Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes
Sometimes I think that it’s really not fair that we have to pay money for basically everything. I mean, there are some things that really should be for free.
The other day, my husband informed me that I needed to buy new luggage because he didn’t want me dragging our funky old black set with the broken zippers to BlogHer Food. And it turns out that buying luggage is kind of dumb.
It’s expensive, it’s hard to find anything cute, and you barely ever even get to use it. Who really ENJOYS their luggage?
If you ask me, it’s something that we should just get for free. Along with car insurance, appliances, and tires, because OMG why are tires so expensive? Do they have gold inside of them?
Sometimes I think that I really should just be in government. One time a few years ago, I had this idea that instead of taxes, cities should just build a giant water slide, charge people to go down it, and use that money for roads and libraries and free luggage and all that. I mean, people are crazy about water slides, it’s a true story. I’ve known families to plan whole vacations around them. If you slap a water slide on a main road next to a McDonald’s, it would be the hottest ticket in town.
Unfortunately though, I’m just not cut out for running for office. One time in 3rd grade I ran for Student Council Secretary, and it did not go well at all. Mostly because I didn’t make posters or TELL anyone that I was running, but that seemed like a minor detail at the time.
Regardless, I am just a housewife, so luggage and tires still cost eleventy zillion dollars and we have to pay sales tax instead of taking water slide rides.
Lame.
In other news, I made you cupcakes.
They’re Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes, because besides water slides, people really like cheesecake. It’s another fact.
I recently came across a frosting on Pinterest that sounded really awesome (unfortunately there was no source, so if you know of the source, please let me know), using whipped cream cheese, milk, powdered sugar, Cool Whip, and instant pudding mix. I decided to try it with cheesecake pudding and top it with strawberries.
Instead of using plain sliced strawberries, I prepared a filling like that in a strawberry pie. It added sweetness and a bright color, which I loved.
These cupcakes are so yummy and summery, I hope you enjoy!!Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes
INGREDIENTS
2 dozen strawberry cupcakes, baked and cooled (I used a mix)
Frosting:
1 box Jell-O Cheesecake Instant Pudding
1 cup cold milk
1/3 cup powdered sugar
4 oz (1/2 8 oz tub) whipped cream cheese
8 oz tub Cool Whip, thawed
Strawberry Topping:
1 lb strawberries, cleaned, hulled, and sliced
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
3/4 cup cold water
1/2 of a small box (3 oz) strawberry Jell-O
2 Tablespoons sugar
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Prepare frosting: In a large bowl, whisk together pudding mix, milk, and powdered sugar until smooth and thick, about 2 minutes. Mix in cream cheese until smooth and fold in Cool Whip until smooth and completely blended. Chill for about an hour to firm.
2. While frosting is chilling, prepare strawberry filling: In a medium saucepan, combine water and cornstarch, whisking over medium heat. Once mixture is smooth, thickened, and boiling, remove from heat and stir in sugar and Jell-O until dissolved. Add strawberries, coating thoroughly. Pour mixture in a bowl and refrigerate for about an hour to firm.
3. Once frosting and strawberry filling are firm, fill cupcakes: Cut a hole in the center of each cupcake, using either a knife or the top of a large piping tip. Fill the hole with frosting, overflowing so that frosting is on the top of the cupcake as well. Using a scoop or a spoon, neatly place some strawberry filling on top of the frosting.
Keep cupcakes refrigerated until serving.
Thanks for visiting my blog! I realize you could be doing more important things with your time. Like watching the news or washing socks. I hope you stay awhile. Much more fun than socks, I promise. 
I could pack away at least 6 of these! I also hate buying luggage and my husband says we shouldn’t use Walmart sacks.
This is brilliant, and totally takes away the pain of paying out the rear for luggage. I received it as a gift recently and it’s no more fun as a gift than it is paying for out of your own pocket. It’s just one of those things. Like this cupcake frosting, I can tell it might become my new thing!
Love that frosting! I could just eat that with a spoon!
JUST a housewife? Lies! You are an amazingly talented and funny woman whose posts make me laugh without fail. I, for one, am supremely glad you are not wasting your skill in office. But, I could really get behind your Mc Donald’s/ waterslide combo of awesomeness.
Amen. Sooo glad you’re NOT in an office but here — making us laugh!
I am in full support of your water slide idea. Cookbook Queen 4 President. Except, what would the poor Minnesotans do? Slide on the ice?
