Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes with White Chocolate Frosting

Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes combine the best of cheesecake but in strawberry cupcake form! Topped with the best white chocolate frosting, they are so easy to make.

If you want a low-fuss strawberry cupcake recipe that uses cake mix this is the recipe for you!

There are times when nothing but from-scratch baking will do, but this is not one of those times. This time we’re taking cake mix, doctoring it up, and turning it into the most amazing Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes. 

Cake mix is my friend and it has saved me on so many occasions. You know, like when you get a last-minute request for eight dozen cupcakes and on the outside you’re like, “Sure! No problem!” while on the inside you’re feeling like the screaming emoji face. Yep, been there.

And the thing is, when you doctor it up no one even knows you used a mix. Take, for example, these strawberry cheesecake cupcakes from cake mix. All we’re doing is using the mix and dressing it up with strawberry puree, sour cream and then baking the batter with a serious dollop of cheesecake filling.

They look so custom and fancy and well, complicated, but they really aren’t. That is why I love cake mix.

They have all the flavors of strawberry cheesecake but baked up as adorable cupcakes topped with white chocolate frosting. Oh, and let me warn you: these are not wimpy cheesecake cupcakes. When you take a bite, the center is filled with cheesecake filling. Sliced in half they look like strawberry cheesecake swirl cupcakes – they are so rich and decadent.

How to Make Cheesecake Cupcakes

This strawberry cheesecake cupcakes recipe has three parts: the strawberry cupcakes, the cheesecake filling, and the white chocolate frosting. So, let’s break it down and start with the cupcake batter:

• Room-temperature large eggs
• Room-temperature sour cream
• Melted unsalted butter
• Strawberry cake mix
• Strawberries (fresh or thawed if frozen)

First, puree the strawberries in a blender until smooth. Set this aside.

In a large bowl, combine the sour cream with the eggs. Add the butter and mix until combined. Add the cake mix and strawberry puree in batches, alternating between the two, until the batter comes together and is well combined.

Scoop about 2 tablespoons of the batter into a cupcake pan lined with cupcake liners.

For the cream cheese filling you will need:

• Room-temperature cream cheese
• Sugar
• Vanilla
• Room temperature egg

Mix all of the ingredients together until smooth. Drop 1 to 2 tablespoons of this mixture on top of the cupcake batter in the pan.

Bake the cupcakes for 15 to 18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool them completely before frosting.

White Chocolate Frosting

For the frosting you will need white chocolate chips, heavy cream, and unsalted butter. 

Place the chocolate chips in a large bowl. In a sauce pan, bring the heavy cream to a boil and then pour it over the white chocolate chips. Stir until the chips are melted and smooth.

Add the butter and stir until it has melted and the mixture is smooth. Place the bowl in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, stirring it every 15 minutes. 

Once it’s chilled, beat the mixture on high speed until it’s fluffy and can be piped or spread onto the cupcakes. Pipe onto the cooled cupcakes.

A Few Recipe Notes

• You can use frozen strawberries instead of fresh ones but you will need to thaw them first.
• When you blend the strawberries, you will end up with one cup of puree which is more than you need for this recipe. You can store the extra in the refrigerator for up to five days and use it in other recipes. Or, freeze it for up to three months.
• It’s very important to use room-temperature sour cream and eggs. Room temperature ingredients mix better and will combine much easier than if they’re cold. Just leave them sit out for 30 minutes before you use them.
• You can make the cupcakes ahead and freeze them for later. This is really helpful if they’re for an event. Just thaw them and then make the frosting and pipe it onto the cupcakes.
• Once you’ve made the cupcakes store them in the refrigerator if you are not planning to serve them right away. Any leftover cupcakes should be stored in the refrigerator, too.

These sweet treats are perfect all year, but especially during the summer when fresh strawberries are in season. The combination of cheesecake and strawberries is the best! Everyone will love this cream cheese cupcakes recipe and you’re going to love how easy they are to make.

Other Cupcakes I Love

• Vanilla Cupcakes
• Red Velvet Cheesecake Cupcakes
• Carrot Cake Cheesecake Cupcakes
• Chocolate Cupcakes

Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes with White Chocolate Frosting

4 from 3 votes

Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes combine the best of strawberry cheesecake but in cupcake form! They are topped with the best white chocolate frosting and are so easy to make. If you want a low-fuss strawberry cupcake recipe that uses cake mix this is the recipe for you!

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Yield 18 cupcakes

Serving Size 1 cupcake

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Ingredients

 

For the Cupcakes

• ▢ 4 large eggs , room temperature
• ▢ 1 cup sour cream , room temperature
• ▢ ½ cup unsalted butter , melted
• ▢ 1 (approx 15 ounce) Strawberry Cake Mix
• ▢ 1 pound fresh (or frozen and thawed) strawberries , hulled and a little sugar or simple syrup, if needed to make ¾ cup of strawberry puree

For the Cheesecake

• ▢ 2 (16 ounces each) packages cream cheese , room temperature
• ▢ ½ cup sugar
• ▢ ½ teaspoon vanilla
• ▢ 2 large eggs , room temperature

For the Frosting

• ▢ 3 cups white chocolate chips
• ▢ ¾ cup heavy cream
• ▢ 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°. Line cupcake tins with paper liners. (The recipe will make about 30-36 cheesecake cupcakes.)
• In a blender, puree the strawberries. You can add a little sugar or simple syrup if they need sweetening or a little juice or water if you need liquid for the blender to work. (This will make about 1 cup of puree. You won’t need all of it.) Set aside.
• Blend eggs and sour cream with a mixer. Make sure they are room temperature first! Add in the butter and mix well. Alternately add cake mix with ¾ cup of strawberry puree until it’s all blended together well. Place about 2 tablespoons of batter in each cupcake liner (I used a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop for this.)
• Make the cheesecake: Mix cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and eggs with a hand mixer until smooth. Drop about 1-2 tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture on top of the cupcake batter.
• Bake about 15-18 minutes and let cool completely before frosting. (Note: the cupcakes can be frozen once cooled and frosted at a later date.)
• Make the frosting: place the chocolate chips in a large bowl (that will fit in your refrigerator). Bring heavy cream just to a boil in a small saucepan and pour over chocolate chips. Stir until they are melted. Stir in butter until it’s melted. Place the bowl in the fridge and cool for at least 30 minutes, (I left mine about an hour), stirring every 15 minutes. Remove from refrigerator and beat melted chips on high with a hand mixer until it becomes fluffy and ready to pipe or spread. Pipe onto cupcakes. Store cupcakes in refrigerator.

Recipe Notes

Note: don’t use all the puree in the cupcake batter! Be sure to read the recipe.

The cheesecake will sink in the cupcakes a bit. That’s what frosting is for!

Recipe Nutrition

Serving: 1cupcake | Calories: 335kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 65mg | Potassium: 171mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 536IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 95mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Author Dorothy Kern

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Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes are an easy strawberry cupcake made with cake mix and filled with cheesecake filling! They have a white chocolate frosting and are the perfect strawberry cupcake recipe!

Last Updated on July 5, 2020