These strawberry cake mix whoopie pies are soft, sweet, and filled with a creamy cream cheese filling. If you love easy cake mix desserts, this recipe is a fun way to turn a simple box of strawberry cake mix into pretty little sandwich cookies that are perfect for parties, holidays, or afternoon treats. They’re one of those simple desserts that look adorable on a dessert table but are still easy enough to make on a regular (e.g. busy) day. The soft strawberry cookies pair perfectly with the tangy cream cheese filling, giving you a sweet, fruity treat that tastes like a cross between a cupcake and a cookie.
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Ingredients for Strawberry Cake Mix Whoopie Pies
Strawberry cake rounds
- 1 box strawberry cake mix (15.25 oz)
- 2 large eggs
- 1/3 cup neutral oil (canola or vegetable oil)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch or flour (helps your whoopie pie rounds keep their shape)
- Optional: 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cream cheese filling
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk (only if needed)
How to Make Strawberry Cake Mix Whoopie Pies
1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper so the cakes release easily and keep their pretty shape.
2. In a large mixing bowl, add strawberry cake mix, eggs, neutral oil, flour and vanilla (if using). Stir until everything is combined and smooth. The batter should be thick and scoopable, more like cookie dough than runny cake batter.
4. Use a 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop or a heaping tablespoon to scoop mounds of batter onto the prepared baking sheets.
Space them about 2 inches apart, because they will spread into cute little cake rounds while they bake.
5. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the tops spring back when lightly touched and the edges look set.
Do not wait for browning, you want them soft and pale for that classic whoopie pie look. If they’re starting to brown, take them out of the oven immediately.
6. Let the cakes cool on the baking sheet. When they’re completely cool and you’re ready to add the filling, carefully lift the whoopie pie rounds off the baking sheet. You may need a rubber spatula to gently pull them up.
7. In a medium bowl, beat the softened butter and cream cheese with a hand mixer or stand mixer for about 1 minute until creamy. Add your powdered sugar a cup at a time, plus vanilla extract. Beat until light and fluffy.
8. If the filling is too thick, add a splash of cream or milk. If it is too thin, beat in more powdered sugar a little at a time. You want a thick, pipeable filling that will hold its shape between the cake rounds.
9. Pair up your cooled strawberry cake rounds by size so each sandwich looks neat and even.
10. Transfer the filling to a piping bag with a plain, round tip or just the tip snipped off. You can also just use a spoon or offset spatula.
11. Pipe or spread a generous layer of filling onto the flat side of one cake. Then, top with the flat side of a second cake and gently press to spread the filling to the edges.
Repeat with the remaining cakes and filling.
10. Place the assembled whoopie pies in a single layer in an airtight container that’s lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate for 3 to 4 days; let them come to room temperature before serving so the cakes are soft and the filling is creamy.
To freeze, layer whoopie pies between sheets of parchment in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
These strawberry whoopie pies are just lovely on a dessert tray with other cake mix desserts for holidays or brunches.
Pro Tips
- Do not overbake. That is the number one reason whoopie pies turn out dry. Pull them as soon as the tops spring back and the edges look set.
- Don’t skip the extra flour, it stabilizes your cake rounds and makes them less likely to stick to everything.
- The batter should be thick. If it is runny, the cakes will spread too flat. Chill the batter for 10 minutes if needed to firm it up.
- Use a piping bag for pretty filling. I like to simply snip the tip off a piping bag, but you can also use a plain round tip. I like to start in the middle of my whoopie pie round and then pipe a swirl working my way out to the edges.
- Beware that whoopie pies like to stick to things. They’re wonderful, soft cake-iness will indeed stick to any smooth surface. I recommend lining your storage container with parchment paper and sometimes even a little dusting of powdered sugar can help.
FAQs
Can I use a different flavor cake mix?
