Triple Strawberry Cupcakes

I know, I know! I owe you guys the Salted Caramel Cupcakes that won the poll like forever ago. But I had strawberries that were going bad, and mom requested these. They are triple strawberry cupcakes because they have strawberry jello mix and chopped fresh strawberries in the batter, then strawberry mousse for frosting. They really are a perfectly light summer cupcake. The frosting is SO good! I used the leftover cream cheese mousse from the Barefoot Contessa cake and added some strawberry flavoring. It's so fluffy and delicious! Make these for your next cookout and you won't be disappointed.
PS: New video in the YouTube, I Tube section over on the left!!

Ingredients...Ready to be mixed!Bright pink batter ready for the oven...Cooling and smelling so summery!Topped with strawberry mousse frosting!Inside you can see pieces of strawberry... yum!

Recipe for "Pretty in Pink" cupcakes from Cupcakes from the Cake Mix Doctor by Anne Byrn. Strawberry mousse frosting recipe from me! :)

MY NOTES: My sugar-free Jello box said it was .6 ounces. I just used the strawberries I had; it didn't make a whole cup, but it still worked.

Triple Strawberry Cupcakes
Makes 24 cupcakes

1 package (18.25 ounces) plain white cake mix
1 package (3 ounces) strawberry gelatin
1 cup finely chopped fresh strawberries with juice from 1 1/2 cups whole berries (see “The Cupcake Doctor Says” below)
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs

Strawberry Mousse Frosting
1 cup heavy cream
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon strawberry flavoring

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners. Set the pans aside.
2. Place the cake mix, gelatin, strawber­ries and juice, milk, oil, and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Beat 2 minutes more on low speed, scraping down the sides again if needed. Spoon or scoop 1/3 cup batter into each lined cupcake cup, filling it three quarters of the way full. Place the pans in the oven.
3. Bake the cupcakes until they are lightly golden around the edges and spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edges of the cupcake liners, lift the cup­cakes up from the bottoms of the cups using the end of the knife, and pick them out of the cups carefully with your finger­tips. Place them on a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
4. Beat heavy cream on high speed until stiff peaks form. In another bowl, beat cream cheese, granulated sugar, and extract on medium speed for 2 minutes. Fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture. Frost cupcakes and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

The Cupcake Doctor Says…
“Although these cupcakes put the season's best berries to good use, they are also perfect for those berries that arrive at your market from far away and have little juice and less flavor than good local berries. If you are using juicy berries, drain them well and use only the juice that clings to them when the berries have been chopped for the cake and the frosting. A pinch of cinnamon picks up the strawberry flavor in the cup­cake batter.”

Overall rating on a scale of 1-5
Moistness: 5
Tenderness: 5
Frosting: 5