It is my boss’s birthday this week and I wanted to bring in something to celebrate. I mean, you kind of have to, right?!! I wasn’t exactly sure what time we would want to break into the cupcakes, so I didn’t want to make something that was too over-the-top in case we would be eating these earlier in the day (And it was good idea too because we ate them before having lunch). I opted for vanilla cupcakes with strawberry buttercream frosting.
Sounds easy enough, right? Well, not if you are not the best baker, like myself. These cupcakes were a labor of love for me. First, I tried to make the cupcakes from scratch and for whatever reason, they tasted like cornbread, so I threw them out and had to start again. Except, I didn’t have much time so I went for Plan B…my doctored up cake mix recipe which is still totally delicious, by the way.
Then came the frosting. Oh, the frosting. I wanted to do a strawberry meringue buttercream, but after adding my puree to the mixture, the frosting just did not come together. Luckily I had powdered sugar on hand so that I was able to to just make some simple buttercream.
Despite my difficulties with these cupcakes, I was pretty happy with how these turned out. The cake is light and is perfectly moist. The fresh strawberry buttercream is definitely my favorite part though. It’s just magical and bursts with fresh strawberry flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 box vanilla cake mix
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 box instant vanilla pudding
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 4-5 cups confectioner's sugar
- 1/3 cup fresh strawberry puree (about 1 1/2 cups hulled strawberries)
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- milk (to thin out if needed)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners and lightly spray with non-stick spray.
- Add the cake mix to a large bowl. Stir in the flour. Make a well in the center and add in the eggs, oil, milk, sour cream, pudding, and the vanilla extract. Mix everything together until just combined.
- Divide the batter evenly amongst each baking cup. I prefer for my cupcakes to be larger, so I fill mine to just over 3/4 of the way full.
- Bake for about 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow for the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and confectioner's sugar.
- Pour in the strawberry puree and the vanilla extract and mix until the frosting is well-combined. If the frosting seems to thick, add some milk, one tablespoon at a time until the frosting reaches your desired consistency.
- Spread or pipe the frosting on cooled cupcakes. If you are going to pipe the frosting, I recommend putting the frosting in the freezer for about 10-15 minutes first as this will make the piping easier.
Notes
Because I like my cupcakes to be larger, I get about 18 out of this recipe instead of the usual 24 that a box of cake mix typically yields.
Looking for a doctored chocolate cake mix recipe? Go here!
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I bet your boss will love them!! I love the freshness of the strawberries puree in the frosting.
Ramona recently posted..15 Bean and Sausage Soup
oops… I meant strawberry puree.
Ramona recently posted..15 Bean and Sausage Soup
Thanks, Ramona! She loved them!
Mmmmmm…..your buttercream sounds amazing! And I LOVE your cupcake papers…makes such a beautiful presentation!
Liz recently posted..Classic Pizza Dough…#Twelve Loaves
Thank you, Liz! I got them at Michaels.
Love the fresh strawberries in the buttercream frosting!
Thanks, Jessica! The frosting is my favorite part!
So pretty!!! Looove the cupcake liners, too!
Anne recently posted..Blueberries
Thanks girl!
I love the red flecks of strawberry puree in the frosting. These are so adorable and look absolutely delicious. Hard to imagine your boss not devouring these!
Elaine @ Cooking to Perfection recently posted..Lemon Blueberry Bread Pudding
Thank you, Elaine! I love the fresh strawberry puree in the frosting.
I have two birthdays in my office tomorrow and I know these cupcakes would be a huge hit!!! I have to gather all the ingredients and make these! Yum!!
Jennifer @ Peanut Butter and Peppers recently posted..Pork Medallion with Caramelized Onions and Fennel
These would be great to bring!
Summertime in dessert form
claire @ the realistic nutritionist recently posted..Low-fat Parmesan & Rosemary Mashed Potatoes
I know! I just couldn’t wait to start buying lots of strawberries!
These put the biggest smile on my face. Remind me when I was little when I wouldn’t eat anything but vanilla and strawberry
RavieNomNoms recently posted..Banana Bread
Thanks, Raven! I don’t blame you, strawberry and vanilla are the perfect combo!
I seriously want to lick my computer screen and taste some of that frosting!! YUM!
Shawn @ I Wash…You Dry recently posted..Creamy Buffalo Blue Cheese Stuffed Celery
Haha, lick away!
These lttle cupcakes are so adorably feminine and pretty! Lovely flavor and color!
Thanks, Georgia! I love how girly they are!
These are so beautiful…and I’m sure they tasted amazing. Baking mishaps can be such a pain, but it’s great when they turn out like this! Thank you for sharing another dose of inspiration. I hope you are having a great week and are staying warm.
Thank you for the kind words, Monet!
These looks so yummy. I love the pink and your liners are so cute!
Emily @ Life on Food recently posted..WIAW in Michigan
Thanks, Emily! The liners are so much fun, aren’t they?!
Yum! Strawberry buttercream–i’m sold!
katie recently posted..Individual Bacon-Cheddar Meat Loaves
Thanks, Katie! It’s the best part for sure!
Oh my goodness – that frosting looks unbelievable! These sound completely wonderful!
Ali | Gimme Some Oven recently posted..potato soup with bacon and truffle oil
Thank you, Ali! The frosting is really amazing!
Oh my gosh, Steph–these cupcakes are gorgeous! And that strawberry buttercream.. just pass me a spoon and I’m good!
Hayley @ The Domestic Rebel recently posted..Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownie Bombs
These are so beautiful, I would be super pleased to be the recipient of such a goodie!! I’m sure your boss was smitten!
Emily Lynne {The Best of this Life} recently posted..Jill and Jenny // A Web Series
Strawberry buttercream? I just had to wipe the drool from my face! Your boss is very lucky to have you. These sound amazing!
a farmer in the dell recently posted..rosemary parmesan chickpea sweet potatoes
Gorgeous! You’ll be sure to get some brownie points with your boss!
Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious recently posted..Shrimp Dumplings
Absolutely beautiful! No doubt your boss loved them!
Wendy @ AMFT recently posted..Snow in the Desert {Snow Ice Cream Recipe}
Strawberry cupcakes are my favorite, Stephanie! I love the way you did the frosting on these!
gorgeous pictures, I once made strawberry cupcakes low fat and they were a disaster, these need to be full fat baby! love them.
Honey What’s Cooking recently posted..Friday’s Favorite Things – 2.22.13
I need to make these and hide in my closet with the entire batch and eat them. Mine! All mineeeeee!!! They look wonderful, Stephanie
JanetFCTC recently posted..Caramel Apple Snack Cake
These are gorgeous! I love that you can see the flecks of strawberry in the frosting!
Thanks for linking up to What’s Cookin’ Wednesday!
Karly recently posted..International Delight Light Iced Coffee
Thank you, Karly!!
Just made the cupcakes with strawberry cake mix and followed your recipe for the rest – they are amazing! Light, moist and scrumptious! I can’t wait to make the frosting! How does this frosting stand up to room temp? I’m thinking of piping them dolluped in the middle but don’t want them to lose their shape when they’re out.
I’m so glad that you like the recipe, Nicole! As for the frosting, It will stand up okay if it is out for a few hours in room temperature. I like to stick my frosting in the fridge or the freezer for a little while after I mix it up as it makes it easier to pipe. Sometimes that helps it stand up nicer too.
Thanks for the tip, they turned out beautifully! And the frosting is phenomenal. Just phenomenal. I made it for a bake sale tomorrow and I know they’ll be a hit! That is, if I don’t eat them all tonight