My strawberry shortcake cupcakes recreate the magic of the classic Good Humor ice cream bar in cupcake form. I fill fluffy vanilla cupcakes with a vanilla pudding core and top them with creamy buttercream, a crunchy strawberry shortcake crumble, and fresh sugared strawberries on top! Made with several pantry-staple shortcuts, this is a foolproof recipe that’s full of nostalgic flavor!
Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes with Crumble
I love classic strawberry shortcake, but I’ll admit I still crave those nostalgic ice cream truck flavors from my youth. These strawberry shortcake cupcakes give me that hit of crunchy and creamy, all wrapped up into a cupcake for year-round enjoyment.
I keep things simple with a reliable cake mix base and a ready-to-eat pudding filling. Topped with a simple 4-ingredient buttercream frosting, these cupcakes are pretty easy to make despite how many components they have. It takes me just a minute to crush some Golden Oreos, Jell-O mix, and food coloring to mimic the crunchy outside of an ice cream bar, and a bit of fresh fruit on top gives these cupcakes a pop of fresh flavor. These were a total hit at Henry’s last school bake sale!
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Chill, Then Press!
For a true bakery finish, chill your piped cupcakes for 10 minutes before rolling them in the strawberry crunch. This firms up the buttercream walls, allowing you to firmly press the crumbs into the sides so they actually stick without collapsing the frosting ring
Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes Recipe
Equipment
- Cupcake Tin
- Stand Mixer
- Piping Tip Set
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
- 15.25 ounces vanilla cake mix (1 box)*
- 1 cup water
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter melted
- 3 large eggs
For the Strawberries:
- 1 cup chopped strawberries **
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
For the Buttercream:
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature (2 sticks)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons milk optional
For the Topping:
- 5 golden Oreos crushed***
- 1 tablespoon strawberry Jell-O mix ****
- Pink food coloring optional
For Assembly:
- ½ cup ready-to-eat vanilla pudding (1 snack cup)
Instructions
For the Cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a cupcake tin with liners and set aside.
- Mix the cake mix, water, butter, and eggs in a medium bowl.15.25 ounces vanilla cake mix, 1 cup water, ⅓ cup unsalted butter, 3 large eggs
- Fill the cupcake liners ¾ full of batter and place into the oven to bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean or with moist crumbs. Once baked, remove from the oven and place onto a wire rack to cool.
For the Strawberries:
- In a small bowl, combine the chopped strawberries and sugar to allow the sugar to sweeten the strawberries. Set aside.1 cup chopped strawberries, ⅓ cup granulated sugar
For the Buttercream:
- Combine all of the buttercream ingredients except the milk in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on low for 1 minute to allow the powdered sugar to become incorporated. Increase the speed to high and beat for another 3-4 minutes, or until a fluffy, smooth frosting has formed. Add the milk, if needed, to thin the consistency.3 cups powdered sugar, 1 cup unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons milk
- Fill a piping bag fitted with a star tip with buttercream and set aside.
For the Topping:
- Add the crushed Oreos, strawberry Jell-O, and a dot of pink food coloring to a small bowl. Stir until it is completely mixed and the Oreos have begun to turn somewhat pink.5 golden Oreos, 1 tablespoon strawberry Jell-O mix, Pink food coloring
For Assembly:
- Once the cupcakes are cooled, use a piping tip or an apple corer to remove the center of each cupcake. Place that piece of cupcake to the side, but do not discard it.
- Fill a piping bag with the prepared vanilla pudding. Fill the empty centers of the cupcakes with vanilla pudding just below the top edge of the cupcake. Replace the piece of cupcake that you took out of the center and push it down into the vanilla pudding to hold it in.½ cup ready-to-eat vanilla pudding
- Pipe an empty circle of vanilla buttercream around the edge of the cupcake about 2-3 layers high. Chill the cupcakes for 10 minutes to firm up, then gently roll the buttercream through the strawberry Oreo mixture to coat. Lastly, spoon several sugared strawberry pieces into the middle of the buttercream before serving.