Yum, this looks so good! I love strawberry desserts in the summer!
I’ve had strawberry cheesecake on my mind for a while now. So excited to try these!
Another recipe for the rest of my strawberries. Thank you!!
By the way, I love my luggage!
My suitcase – I was browsing though TJ Maxx one day waiting for a friend before dinner and as soon as I saw it I KNEW IT WAS MINE! It was a deep dark red Kenneth Cole Reaction 22″ x 14.5″ x 10″ rolling suitcase and it was only $40! I’ve used it ever since. Sadly, I haven’t been able to find the rest of the set. I can’t even find a picture of it for you since I bought it in 2004…
My weekend bag (which I also use as a overlarge purse) – Also found while browsing through TJ Maxx waiting for a friend. It’s a United Colors of Benetton dark dark brown leather 21″ x 14″ bag that I’ve used very very often not only as a purse, but for short term travelling. I also can’t find a picture of it since I also bought it around 2004-2005..
Good luck on finding cute affordable and usable luggage!
Gorgeous cupcakes, my friend!
I hate my luggage. It is ugly, and the last time I flew somewhere it came back with a giant black tire track on it. Like the plane had run over it or something. Lol.
I also hate buying luggage, it is just not fun at all and it really is expensive! Adorable cupcakes.
Luggage is a boring purchase, like umbrellas! But it’s the anticipation of getting to go somewhere! Cupcakes are beautiful! Came together perfectl.
These are so cute! and look delicious too
I’m a big fan of these pretty guys!! So awesome!
Sounds delish but anyone any notion of what we could use in the UK equivalent to Cool Whip and the cheesecake instant pudding please?
Hi-not sure if this would help, but if you made Dream Whip (it’s a powdered product you mix up) and just use regular vanilla pudding and using a bit of extra cream should do the trick! ;-) Hope this helps!
A water slide instead of taxes? Genius. Except then I would be subjected to all those “water park people” on a yearly basis. And quite frankly I try to avoid them.
DId you love the frosting? I can’t wait to try it!!
love that water slide idea :)
I agree. Some things are a waste of good money. But, I just cannot help picture how cute your pregnant little self will look pulling your adorable luggage through the airport.
And, these cupcakes looks amazing!
These look delicious, especially the frosting! So I have question about the frosting, does it hold up if piped and/or need to be refrigerated to maintain shape? Does that make sense? I have a gazillion parties in May & June and that icing, sounds a little like heaven!
Ok luggage is a serious debacle. Why do they make luggage so heavy so that you can’t even fill the entire thing before it’s over the 50lb limit?!
Separately, these look fantastic!
Especially since no matter what you get, it’s going to get busted up the first time you use it. Could I get these cupcakes for free too??
So fun and pretty…I adore both cupcakes and cheesecake, so these are PERFECTION!
Oh, those are so, so pretty! And that frosting sounds incredible with the pudding mix!
I’m so with you on the luggage! My husband made me buy a new bag…and I bought a hard-sided one. WHYYY?!? Sometimes I need that extra few inches that fabric will expand. Ok, not sometimes, ALL the time. Go with fabric!
PS…I hope you get to see Teresa when you’re in Seattle!
I hate that luggage thing too. Wish there were a site, like those custom t-shirts sites, where you could design your own luggage. Come to think of it, there should be “custom design your own …” anything sites.
Totally agree with the tire part – WHY ARE THEY SO EXPENSIVE?! Alright so maybe I do get a lifetime warranty on those tires, and my shop will rotate them for free, but still… :) Love your blog!
Just curious, did he specifically say NOT to buy your new luggage at Coach? How about Louis Vuitton?
I know what you mean, it took me a long time, once I was out of college, to come to terms with the fact that my parents were no longer responsible to buy my shampoo and dish soap.
We secretly (or not so secretly now) had a lot of fun picking out our luggage to only find out after the fact that the color we selected had been discontinued when we wanted to buy more to the set. Ugh. Lame. Maybe I should drown my many years old luggage sorrow in a cupcake? :)
A love everything about this recipe – and wish that we didn’t have to pay for water slides :( I’d vote for you!
I can’t wait to try these.
These cupcakes look delicious!
Oh mah gaaaah….that frosting…I need to get me some of that, oh and some teddy grahams so they could have a frosting pool party. Of course they would all drown and I would eat all the casualties.
And I’m all for the water slide tax. I HATE water slides!
