake for 18-20 minutes.
- Cool the cupcakes, then completely remove the center of the cupcakes using a cupcake corer or a small knife.
- Whisk together the pudding mix and milk. Beat the cream cheese until creamy, then add the pudding mixture and beat again.
- Fold in the Cool Whip gently. Fill the centers of the cupcakes with the no-bake cheesecake mixture.
- Puree the fresh strawberries in a blender or food processor.
- Mix together the frosting ingredients until nice and creamy.
- Swirl the frosting on top of the cupcakes and refrigerate until you are ready to serve them.
- Top with a fresh strawberry and graham cracker sticks before serving if desired.
FAQs
Feel free to use an instant vanilla or white chocolate pudding mix. You can also add 1-2 spoonfuls of strawberry jello to the batter to amp up the strawberry flavor.
Yes. Melted butter is a fine substitution for oil. However, cakes and cupcakes baked with oil bake up with a better crumb texture and stay moist for longer.
More Strawberry Recipes
It only takes a few minutes to make and then to enjoy fresh Homemade Strawberry Pie Filling. It is perfect for pies, cakes, breakfast pastries, or spreading on toast.
Layers of fruit, yogurt, and granola make these Healthy Strawberry Yogurt Parfaits an easy and fresh breakfast choice. Start the day out right by grabbing a jar as you walk out the door.
Layers of cake cubes, no bake cheesecake, and fresh fruit makes this Strawberry Key Lime Cheesecake Trifle an easy dessert to make for spring or summer dinners.
This dreamy Strawberry Cream Pie is the perfect way to showcase these luscious berries.
These Cheesecake Stuffed Cookies have a sweet cream cheese filling and a crunchy sugar coating.
Homemade Strawberry Waffles are just the thing to make your weekend awesome. Everyone loves a day that starts with waffles, right?
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Recipe
Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes
These Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes have a creamy no bake cheesecake center and and are topped with homemade strawberry frosting. These easy cupcakes are bursting with flavor and are the perfect dessert for every spring celebration.
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
- 1 strawberry cake mix
- 1 (3.4 ounce) instant strawberry pudding mix
- ½ cup oil
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup milk
For the Cheesecake Filling
- 1 (3.4 ounce) package instant cheesecake pudding mix
- ½ cup milk
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 ¼ cups Cool Whip, thawed (from an 8 ounce container)
For the Strawberry Butter Cream
- ½ cup shortening
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon strawberry extract
- ¾ cup diced ripe strawberries
- 5-6 cups powdered sugar
- 24 whole strawberries
- 48 graham cracker cookie sticks
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line muffin tins with 24 cupcake liners.
- Beat the cake mix, pudding mix, oil, milk, and eggs for 2 minutes. Spoon batter into the prepared muffin tins.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the tops spring back. Cool on a wire rack.
- In a small bowl, whisk the milk and pudding mix until creamy and thick.
- Beat the cream cheese until creamy. Add the pudding and beat again. Fold in the whipped topping.
- Use a cupcake corer or small knife to cut out the center of the cupcakes. Spoon the cheesecake filling into a piping bag with icing tip 12 and fill the centers. Refrigerate while you make the frosting.
- Beat the shortening and butter until creamy. Add the salt, vanilla, and strawberry extract and beat again.
- Slowly add half the powdered sugar until it is mixed in.
- Place the strawberries in a food processor or blender and puree. If your strawberries are not ripe and juicy, you may need to add 1 Tablespoon of water.
- Pour the strawberry puree into the frosting and beat until creamy. Add the rest of the powdered sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
- Use a large piping bag and icing tip 1M to swirl the frosting on the chilled cupcakes. Refrigerate cupcakes until time to serve.
- Add the cookie sticks and a fresh strawberry to the top of each cupcake right before serving.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 886Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 56mgSodium: 301mgCarbohydrates: 174gFiber: 2gSugar: 152gProtein: 5g
Nutrition facts are an estimate and are not guaranteed to be accurate. If you need special diet advice, please see a registered dietician.
(original photo from April 2011)
*The post for Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes was first published April 26, 2011. The pictures & recipe were updated March 2017. The post was republished January 30, 2021.
HoosierHomemade
Those look amazing! Love strawberries this time of year.
Would you mind sharing where you found the liners?
Thanks so much for joining us on Cupcake Tuesday!
~Liz
Jayna Rae
Mmmm . . . Love them already. I actually make some mean fresh strawberry cupcakes, but this will be great for those quickies when I don't have time to be baking from scratch.
Mrs. C
Could these look anymore dreamier? love the strawberry flav!!
Cara @ The Boys Made Me Do It
I'm definitely going to have to make these and BOO to no sugar but I know it sometimes can make a huge difference too!
Megan @ Cut the Craft!
These sound delishious! And I'm loving the liner!:)
~Rosanne
Maybe I should join you on the " no sugar" for two weeks. My 20 year class reunion is the middle of May. But I also would not be able to bake cause I have zero will power when it comes to warm cookies out of the oven.
Rose Atwater
I will be making this for my sis-in-law... she loves strawberry cake and she's going to FLIP over these!!!
bookaddict4real
I applaud you for trying to give up sugar even if it's a week or two.
Chocolate is what keeps me going so I can't imagine my life without it.
Madigan at madiganmade
Wait, did I just read this correctly? You are giving up sugar?!
I would have such a hard time not eating one of these beauties. That filling on the inside is calling my name! 🙂
Jessi
Yum! The picture is making me drool. And I love the leopard print!
Leah
So glad you had a good Easter! 🙂 And these cupcakes look delish, and perfect for spring/summer time- yum!
Bakergirl
These look amazing. Strawberry cheesecake might be my most favorite thing on the planet, but in cupcake form? Even better. I'm glad you had such a happy Easter! 🙂
Julie
A) I would love nothing more than to ivite myself to your home for some Peanut Butter Pancakes and some of those delicious looking Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes. Just sayin'.... if your ever near Wylie, Texas feel free to invade my kitchen and show me how its done.
B) Thank you so much for your comment today. I really appreciate it and needed it. You are right... we have no need to apologize for being crafty. I think that is the biggest reason I blog, because I know that everyone that reads my blog appreciates the hard work and everyones blog I read I appreciate their hard work. It is just such a great forum to really share what we have done with others who are mostly in the same situation.
Anyways, thank you for the comment and have a fabulous day! <3 Julie
melifaif
You are the only lady I love who makes me gain weight. These I am making THIS weekend...oh my...glory!!!
carissa @ lowercase letters
I think our sweet teeth are on the same level. So I know how hard it is to go without. I know you can make it though! Strawberry cupcakes... Mmmm! I have given up baking except for once or twice/month. I had to bc I was so addicted. Maybe the strawberry cupcakes could be for Sage's 1st bday in June! They're pink - how perfect!
Kristan
YUM!! These look amazing 🙂 Strawberry and cheesecake are two of my most favorite flavors!!
Happy Tuesday xoxo
Kristan
Cookbook Queen
Christa
Good luck on the not eating sugar for a week! That would be VERY hard...but I'm sure VERY good for you. 😉 I love the cupcake liner in the picture. So cute! And the cupcakes of course look delicious!
Marisa
these look beyond amazing!!! Mmmmmmmmmmmmm!
The Miller Five
These look absolutely delicious. We too decided to eat healthier, so no sweets for a while. I'll bookmark this one for when we come to our senses. Thanks for making this diet thing harder! 😉
kayla
Oh my heck, these sound amazing!!!
Judy Alexander
Just made them. They are excellent!!