Strawberry-Cream Cheese Cupcakes with Cake Mix

1 . Stage

Line two 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), or to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) if using dark or nonstick pans.

2 . Stage

Mix cake mix, sour cream, oil, water, and eggs with a spoon in a large bowl until well blended; batter will be thick. Divide batter evenly between the prepared muffin cups.

3 . Stage

Cut cream cheese into 24 pieces. Stir preserves in a bowl until smooth.

4 . Stage

Place one piece of cream cheese on top of each cupcake and press slightly into the batter. Spoon 1/4 teaspoon preserves over the cream cheese.

5 . Stage

Bake in the preheated oven until tops are golden brown and spring back when lightly pressed, 18 to 23 minutes; some preserves may show in the tops of the cupcakes. Cool in the tins for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack and let cool, about 30 minutes.

6 . Stage

Spread frosting over the cooled cupcakes. Garnish with strawberry slices.