Notes
- If you let the sugared strawberries sit for about 10 minutes before frosting your cupcakes, the sugar will begin to melt, and you will have a strawberry syrup. Strain the strawberries through a fine-mesh sieve before spooning them into the center. Reserve that syrup to drizzle over the cupcakes just before serving.
- When making the buttercream, the longer you whip it, the fluffier it will become as air becomes incorporated. However, over-whipping your buttercream can cause it to separate. The longest I usually like to whip buttercream is about 6-8 minutes.
- If you are having a hard time getting the Jell-O and food coloring to combine with the crushed Oreos, do not be afraid to get in there with your hands and break up the Jell-O and food coloring pockets with your fingertips.
- If you want to have extra strawberry flavor, you can add 1 tsp of strawberry flavoring to the vanilla pudding as you are stirring it together.
- Ensure your cupcakes are completely cold before coring them, or the pudding will melt into the cupcakes.
- If your pudding is watery, stir in 1 tbsp of powdered sugar to thicken it up.
How to Make Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes Step-by-Step
Mix the Batter: Preheat your oven to 350°F, line a cupcake tin with paper liners, and set aside. Mix 15.25 ounces (1 box) of vanilla cake mix, 1 cup of water, ⅓ cup of melted unsalted butter, and 3 large eggs in a medium bowl. Take care not to overmix, or your cupcakes will turn out dry.
Bake the Cupcakes: Fill the cupcake liners ¾ full of batter (I like to use a measuring cup or a cookie portion scoop to do this). Don’t overfill, or the cupcakes will overflow and collapse. Place into the preheated oven to bake for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean or with moist crumbs. Once baked, remove from the oven and place onto a wire rack to cool.
Macerate the Strawberries: In a small bowl, combine 1 cup of chopped strawberries and ⅓ cup of granulated sugar to allow the sugar to sweeten the strawberries. Set aside while you make the buttercream and crumble. If you notice syrup forming at the bottom of the bowl, strain the strawberries before adding them to the cupcakes. You can drizzle the syrup over top just before serving.
Whip the Buttercream: Combine 3 cups of powdered sugar, 1 cup of room-temperature unsalted butter, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on low for 1 minute to allow the powdered sugar to become incorporated. Increase the speed to high and beat for another 3-4 minutes, or until a fluffy, smooth frosting has formed. If you feel that your buttercream is too thick, simply add the milk 1 tablespoon at a time. You may not need it at all. Fill a piping bag fitted with a star tip with buttercream and set aside.
Make the Crumble: Add 5 crushed Golden Oreos, 1 tablespoon of strawberry Jell-O mix, and a dot of pink food coloring to a small bowl. Stir until it is completely mixed and the Oreos have begun to turn somewhat pink.
Hollow the Cupcakes: Once the cupcakes are cooled, use a piping tip or an apple corer to remove the center of each cupcake. Don’t press all the way through to the bottom; only go down about 1 inch. Place that piece of cupcake to the side, but do not discard it.
Fill the Cupcakes: Fill a piping bag with ½ cup of ready-to-eat vanilla pudding. Fill the empty centers of the cupcakes with vanilla pudding just below the top edge of the cupcake. Replace the piece of cupcake that you took out of the center and push it down into the vanilla pudding to hold it in.
Frost the cupcakes: Pipe an empty circle of vanilla buttercream around the edge of the cupcake about 2-3 layers high. Chill the frosted cupcakes for 10 minutes to firm up the frosting, then gently roll the buttercream through the strawberry Oreo mixture to coat. Lastly, spoon several sugared strawberry pieces into the middle of the buttercream. Serve and enjoy!
How to Store
Store leftover strawberry shortcake cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. I do not recommend freezing these cupcakes, as both the pudding centers and the strawberries on top tend to turn watery once thawed.
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