Remember when you were a kid, you couldn’t wait until the ice cream man came driving up your street. You could hear the music, coming from the truck, blocks away, at least that’s what it seemed like.

My favorite, the Good Humor’s version of the Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bar. It has a strawberry center surrounded by a layer of vanilla ice cream all covered in a sweet crunchy shortbread cookie coating.

My Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes are “my take” on the Good Humor Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bar. My hope is, once you taste these delicious treats, you’ll be able to travel back in time to those special memories. These next 3 pictures were all photographed by my sister, Tina, with Photocoephotography.com

Prep Time: 1 hour
Inactive Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 16 to 20 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
Yields: 18 servings (18 iced and fully decorated cupcakes, 6 extra cupcakes without frosting for sampling)
Equipment: 1 (10-cup) food processor, 2 large mixing bowls, hand-held electric mixer, whisk, 2 rimmed baking sheet pans, pink cupcake paper liners, cooling rack, 2 piping bags, ice cream scoop

Ingredients:
2 (15.25-ounce) boxes of Duncan Hines Strawberry Supreme cake mix, divided
2 cups of water, divided
6 large eggs, room temperature, divided
2 tablespoons of pure vanilla extract, divided
8 ounces of cream cheese, room temperature
1 stick (1/2 cup) of butter, unsalted, room temperature
2 to 3 tablespoons of heavy cream
1 box (1 pound or 16-ounces) of powdered sugar
2 (3-ounce) packages of strawberry Jello mix, 1 1/2 packages for a crunchy topping, 1/2 package for frosting
2 drops of red food coloring
1 (1 pound) package of Golden Oreos, cream removed (all 3 sleeves)
2 1/2 tablespoons of melted butter, unsalted

Ingredients For Cream Filling:
1 (15-ounce) container of Ricotta cheese, double-cream variety, room temperature
1 cup of powdered sugar

Note: Sample the cream, if you’d like it sweeter add more powdered sugar. It’s up to you.

Directions For Cream Filling:
In a large mixing bowl add the ricotta cheese and powdered sugar, mix to combine. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with the star tip. Set aside.

Directions For Strawberry Crunch Topping:
In a food processor grind up your Oreos. Add in the strawberry jello mix, and combine. Add melted butter and process until mixture becomes moist. Dump the crumb mixture out onto 2 rimmed baking sheet pans. Spread out evenly. All to sit for 1 hour to stiffen. Set aside

After 1 hour if there are any large crumb pieces, break them up with the back of a spoon. Refer to pictures.

Note: Mix 1 box of cake mix at a time, then combine the finished cake batters into 1 large mixing bowl.

Directions For The Batter:
In a large mixing bowl mix together your vegetable oil, eggs, water, and vanilla extract, beat to combine. Add 1/3 of cake mix at a time to the wet ingredients, mix to combine. Repeat the process until all the dry mix is incorporated. In a second large mixing bowl repeat the process for the second box of cake mix. Once the second batter is complete combine the batters into one bowl. 

Note: Use an ice cream scoop to ensure the same amount of batter for each cupcake.

Line 2 cupcake pans with liners, fill slightly over 1/2 way.

Preheat oven to 350-degrees F. 
Bake according to box instructions. Let cool.

In a large mixing bowl, using a hand-held mixer, beat together cream cheese, butter, and jello mix. Add heavy cream, and gradually add in the powdered sugar until you reach desired thickness. Add in the red food coloring and mix until pink. Set aside.

Take your piping bag with the cream filling and gently press a hole into the top (the tip should just enter the cupcake) of each cupcake. Fill each one with (approx.1 good tablespoon of cream filling would be) the cream filling.

In a separate piping bag fitted with a large star tip fill the bag with the pink icing. Start in the middle of your cupcake work your way out and up with the icing. Sprinkle the crumb topping on the cupcakes. I have some red glitter too. Sprinkle over the crumb topping to enhance the color.

There you have it, my Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes.