Who doesn’t love Strawberry Shortcake?
No, not that Strawberry Shortcake. Although, she is awfully cute!
I’m talking about this Strawberry Shortcake.
This soft, crumbly and slightly creamy biscuit “cake” filled with fresh, ripe and juicy strawberries and dreamy pillows of lightly sweetened whipped cream is the quintessential summertime dessert. Doesn’t it look fabulous? The only downside to this luscious treat is that it isn’t the easiest thing in the world to eat at a party. In fact, under those circumstances, it can be downright messy. A whipped cream mustache with strawberry juice dripping down your chin isn’t really a good look for anyone, especially if you’re over the age of six!
So, what if I told you that you could still enjoy all the deliciousness of strawberry shortcake in a neat, self-contained and incredibly delicious little package? You can - if you make these Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes. Imagine! A fluffy little vanilla cupcake, filled with a fresh strawberry gelée and topped with a decadently rich strawberry mascarpone frosting. No muss, no fuss.
Preparing these little lovelies isn’t difficult at all. Just bake yourself some vanilla cupcakes. I like the recipe from NYC’s Magnolia Bakery. The cupcakes have a light, tender crumb and very nice flavor. You can use any cupcake recipe you like. Heck, you can even buy your cupcakes premade and just fill and frost them yourself. How’s that for easy?
Here’s how you do it.
First, cut a cone-shaped chunk out of the center of each cupcake. Fill each with some strawberry gelée filling and top with a thin slice of cake to hold the filling in. Then, just frost the cupcakes and enjoy. You can’t even tell that there’s a big, honkin’ hole in the middle of these cupcakes once they’re frosted! And, they are so amazingly good!
These Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes are the perfect thing to serve at a picnic or to take to the beach. The kids will love them, and you will love me because the kids won’t make a big mess. It’s a “win win” situation for all of us!
So, if you’re looking for a fun and tasty treat to enjoy this holiday weekend, my Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes might be just the thing.
Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes
Ingredients:
- 1 dozen vanilla cupcakes (recipe for Magnolia Bakery cupcakes follows)
- 1 cup Strawberry Gelée (Recipe follows)
- Strawberry Mascarpone Frosting (recipe follows)
Directions:
- Cut a cut a cone-shaped piece of cake out of the center of each cupcake, taking care not to cut through the bottoms. Slice a 1/4-inch piece from the top of each cone and reserve to place back on the filled cupcakes.
- Spoon about a teaspoon of strawberry gelée filling into each cupcake and top with the cone top.
- Using a pastry bag or an offset spatula, frost tops of each cupcake with the strawberry mascarpone frosting.
Magnolia Bakery’s Vanilla Cupcakes
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners; set aside. In a small bowl, combine flours; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth and creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla, and scraping down sides of bowl in between each addition; beat until ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat.
- Divide batter evenly among liners, filling about three-quarters full. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool in tins for 15 minutes. Remove cupcakes from tins, and cool completely on rack. Once cupcakes have cooled, frost as desired.
Makes about 2 dozen cupcakes.
Strawberry Gelée
Ingredients:
- 1 cup strawberry puree
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- 1/2 envelope unflavored powdered gelatin
- 1/2 cup diced, fresh strawberries
Directions:
- Heat puree and sugar in a small saucepan just until it begins to bubble, stirring to dissolve sugar. Stir in lemon juice and remove from heat.
- Put water in a small bowl and sprinkle gelatin on top. Let sit for 5 minutes.
- Add fruit puree mixture to the bowl and stir until gelatin is completely dissolved.
- Stir in diced strawberries and chill until set.
Strawberry Mascarpone Frosting
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup softened butter
- 1 8-ounce container mascarpone, at room temperature
- 1 8-ounce brick cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup fresh strawberries, pureed
- 2 tablespoons strawberry jam
- 4-5 cups powdered sugar
Directions:
- Cream butter, mascarpone and cream cheese together in an electric mixer until soft and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the strawberries and jam. Mix until combined.
- Add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time until the frosting has the sweetness and consistency you desire. If your frosting is not stiff enough to pipe, add more powdered sugar.
- Chill until ready to use.
Enjoy!
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• 73 Comments
Filed Under: Baking, Cakes and Cupcakes, Holiday Dishes, Holidays, Recipes
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On July 02, 2010 at 12:33am, Memoria said...
I know I’m weird for not liking regular strawberry shortcakes, but I do like these cupcakes! I guess I don’t like the biscuits and the lack of regular frosting in shortcakes. I am SO bookmarking this recipe. Your photos are gorgeous as usual!
P.S. I really hope you can stop by my blog to enter in my giveaway. Take care!
On July 02, 2010 at 12:59pm, Susan said...
Done! The paella and the pan look fabulous!
On January 17, 2012 at 4:10pm, Ashley said...
Hi I just had a question about this recipe. In the beginning it says you need 1 dozen vanilla cupcakes but in the recipe you provide to make your own it makes 2 dozen. Does that mean that the recipe for the filling and icing is enough for just 1 dozen cupcakes or 2? Thanks!
On July 02, 2010 at 12:41am, nina said...
Dearie me, Susan, I love these little cupcakes. They are as cute as the real Strawberry Shortcake….The gelee idea is brilliant!
On July 02, 2010 at 12:55am, The Duo Dishes said...
You can make a pre-made cupcake so fancy with a little homemade twist. The gelee is a nice touch.
On July 02, 2010 at 2:24am, Rosa said...
So pretty and delicious! A perfect summer treat!
Cheers,
Rosa
On July 02, 2010 at 6:42am, Jessica @ How Sweet It Is said...
Wow these look incredible! I love that they are stuffed. I bet they are delicious.
On July 02, 2010 at 7:51am, bellini valli said...
These are perfect little desserts that highlight one of my favourites. I know that your July 4th will be filled with great food and family. ENJOY!!!!
On July 02, 2010 at 12:59pm, Susan said...
Tanks, Val! Same to you!
On July 02, 2010 at 8:05am, dani said...
oh i love the idea of turning old faithful desserts into cupcake-y sweet treats…. nice job
On July 02, 2010 at 9:07am, The Blue-Eyed Bakers said...
What a genius idea…! We simply adore strawberry shortcake and any cupcake replicating the flavors are definitely going in the “to make asap” file! Thanks for posting!
On July 02, 2010 at 9:22am, Maybe said...
These cupcakes are gorgeous ! I really want to try your strawberry mascarpone frosting !
On July 02, 2010 at 9:52am, Val said...
That is one yummy looking cupcake.
On July 02, 2010 at 10:24am, Ciaochowlinda said...
Such great looking cupcakes. Anything with mascarpone has my attention. But that traditional shortcake photo is SOOO tempting. I want to dive into the screen after it.
On July 02, 2010 at 1:00pm, Susan said...
Lol! I must admit, the real thing is hard to beat.
On July 02, 2010 at 12:27pm, Faith Kramer said...
Love this idea, but have a question — how would a really good quality strawberry jam work instead of the gelee?
On July 02, 2010 at 1:02pm, Susan said...
Absolutely! I would still mix in some diced fresh berries too. And maybe a splash of lemon or lime juice.
On July 02, 2010 at 3:51pm, Faith Kramer said...
that sounds perfect. the gelee seems fresher and tasty, but I was looking for a way to simplify the recipe for the lazy weekend I have planned.
On July 02, 2010 at 12:33pm, Chele said...
These look so sweet - almost too cute to eat, but I reckon I’d give it a try ;0)
On July 02, 2010 at 1:18pm, Lucy said...
After a long day these are just the prettiest thing to read about! So perfect in every way, and totally hunger-inducing
On July 02, 2010 at 1:39pm, Margaret said...
What a great idea. So cute. And so delicious looking. On my list…
On July 02, 2010 at 5:15pm, Joanne said...
While I do LOVE a good whipped cream mustache…I also love everything better in cupcake form. These look great! I really like that there is a strawberry gelee surprise in the center.
On July 02, 2010 at 5:40pm, Jannett said...
Delicious… Delicious….is all one has to say….
On July 02, 2010 at 7:27pm, Patsy said...
You have done it again! the photos are drool-worthy (as always), but now I have to try making these myself… I know my youngest (the biggest strawberry lover ever) will be sure to give me extra hugs and kisses if I make them for him!
On July 03, 2010 at 6:43am, Avanika (Yumsilicious Bakes) said...
Oh wow Susan, this looks soo good. Unfortunately, strawberry season is over for me
On July 03, 2010 at 12:49pm, Honey said...
OMG… these look sooooooooo good. I love Magnolia Cupcakes so I can only imagine how good the strawberry in it would taste topped off with frosting. I wish I could grab one thru the computer.
By the way, your blog is beautiful. I love the color choices… and the image on top.
-Honey!!
On July 03, 2010 at 3:05pm, ingrid said...
Looks wonderful though to be quite honest I’ve no problem with the messiness but oh, so yummy strawberry shortcake.
Happy 4th!
~ingrid
On July 04, 2010 at 12:42am, Betty said...
These exude cuteness. I love how they’re like a portable shortcake without the mess. My list of things I must bake before my summer vacation is over keeps getting longer and longer
Thanks for sharing!
On July 04, 2010 at 6:41am, Kevin (Closet Cooking) said...
Those strawberry cup cakes look so good! What a nice hidden surprise in them as well!
On July 05, 2010 at 10:23am, Patricia Scarpin said...
I’ve been in a strawberry kick lately and these are perfect, Susan! I can’t wait to bake them myself!
On July 06, 2010 at 10:45pm, Strawberry Shortcake Party Favors said...
I personally likes to make cupcakes, and I love strawberry so much! Love the pictures.
On July 07, 2010 at 5:08pm, The Food Hunter said...
These are awesome!!
On July 09, 2010 at 10:34am, Eliana said...
Strawberry cupcakes don’t get prettier than these. I love them
On July 18, 2010 at 1:12am, Lisle said...
I’m pretty sure I love you. Just sayin’…
On July 25, 2010 at 8:24pm, Kathy @ The Sugar Queen said...
These look out-of-this-world good! I will most definitely have to try these!
On July 28, 2010 at 8:42am, Amanda said...
These are so beautiful!!
On July 31, 2010 at 11:51pm, Jamie said...
My daughters 3rd Birthday is next Sunday. The theme of course is Strawberry Shortcake!
I can’t wait to blow everyone away with these perfect little cakes!!! U have no idea how
happy you’ve made me with these recipies!!!
On August 01, 2010 at 8:16pm, Erika Nichols said...
Will this hold overnight? I want to take it to a baby shower but will not have time that morning before leaving. This looks amazingly decadent.
On August 14, 2010 at 10:34pm, ella said...
I made this recipe today…my whole family loves it! The cake is nice and moist and they love the little “surprise” on the inside! I used strawberry jam and added lemon juice to it and it was still delicious. Thank you!!!
On April 24, 2011 at 1:56am, Samantha said...
These cupcakes were a huge hit. Very delicious and beautiful!. I tried a different but similar frosting recipe this time and did not like it so I will try this one next time. We ended up pulling the frosting off and topping the cupcakes (as in the recipe) with whipped cream. They were to die for! Perfect for our Easter picnic.
On May 24, 2011 at 12:22pm, Jenn said...
I have to make a Strawberry Shortcake for a co-workers birthday & love the cupcake idea instead. I don’t cook normally but can’t really afford to go out & buy a cake. My question is do any stores sell the Strawberry gelee already made. I work 40 hrs & have a 3 year old. So when I get home from work I try to spend my time with him.
On July 08, 2011 at 6:40pm, chelsea said...
I just made this frosting and it is very runny. Is there a way to make it more ‘frosting-like’ so I can pipe it onto the cupcakes.
On July 08, 2011 at 6:59pm, Susan said...
Hmmm. I would recommend adding more powdered sugar. If the frosting gets too sweet, you could also add more mascarpone or plain cream cheese to thicken it up.
On July 17, 2011 at 10:14pm, Trishelle said...
I made these this evening and I also had issues with the frosting. EXTREMELY runny. I stopped at eight cups of powdered sugar and have resorted to sticking the bowl of frosting in the freezer to see if I can “stiffen” it up to be able to pipe it on the cupcakes. Hopefully I can get them done. I want them to work so badly!
On July 23, 2011 at 11:18pm, Ralia said...
I am making these cupcakes for my daughter’s first birthday tomorrow. I doubled the frosting recipe and something is amiss. The frosting looks grainy and it is incredibly runny and I used 10 cups powdered sugar. It is WAY too sweet to serve now. Any thoughts on what went wrong? I’ll try it again tomorrow with some tips…
On August 19, 2011 at 11:38pm, Rachel said...
Making these for my sister in law’s shower tomorrow bc I showed the recipe to her, and she wanted these over a cake. I’ve made 50 cupcakes right now, so I will be doing the frosting and gelee in the morning. I’ve already goofed though
I bought yellow cupcakes instead of the vanilla ones. Oh well. I’m sure they’ll still taste amazing
On August 22, 2011 at 2:32am, Violet said...
@Rachel How did they turn out with the yellow mix? I wanna make 50 of these for a wedding. Did the frosting hold well during the event?
On December 28, 2011 at 11:05pm, Emily said...
I just made these for a baby shower, the frosting does not work. I followed the recipe exactly as written, at 5 cups of powdered sugar I had something the consistency of a glaze, because I needed to be at the party in 45 minutes I just kept adding sugar, after 2 lbs it still wasn’t frosting, it was incredibly runny & didn’t taste like anything other than powdered sugar $5.99 worth of mascarpone $2 worth of powdered sugar, plus butter strawberries & jam in the garbage =( Thank goodness I had some cream in the fridge, ended up whipping that and piping it on top.
