INGREDIENTS :

Cupcakes:

• 1/4 cup strawberries in syrup, undrained
• 1 (18.25 ounce) package golden butter cake mix (such as Pillsbury(R)) Moist Supreme(R))
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup milk
• 4 eggs

Icing:

• 2 tablespoons strawberries in syrup, undrained
• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon strawberry extract
• 24 fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced

DIRECTIONS :

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.
2. Place 1/4 cup strawberries in syrup in a bowl; blend with an electric mixer until smooth. Add cake mix, vegetable oil, and milk; mix on low speed until well blended, about 2 minutes. Mix eggs, 1 at a time, into cake mix mixture, beating until each egg is fully incorporated into the batter before adding the next. Spoon about 1/4 cup batter into each muffin cup.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Place cupcakes on a wire rack to cool completely.
4. Blend 2 tablespoons strawberries in syrup in a bowl using an electric mixer until smooth. Beat cream cheese and butter into strawberries on low speed until smooth and creamy. Slowly beat confectioners’ sugar into the strawberry mixture on low speed until icing is smooth; add strawberry extract and beat on medium for 2 minutes.
5. Spoon icing into a piping bag fitted with a star-shaped tip or a resealable plastic bag with the corner snipped. Pipe icing onto each cupcake. Top each cupcake with sliced strawberries.