Luggage, tires, and taxes…triple threat to the wallet. i don’t understand how things that are no fun can cost so much! There is so many more fun things to spend that money on. Like strawberries and cream cheese so I can have some pretty cupcakes like this. I love that you topped them with a strawberry pie version. I can just imagine how yummy these must be!!!
These look fabulous, Kristan! I’ve been wanting to try something similar for so long. Going to print your recipe for my next neighborhood happy hour. I bet these would be a huge hit! Thanks for sharing. Also – where did you get that beautiful white plate?
Pier One!! i hope you enjoy them :)
Thanks, you’re a doll! I found them on Pier1′s website as the “Doily Plate” for anyone else interested.
I agree; shopping for boring stuff like luggage sucks. Good thing there are wonderful things like these cupcakes to ease the pain. ;-)
We just bought new luggage last month and about died when we realized how pricey the set was. I was about to dust off my awesomely red Pierre-Cardin set from I don’t know – 1999. Not cute or functional considering half of the zippers didn’t work. I will say that we love our new Heys set. I’m definitely thinking these cupcakes would have cured our luggage blues!
[...] I was browsing my favorite foodie websites when I stumbled upon this little gem from one of my favorite bloggers, Kristan at Confessions of a Cookbook Queen. Kristan is one of the [...]
We use to own very expensive luggage only to have it get ruined being tossed around by the airport attendants over time. Now we purchase the LL Bean duffles on rollers in a million colors and even designs if you like and have our initials put on them. They’re indestructible and easy to move around. Check them out.
As for your cupcakes they are darling There’s a lot to be said about the semi-homemade foods. They’re easy and most often just as tasty and pretty. I saved this to make.
Thanks for sharing.
I use to feel that way about luggage but now I work with luggage for a living. Macys.com has a great selection of luggage and we even have an easy to use luggage finder (plus free shipping everyday!) Spinners and lightweight are the way to go because you won’t have to waste you 50lbs on your luggage, plus spinners are great to wheel your bag along side of you instead of pulling behind you. Hardside is also very in right now and can be both lightweight and durable. Since I have started using nicer luggage – traveling has been so much easier, so think of it as more of an investment on your sanity. Many brands even come with 10 year to lifetime warranty, so you may not have to buy luggage again for awhile. Sorry if this sounds like an ad, just wanted to let you know luggage shopping can be easier. I am a blogger as well so I will be at the Blogher conference too! Although I won’t be packing luggage to go because I live here!
My mom has one of these babies: http://www.heysusa.com/britto-collection.htm I can’t imagine spending that much on a suitcase, but she travels a lot and my dad bought it for her after she said she liked it in an airport store somewhere. She can always find her bag on the baggage claim! Personally I prefer my Skyway bag from 1992 with expanding ends, it’s great for bringing back a treasure or two. :)
[...] made Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes. [...]
[...] (I’m sensing that summer is coming soon) Confessions of a Cookbook Queen made these luxurious Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes with homemade strawberry filling on top. Pretty and light? Yes, [...]
Kristan, I still use a small suitcase from a thrift shop. As long as it holds together, I’m satisfied. Love these cupcakes and am thinking of using chocolate cupcakes for my grandson who requested chocolate cake with strawberry frosting. I’m off to pin this delightful recipe to my cake board.
Oh, yeah, can’t wait to try this frosting on chocolate cupcakes. It’s something about that combination; chocolate,
strawberries and cheesecake,” OH MY”
Seriously… these sound amazing!
Ya know that song,” Heaven, I’m in Heaven…?” They play it in that movie Green Mile, it might even be called Dancing Cheek to Cheek, anyways, that song…or that particular line is just dancing through my head while I look at these pictures. You do that to me every time I visit your blog. Addicted, totally addicted!
[...] strawberry cheesecake cupcakes are so summery! Perfect for my birthday tea [...]
Kristan!! I totally am taking this frosting recipe for my dad’s birthday cupcakes this weekend but must know if the frosting is on the stiffer side for piping, or if it’s a little more wet? Just curious!
It’s not very stiff…I’d say that it’s fine for piping, but don’t plan on getting a ton of shape out of it!!
[...] saw this frosting a while back and knew it would be the perfect vehicle for the pudding. I mean, Pudding [...]
I made these for mother’s day, and I also added graham crackers to the frosting, and now someone is offering me money for them for a party! So, they’re great! haha