On April 21, 2012 at 12:38am, Hailee said...
I just used this recipe but didn’t have self rising flour so I used 1 1/4 tsp baking powder and 1/8 tsp salt they came out lovely and I filled them with a fresh strawberry salad and homemade whip cream .. They were so light and fluffy and it tasted just like heaven!
On May 17, 2012 at 11:45pm, Lara said...
The issue with the frosting is that there is too much strawberry puree/jam in it. I make the frosting as a buttercream and then SLOWLY add in the strawberry puree. If you add too much too quickly, it will curdle and become runny and there is no way to fix it. No amount of powdered sugar or mascarpone is going to fix it. If you have any more questions, feel free to email me. desiringdesserts@gmail.com. Have a delicious day
On May 20, 2012 at 5:33pm, Lauren said...
Made these today and the cupcakes came out tasting wonderful. The frosting was a little thin but here’s what I did…… I used 2 8oz blocks of cream cheese instead of the mascarpone. Live in an area where most people have never heard of it! I end up using 6 cups of powdered sugar but it was still a little thin, decided to put it in the refrigerator to stiffen it up. That did the trick and piped easily on the cupcakes. I will be keeping these in the fridge so the frosting holds it’s shape. Note this was way too much frosting for 24 cupcakes so next time I will be halving the recipe and try a little less strawberry purée in the frosting to see how it works. Great recipe and thanks for sharing!
On July 03, 2012 at 8:31pm, Racheal said...
After you make these, fil them and frosting them… should you keep them in the fridge until ready to serve? I want to make them for tomorrow… and I’m thinking because of the frostings and strawberry gelee… that they need to be kept cool…
On November 04, 2012 at 10:25am, fnatalie said...
I have to admit this was a pinterest fail recipe…first you do start out by saying that this makes 12 cupcakes (yes I should have read further down your directions) but I was making these for my sisters baby shower and wanted to make sure that I had enough of the ingredients if they only did make 12. So I quadrupled the recipe and now have 24 extra oz. of cream cheese and mascarpone. Second I had them in my oven for under twenty minutes and the bottom were very brown? And lastly this is the worst recipe for a frosting I have ever used! It was so runny, and believe me I used almost an entire bag of confectioner sugar, and it never “thicken up”. If this is truly your recipe and one that you have made with success to look like the picture above, then there was a trick or something else you did differently that should be shared with those who use your blog…or else they too will find it a pinterest fail.
On May 19, 2013 at 1:11am, Christina said...
I made these yesterday for my daughters B-day….but I could not get the frosting right. I tried it twice and even used almost 2lb of powered sugar the second time but the frosting was too thin and there was no way to pipe it on. The first time I tried to put it in the fridge for an hour and it didn’t make any difference in the soupiness. Not sure what I did wrong…..the cupcake it self was delish!! I ended up using a strawberry meringue butter cream for the frosting. If you have any tips on the frosting I would love to try it again. Thank you.
On June 16, 2013 at 9:59pm, Janine said...
Frosting tasted delicious, but had the same issue as another baker — the frosting didn’t hold up no matter how much powdered sugar I added. I think the ratio of cheese and butter is off. If the butter were upped to 1/2 cup, I think it would hold up. Agree that it’s a decent pile of money down the drain…Good thing my family is forgiving! They were able to look past the aesthetics and enjoy the flavor 😉
On April 04, 2015 at 10:44pm, Jessica said...
Boy, I sure wish I read the comments all the way through before I started! I was also confused about the 2 dozen/single dozen issue. I decided to try and bake it as a two-layer 8″ square cake. The cake came out really moist and pretty good. I don’t love the flavor on its own, but with strawberries it is pretty tasty. Anyway, I made double the gelee and double the frosting which was waaaay too much…I’m wishing the instructions were better about mentioning how much those recipes yield,
I am having a HUGE issue with the frosting. I just made my double batch, and just like the others, it is soooo runny. Luckily, I don’t need it until tomorrow. I added 2.25lbs of powdered sugar and it did nothing but make it soooo super sweet. I think it might be ruined. I don’t have a back up, either, as it is for Easter tomorrow morning and I have no other frosting. So I’m hoping and hoping that putting it in the fridge overnight will help firm it up. I’m too afraid to add more marscapone or cream cheese! I might take half of what I maded and experiment with it. Potentially lots of money wasted, my entire evening with my family wasted, and now I don’t know if I’ll have a dessert to serve for Easter tomorrow. Fingers crossed for the frosting setting up more tomorrow.
Susan, could you look into this issue further and update the recipe? Posting a solution in the comments really doesn’t help anyone who might not want to read every comment to figure out potential issues.