In this recipe
This recipe for strawberry cupcakes with cream cheese frosting is one of my go-to favorite desserts for parties, and it’s not hard to see why!
As with all cupcakes, they are so much easier to serve than a regular cake.
And it uses a cake mix which means they are incredibly easy and foolproof to make.
But the real magic happens by adding strawberry soda to the mix. It creates a light and fluffy texture that’s a dream to bite into.
Ingredients
This recipe will make 24 cupcakes.
Here is your shopping list:
For the cupcakes
- cake mix: 1 13.5 to 16.5 ounce box of strawberry cake mix – for this recipe I used Betty Crocker strawberry cake .
- soda: 1 cup (8 ounces) of strawberry soda – I used Dr Pepper Strawberries and Cream. (Brand name sodas seem to work better than store brand.)
- dairy: ½ cup (1 stick) butter
- eggs: 3 large ones
For the strawberry cream cheese frosting
- dairy: 8 oz of cream cheese, 2 sticks (1 cup) of butter, ¼ cup of milk
- sugar: 4 cups of powdered sugar
- flavoring: 1 teaspoon of vanilla, 3 tablespoons of strawberry jam
Substitutions and variations
- For even less work, you can make a 2-ingredient version of the cake. Just use 12 ounces of soda and omit the eggs and butter. However the cake won’t rise as much and is softer so it’s harder to frost.
- You can make this recipe with any combination of cake mix and soda if strawberry isn’t what you want. See our list of soda cake combinations if you’re looking for ideas.
- Gluten-free cake mix and diet soda will work if that’s what you prefer.
- To save yourself even more time, you can use store-bought frosting.
- This can be baked in a 9″ x 13″ sheet pan to make it into a cake. You will need to increase the bake time by 5 to 10 minutes.
How to make strawberry cupcakes with cream cheese frosting
1 | Prep work
Take the butter and cream cheese out of the refrigerator a couple of hours ahead of time so they can soften. This will make them much easier to mix.
Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Line 2 12-count muffin tins with cupcake liners.
2 | Mix the batter
Melt ½ cup (1 stick) of butter. You can do this by microwaving it for 30 to 60 seconds in a glass bowl in the microwave. Or by cooking it over low heat on the stove.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the strawberry cake mix, 3 eggs, and melted butter.
Mix using an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.
Remove the bowl from the mixer.
Add in 1 cup soda and mix by hand just until combined.
Don’t do this with the mixer. Too much mixing can cause the soda to lose its fizz and the cake won’t have the light and fluffy texture we’re going for.
3 | Bake
Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners until they are 2/3 full. An ice cream scoop works well for this.
Place the tin in the oven and bake the cupcakes for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Remove the cupcakes from the oven and allow them to cool on a cooling rack for at least 30 minutes.
4 | Make cream cheese frosting
While the cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting.
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the powdered sugar, room temperature cream cheese, and softened butter until smooth and fluffy.
Mix in the vanilla and strawberry jam until well blended.
Add the milk, a little at a time, until you reach your desired frosting consistency.
Be careful not to over whip the frosting as this will result in a thinner consistency.
5 | Decorate
Once the cupcakes are cool, spoon the icing into a piping bag with a large star tip and add the icing in a swirl pattern.
To make them look like little milkshakes, I like to cut straws into 2-inch long pieces and stick them in the frosting for each cupcake.
Storage
The cream cheese in the frosting requires refrigeration or it will melt.
You can store the cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
How to make in advance
To make in advance, bake the cupcakes and prepare the icing as directed but don’t put the frosting on the cupcakes.
Store the icing in the refrigerator and the cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes immediately before serving.
Strawberry Cupcakes With Cream Cheese Icing
Ingredients
For the cupcakes
- 1 13.5 to 16.5 oz box strawberry cake mix
- 3 large eggs (room temperature)
- ½ cup (or 1 stick) butter, melted
- 1 cup strawberry soda
For the frosting
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 8 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)
- 1 cup (or 2 sticks) butter (softened)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 Tablespoons strawberry jam
- ¼ cup milk
Equipment
- measuring cups
- mixer with mixing bowl
- 2 12-count muffin tins
- 24 cupcake liners
- piping bag with large star-shaped tip (such as Wilton 1M tip)
Instructions
Make the cupcakes
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line 2 12-count muffin tins with cupcake liners.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the strawberry cake mix, eggs, and melted butter using an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.1 13.5 to 16.5 oz box strawberry cake mix, 3 large eggs, 1/2 cup (or 1 stick) butter, melted
- Add the soda to the batter and stir by hand just until combined.1 cup strawberry soda
- Carefully pour or spoon the batter into the cupcake liners until they are ⅔ full.
- Bake the cupcakes for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove the cupcakes from the oven and allow them to cool on a cooling rack for at least 30 minutes.
Make the frosting
- Use an electric mixer to cream together the powdered sugar, room temperature cream cheese, and softened butter until smooth.8 ounces cream cheese, 4 cups powdered sugar, 1 cup (or 2 sticks) butter
- Mix in the vanilla and strawberry jam until well blended.1 teaspoon vanilla, 3 Tablespoons strawberry jam
- Add the milk, a little at a time, until you reach your desired frosting consistency. Be careful not to over-mix.¼ cup milk
- Once the cupcakes are cool, spoon the icing into a piping bag with a star tip and swirl it onto the top of each cupcake. For extra decoration, stick a 2-inch section of a straw into the frosting of each cupcake.
Notes
- Don’t use the mixer to mix in the soda. It will lose too much of its fizz which can cause the cake not to rise.
- Be mindful not to over-whip the frosting, as it will result in a thinner consistency icing.
- If your cupcakes have cream cheese frosting, they will need to be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator (for up to a week) until serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.
Have comments or questions about our strawberry soda cupcakes? Tell us in the section below.
This post was originally published on March 25, 2024 but was updated with new content on August 28, 2024.