Strawberry Cookies and Cream Cupcakes are cute heart-shaped cupcakes that combine sweet strawberry flavor with creamy cookies and cream frosting. Made with a cake mix, these are a so easy, but the Oreo-studded buttercream and chocolate heart topper make them look bakery-quality.
These cupcakes are perfect for Valentine's Day, anniversaries, bridal showers, or any celebration where you want to show some love. They're surprisingly easy to make using a boxed cake mix as the base, which means you can create impressive desserts without spending all day in the kitchen.
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The flavor combination of strawberry and cookies and cream is a crowd-pleaser that works for both kids and adults. While they look fancy, the techniques are simple enough for beginner bakers to master with a little patience.
If you love cake mix desserts you might also like apple dump cake or cake mix red velvet brownies.
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- Strawberry Cake Mix
- Eggs
- Oil
- Water
For the decoration:
- Buttercream
- Oreo Cookies
- Red Chocolate Melts
- Valentine Sprinkle Blend
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Preparation: Preheat your oven according to the cake mix box instructions. Line your muffin pan with cupcake liners.
Step one: Put the cupcake liners in the muffin pan and then use an ice-cream scoop to put the batter into the liners. Fill liners a little over half way.
Step two: Take a sheet of aluminum foil, cut it into medium size strips, ball them up into a round shape. Put the balls of foil in the top portion the individual holes that are holding the cupcake batter. Make sure the foil balls are outside of the cupcake liner. This will help give the cupcakes a heart shape as they bake.
Step three: Bake the cupcakes according to the instructions on the box. Remove the cupcakes out of the oven and leave them to the side to cool.
Step five: Melt your red chocolate melts. Put them in a small bowl and place it in the microwave for 30 seconds and mix them using a spatula. If needed, put them back into the microwave for 15 second intervals until they're completely melted. Put the melted chocolate in a piping bag, cut a small hole on the tip and pipe the red melting chocolate into the heart mold.
Step six: Put the mold in the freezer for 5-6 mins until the chocolate hardens. Repeat these steps until you have your desired number of hearts. Put them in a cool dry place for later.
Step eight: Crush oreo cookies. Put the buttercream in a large bowl and pour in the Oreo crumbs. Use a spatula or your mixer to mix the Oreo crumbs in to the buttercream until they're combined.
Step nine: Pipe the cookies and cream buttercream in a heart shape on the cupcakes, then fill in the middle. If the there are any gaps in the buttercream smooth it out with a spatula to fill them in.
Step ten: Line a cookie sheet with a sheet of parchment paper, then place the cupcakes in the sheet upside down, light press on the cupcakes to flatten a tad bit. Place them in the freezer for 10-15 minutes.
Step eleven: Next, pour the sprinkles on a plate or clean flat surface and lightly place the edges of the cupcake in the sprinkles. Be sure to cover all sides and be gentle so you don't change the shape. Place the red chocolate heart on the middle of the cupcake.
Hint: If possible, get two heart molds so you can make twice as many chocolate hearts at a time and speed up the decorating process. This is especially helpful when making a full batch of 24 cupcakes.
Recipe Tips for Success
- Make sure to cut the hole in your piping bag large enough for the chunky Oreo pieces to flow through easily. If the hole is too small, the cookies will clog the tip and make piping frustrating. Start with a smaller hole and gradually make it bigger if needed - you can always cut more, but you can't make it smaller.
- You can crush oreos with a rolling pin in a ziploc bag, or use a food processor.
Storage
They should be kept in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Or, they can be frozen for up to a year.
Strawberry Cookies and Cream Cupcakes
Equipment
- measuring cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Muffin Pan
- Large mixing bowl
- Hand or Electric Mixer
- Spatula
- Aluminum Foil
- Zip Lock Bags
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- 1 box Strawberry Cake Mix
- 3 Eggs
- Oil
- Water
- 16 Ounces Buttercream store bought
- 10 Oreo Cookies
- 4 Ounces Red Chocolate Melts
- Valentine Sprinkle Blend
Instructions
- Add the strawberry cake mix and ingredients, according to the box, in a mixing bowl and mix until combined.
- Put the cupcake liners in the muffin pan and then use an ice-cream scoop to put the batter into the liners. Fill liners a little over half way.
- Take a sheet of aluminum foil, cut it into medium size strips, ball them up into a round shape.
- Put the balls of foil in the top portion the individual holes that are holding the cupcake batter. Make sure the foil balls are outside of the cupcake liner. This will help give the cupcakes a heart shape as they bake.
- Bake the cupcakes according to the instructions on the box.
- Remove the cupcakes out of the oven and leave them to the side to cool.
- Melt your red chocolate melts. Put them in a small bowl and place it in the microwave for 30 seconds and mix them using a spatula. If needed, put them back into the microwave for 15 second intervals until they're completely melted.
- Put the melted chocolate in a piping bag, cut a small hole on the tip and pipe the red melting chocolate into the heart mold.
- Put the mold in the freezer for 5-6 mins until the chocolate hardens. Repeat these steps until you have your desired number of hearts. Put them in a cool dry place for later.
- Place the Oreo cookies in a ziplock bag and smash them using a can of peas or a rolling pin. If you have a food processor you can use that.
- Put the buttercream in a large bowl and pour in the Oreo crumbs. Use a spatula or your mixer to mix the Oreo crumbs in to the buttercream until they're combined.
- Put the cookies and cream buttercream into a piping bag. Cut a medium size hole in the tip and tie the other end.
- Pipe the cookies and cream buttercream in a heart shape on the cupcakes, then fill in the middle. If the there are any gaps in the buttercream smooth it out with a spatula to fill them in.
- Line a cookie sheet with a sheet of parchment paper, then place the cupcakes in the sheet upside down, light press on the cupcakes to flatten a tad bit.
- Place them in the freezer for 10-15 minutes.
- Next, pour the sprinkles on a plate or clean flat surface and lightly place the edges of the cupcake in the sprinkles. Be sure to cover all sides and be gentle so you don't change the shape.
- Place the red chocolate heart on the middle of the cupcake.
- Serve and Enjoy!
Notes
Recipe Tips for Success
- Make sure to cut the hole in your piping bag large enough for the chunky Oreo pieces to flow through easily. If the hole is too small, the cookies will clog the tip and make piping frustrating. Start with a smaller hole and gradually make it bigger if needed - you can always cut more, but you can't make it smaller.
- You can crush oreos with a rolling pin in a ziploc bag, or use a food processor.
- If possible, get two heart molds so you can make twice as many chocolate hearts at a time and speed up the decorating process. This is especially helpful when making a full batch of 24 cupcakes.
Storage
They should be kept in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Or, they can be frozen for up to a year.Nutrition information provided is just an estimate and may vary based on specific ingredients used.