For sure! This method works with almost any cake mix. lemon, funfetti, or vanilla cake mix whoopie pies are all adorable. Strawberry is perfect for warm weather, but feel free to play. Just check the weight on your cake mix to make sure you have the right wet to dry ratio. I use the Duncan Hines cake mixes because they’re always 15.25 oz. Other cake mixes are smaller, which means that you might have too much liquid in the end and your cakes could come out a bit runny.
Do I have to use cream cheese filling?
Not at all! You can use a simple vanilla buttercream (1/2 cup butter, 2 cups powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla and a splash of milk) or even a strawberry buttercream (add some crushed freeze dried strawberries to your vanilla buttercream).
My batter seems too thin. What should I do?
Let the batter sit for 5 to 10 minutes or pop it in the fridge briefly. It will thicken slightly. You can also add 1 to 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour if needed. The batter should hold its shape on the baking sheet and not really run or spread too much.
What band cake mix should I use?
I like to use Duncan Hines cake mixes, because they typically deliver the best flavor in my opinion. However, especially for this recipe, you want a cake mix that’s 15.25 ounces, which the Duncan Hines ones usually are. If you go with a different brand, just make sure you check the weight.
Are whoopie pies better cold or at room temperature?
I like to store them in the fridge for freshness, then let them sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving. The cakes soften and the filling gets silky again.
These strawberry cake mix whoopie pies are such a fun way to turn a simple box of cake mix into a sweet, bakery-style treat. The soft strawberry whoopie pie rounds and creamy cream cheese filling make them perfect for parties, Valentine’s Day, spring celebrations, baby showers, or any time you want a pretty dessert without a complicated recipe.
If you’re looking for an easy treat that feels special but still comes together quickly, these little strawberry whoopie pies are a great recipe to keep on hand. Serve them chilled or slightly softened, and enjoy every bite of the sweet strawberry flavor and fluffy cream cheese filling.
Strawberry Cake Mix Whoopie Pies
Ingredients
Strawberry cake rounds
- 1 box strawberry cake mix 15.25 oz
- 2 large eggs
- 1/3 cup neutral oil canola or vegetable oil
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch or flour helps your whoopie pie rounds keep their shape
- 1 tsp vanilla extract optional
Cream cheese filling
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter softened
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt optional
- 1-2 Tbsp heavy cream or milk only if needed
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper so the cakes release easily and keep their pretty shape.
- In a large mixing bowl, add strawberry cake mix, eggs, neutral oil, flour and vanilla (if using). Stir until everything is combined and smooth. The batter should be thick and scoopable, more like cookie dough than runny cake batter.
- Use a 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop or a heaping tablespoon to scoop mounds of batter onto the prepared baking sheets.Space them about 2 inches apart, because they will spread into cute little cake rounds while they bake.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the tops spring back when lightly touched and the edges look set. (Do not wait for browning, you want them soft and pale for that classic whoopie pie look. If they’re starting to brown, take them out of the oven immediately.)
- Let the cakes cool on the baking sheet. When they’re completely cool and you’re ready to add the filling, carefully lift the whoopie pie rounds off the baking sheet. You may need a rubber spatula to gently pull them up.
- In a medium bowl, beat the softened butter and cream cheese with a hand mixer or stand mixer for about 1 minute until creamy. Add your powdered sugar a cup at a time, plus vanilla extract. Beat until light and fluffy.
- If the filling is too thick, add a splash of cream or milk. If it is too thin, beat in more powdered sugar a little at a time.
- Pair up your cooled strawberry cake rounds by size so each sandwich looks neat and even.
- Transfer the filling to a piping bag with a plain, round tip or just the tip snipped off. You can also just use a spoon or offset spatula.
- Pipe or spread a generous layer of filling onto the flat side of one cake. Then, top with the flat side of a second cake and gently press to spread the filling to the edges. Repeat with the remaining cakes and filling.
- Place the assembled whoopie pies in a single layer in an airtight container that’s lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate for 3 to 4 days; let them come to room temperature before serving so the cakes are soft and the filling is creamy.To freeze, layer whoopie pies between sheets of parchment in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
