1. Preheat and Prep:

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

Line 24 standard muffin cups with paper liners.

2. Combine Cake Ingredients:

In a large bowl, combine the white cake mix, eggs, milk, canola oil, lemon zest, and lemon juice.

Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, just to moisten the ingredients.

Then, beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally.

3. Fill Muffin Cups:

Fill the prepared muffin cups about half full with batter. Don’t overfill, as they will rise.

4. Bake:

Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.

5. Cool Cupcakes:

Let the cupcakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes.

Then, remove the cupcakes from the pans and transfer them to wire racks to cool completely before frosting. Warm cupcakes will melt the frosting!

6. Make the Frosting:

While the cupcakes cool, make the frosting. In a large bowl, combine the confectioners’ sugar, softened butter, and crushed fresh strawberries.

Beat with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy. If the frosting seems too thick, you can add a splash of milk or cream; if too thin, add more powdered sugar.

7. Frost and Garnish:

Once the cupcakes are completely cool, frost them generously with the strawberry buttercream.

Garnish with additional fresh strawberry slices, if desired.

8. Store:

Store the frosted cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator due to the fresh fruit in the frosting. Enjoy!