Pretty-in-Pink Strawberry Cupcakes
Why I Love This Recipe
Ingredients You'll Need
1 package (18.25 oz.) plain white cake mix
1 package (3 oz.) strawberry gelatin
1 cup finely chopped fresh strawberries with juice (from 1-1/2 cups whole berries)
3/4 cup whole milk
3/4 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
1 recipe Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting (see Recipe Center)
Nontoxic pink food coloring to tint frosting
Small fresh strawberries
Green apple Twizzlers, halved lengthwise and trimmed, to create basket handle for decoration
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degree F and line two 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners.
Blend cake mix, gelatin, chopped strawberries with juice, milk, oil, and eggs in a large bowl with an electric mixer set on low speed for 30 seconds. Stop mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of bowl if needed. Spoon or scoop batter into each cup, filling it three-quarters of the way.
Bake in middle of oven until cupcakes are lightly golden and spring back when gently pressed, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cupcakes cool in pans on racks, 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pans and place on racks to cool for 15 minutes before frosting.
Tint frosting with food coloring. Place a heaping tablespoon of frosting on each cupcake and swirl to spread it smoothly with a short metal spatula or spoon, covering the top completely. Decorate with strawberries. Attach handle by pressing ends of Twizzlers into sides of cakes.
