Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Box Cupcakes Recipe

Twenty strawberries, one box of white cake mix and a cup of chocolate chips get you twelve cupcakes that look like you spent the afternoon on them. Eight berries go into the batter. The other twelve get dipped in chocolate and sit on top.

The trick is in the layering. You put half the batter in the tin, scatter chopped berries over it, then cover them with the rest. That keeps the fruit from sinking to the bottom and turning the base soggy.

One thing you can't rush: the cooling. Frosting on a warm cupcake slides right off, and so does the berry. Give them time on a rack first.

Tips & Tricks

• Dry the berries well after rinsing. Water on the surface makes melted chocolate seize and turn grainy.
• Chop the eight batter berries small, about pea-sized, so they distribute evenly instead of clumping.
• Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting. Warm cake makes frosting slide.
• Keep the finished cupcakes in the fridge. The fresh fruit and frosting both want cold.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Heat the oven and line the tin

Set the oven to 375°F (190°C) and put paper liners in a 12-cup muffin tin.

2. Mix the batter

Whisk the cake mix with the eggs, oil and water listed on the box until smooth. A few small lumps are fine.

3. Add the first batter layer

Spoon batter into each liner until it's about halfway up. Don't fill them higher yet.

4. Chop and scatter the berries

Chop eight strawberries finely and drop an even spoonful onto the batter in each cup.

5. Cover with the rest of the batter

Spoon the remaining batter over the berries, filling each liner to about three-quarters full.

6. Bake

Bake for 20 minutes, until the tops spring back when you press them lightly. A toothpick in the center should come out clean.

7. Cool completely

Move the cupcakes to a wire rack and let them cool all the way down. This takes about an hour.

8. Melt the chocolate

Put the chocolate chips in a small bowl and microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring between each one, until smooth.

9. Dip the berries

Hold each of the remaining twelve strawberries by the green top and dip the bottom half in chocolate. Set them on parchment and chill until firm.

10. Frost and top

Pipe vanilla frosting onto each cooled cupcake, then press one chocolate-covered berry into the top.

How to Store Chocolate-covered Strawberry 'Box' Cupcakes

Frequently Asked Questions

Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Box Cupcakes Recipe

White cake mix gets a fresh strawberry upgrade, then each cupcake is finished with vanilla frosting and a chocolate-dipped berry on top.

15 minPrep time20 minCook time95 minTotal12Servings

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Ingredients

• 1 box white cake mix (prepared according to package instructions)
• 20 strawberries
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 2 cups vanilla frosting

Instructions

1. 1Heat the oven and line the tin — Set the oven to 375°F (190°C) and put paper liners in a 12-cup muffin tin.
2. 2Mix the batter — Whisk the cake mix with the eggs, oil and water listed on the box until smooth. A few small lumps are fine.
3. 3Add the first batter layer — Spoon batter into each liner until it's about halfway up. Don't fill them higher yet.
4. 4Chop and scatter the berries — Chop eight strawberries finely and drop an even spoonful onto the batter in each cup.
5. 5Cover with the rest of the batter — Spoon the remaining batter over the berries, filling each liner to about three-quarters full.
6. 6Bake — Bake for 20 minutes, until the tops spring back when you press them lightly. A toothpick in the center should come out clean.
7. 7Cool completely — Move the cupcakes to a wire rack and let them cool all the way down. This takes about an hour.
8. 8Melt the chocolate — Put the chocolate chips in a small bowl and microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring between each one, until smooth.
9. 9Dip the berries — Hold each of the remaining twelve strawberries by the green top and dip the bottom half in chocolate. Set them on parchment and chill until firm.
10. 10Frost and top — Pipe vanilla frosting onto each cooled cupcake, then press one chocolate-covered berry into the top.

Cook's note: Chill the dipped berries before you use them. Soft chocolate smears the frosting and slides off the cupcake.

Servings: 12

Cuisine: American

Course: Dessert

RecipesCooker15 minutes20 minutes95 minutes

Written by Darnell
Darnell covers air fryer recipes and slow cook meals, with a steady side of eggs and breakfast casseroles for people cooking on a tight schedule. He writes in a blunt, test-it-again voice and flags the mistakes that ruin texture, from soggy fries to rubbery eggs. Every post gives timings, temperatures, and a fallback if your machine runs hot.