Strawberry Cupcakes With Strawberry Banana Frosting

Inspiration really can come from anywhere. Like cake stands, for example. This is where a normal blogger would tell you that I made these cupcakes because I really love banana cupcakes and I really love strawberry cupcakes and wanted to create a strawberry banana cupcake combination, or that my kiddos requested them, or because it’s my favorite smoothie combo ever. All true but not why I decided to whip up these strawberry banana cupcakes right this minute. See that pretty little cake stand? I found it at our local PX (military post exchange) and it was like THE perfect cupcake size guys, perfect. I am constantly on the hunt for small white stands to photograph cupcakes on and believe me it’s not easy! I’m almost positive when found this little lovely I embarrassed my whole family with my uber happiness…my husband probably would have been happy to buy ten just to get me out of there! Oh and it was five dollars, did I say perfect? With a new cupcake cake stand in hand, these new Strawberry Banana Cupcakes were born.

So while you might think I’m crazy, that’s the truth these cupcakes were inspired by this cake stand. Once I had my pretty little white cake stand home, it needed friends. Friends in the form of cupcakes. Strawberry cupcakes have been a long time favorite of mine with my secret strawberry creme ingredient. And banana cupcakes have recently been bumped up the list while working on the banana cupcakes for my cupcake book, Cupcakery. So the strawberry banana cupcake combination seemed natural. Plus I had a bag of banana runts hanging around practically begging to sit on top of a ruffle topped cupcake.

Not to mention strawberry banana really is my favorite smoothie flavor. And with summer so close, bring on the smoothies! And cupcakes…and cute cake stands. All the cute cake stands.

These cupcakes start with my FAVORITE strawberry cake, from a cake mix! Then we fill them up with banana pudding, and top off with layers of both strawberry and banana frosting! Super easy, super yummy. The only hard part is spending the last 12 hours convincing myself I don’t even like strawberry and banana…(somebody please come and remove these from my fridge).

STRAWBERRY CUPCAKES WITH STRAWBERRY BANANA FROSTING + BANANA FILLING

INGREDIENTS

STRAWBERRY CUPCAKES

• 1 Duncan Hines Strawberry Cake Mix
• 4 tbsp Jello Instant Strawberry Creme Pudding Mix (dry)
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup strawberry yogurt
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup melted butter (slightly cooled)

STRAWBERRY + BANANA FROSTING

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup shortening (or substitute for additional butter)
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 1 tbsp strawberry extract
• 1 tbsp banana extract
• 8 cups powdered sugar
• 4-6 Ttbsp milk
• pink gel coloring
• yellow gel coloring

BANANA CUPCAKE FILLING

• 1 3.4 oz Jello Instant Banana Pudding
• 2 cups milk

TOPPINGS

• Banana Runts (My favorite place to get them is here.)

Makes 24 cupcakes.

HOW TO MAKE STRAWBERRY BANANA CUPCAKES

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 12-cup muffin pans with cupcake liners and set aside.

Step 2: For the strawberry cupcakes In a medium mixing bowl, sift together cake mix and pudding and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or large mixing bowl) using the paddle attachment, beat together eggs, yogurt, and milk. Add the dry ingredients and beat just until combined. Beat in melted butter just until combined. Once all ingredients are incorporated, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and turn the mixer up to medium-high and beat once more for 15-20 seconds.

Step 3: Spoon 3 tablespoons of batter into each cupcake liner and bake on the middle oven rack, for 16 minutes (or until tops spring back), baking up to 24 cupcakes side by side at a time. (for best results bake cupcakes 1 pan at a time or side by side on the same rack) Once a toothpick comes out clean, remove from oven and allow cupcakes to rest in pan for 2-4 minutes before removing and transferring to a cooling rack. Prepare pan and repeat this step with any remaining batter.

Step 4: While the strawberry cupcakes are baking prepare pudding filling. In a medium mixing bowl whip together pudding mix and milk. Place in fridge to chill while cupcakes finish baking.

Step 5: While the strawberry cupcakes are cooling, prepare the strawberry banana frosting. (You’re going to make one frosting and split into two to color + flavor). In the bowl of a stand mixer (or large mixing bowl) using the paddle attachment, cream butter at medium speed until soft and smooth. Add shortening and beat together until soft and smooth. Add vanilla. Slowly add in powdered sugar beating slightly between each addition. Add in milk 1 tablespoon at a time beating in between additions until desired consistency. Turn mixer up to medium-high and beat for 1-2 minutes. Remove 2 cups of frosting from the mixer and set aside.

Step 6: Add banana extract and a small amount of yellow coloring to the frosting remaining in the bowl. Beat until combined. Add strawberry extract and a small amount of pink gel coloring to the frosting in the bowl you set aside. Use a spatula to hand mix the frosting until combined.

Step 7: Once strawberry cupcakes have completely cooled, core and fill cupcakes with banana pudding. Frost cupcakes with both banana frosting and strawberry frosting using the ruffle-topped method here. Store in the refrigerator until severed.

WANT MORE IDEAS LIKE THESE STRAWBERRY BANANA CUPCAKES?

• Easy Lemon Filled Cupcakes
• Cotton Candy Cupcakes With Cotton Candy Frosting
• How To Make Snow Cone Cupcakes