Valentine’s day Neapolitan cupcakes are the perfect Valentine’s day cupcake, aka the name! Ha 😉 They are such a fun and unique cupcake idea with the mix of strawberry cake and brownie batter!
These homemade cupcakes have the great fluffy cake texture mixed with the chewy brownies making these Valentine’s day cupcakes taste out of this world.
Neapolitan cupcakes are a fun take on the normally chocolate covered strawberries that everyone gives and receives for Valentine’s day. Not to mention, much more affordable!
Recipe Ingredient Notes
To make Neapolitan Cupcakes, you will need the following ingredients:
- Package of brownie mix
- Eggs
- Vegetable oil
- Water
- Package of strawberry cake mix
- Butter
- Shortening
- Vanilla
- Milk
- Powdered sugar
- Chocolate sprinkles (or your favorite for Valentine’s day)
Equipment Needed
For this recipe, you only need a few simple kitchen tools. We recommend using the following equipment:
- Cupcake Liners
- Cupcake Pan (Regular)
- Whisk
- Mixing Bowl (Medium)
- Mixing Bowl (Large)
- Mixer (Hand)
- Spatula
How to make Neapolitan Cupcakes
Cupcake Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 350℉ (175℃). Line 40-48 muffin cups with paper liners (I only got about 40 cupcakes, but you may get more).
- Whisk together the brownie mix, 2 eggs, ½ cup canola oil, and ¼ cup water in a bowl. Stir just until fully incorporated, about 50 strokes; set aside.
- Mix the cake mix, ½ cup oil, 1 cup water, and 3 eggs in a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed until combined. Mix on medium speed for 2 minutes.
- Spoon the brownie batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each cup ⅓ full. Spoon the cake batter over the brownie batter, until muffin cups are each ⅔ full.
- Bake in the preheated oven until golden and the tops spring back when lightly pressed, about 20 minutes.
- Cool completely.
Frosting Instructions
- Cream together the butter shortening, and vanilla.
- Then add in milk and powdered sugar 1 cup at a time. Mix until light and fluffy.
- Top with optional sprinkles.
NOTE: You only want to mix until everything is just combined. Do NOT overmix the batter. Also if your cake mix and brownie mix ingredients are different on the box, use the amounts on the box.
Try it Without the Box
Have you ever tried to make brownies from scratch? They are surprisingly simple to do, and you probably have everything you need!
Storage Instructions
To store cupcakes, make sure to let them completely cool. Unfrosted cupcakes are easier to store after baking, then frosted cupcakes.
- Container: Always store cupcakes in an airtight container to prevent the air from drying them out and contamination. We like to store cupcakes in this container.
- Counter: Unfrosted cupcakes can be stored at room temperature (and out of sunlight) for one day.
- Refrigerator: You can keep cupcakes in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Before eating, allow them time to come back to room temperature before serving. If you ice them with the cream cheese frosting, we recommend refrigerating them.
Enjoy More Delicious Cupcake Recipes
Cupcakes are a delicious treat for kids and adults alike. Check out our comprehensive list of cupcake recipes!
- Confetti Cupcakes with Homemade Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
- Texas Sheet Cake Cupcakes
- Easy Vanilla Cupcake
- Bite Size Carrot Cakes
Neapolitan Cupcakes Recipe
Ingredients
Cupcake Ingredients
- 18.4 ounces brownie mix, 1 package
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup vegetable oil, (or canola oil)
- ¼ cup water
- 15.25 ounces strawberry cake mix, 1 package
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup water
- 3 eggs
- ¼ cup water
Frosting Ingredients
- ½ cup butter, softened
- ½ cup shortening
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 Tablespoon milk
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup chocolate sprinkles, (topping)
Equipment
Instructions
Cupcake Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 350℉ (175℃). Line 40-48 muffin cups with paper liners (I only got about 40 cupcakes, but you may get more).
- Whisk together the brownie mix, 2 eggs, ½ cup canola oil, and ¼ cup water in a bowl. Stir just until fully incorporated, about 50 strokes; set aside.
- Mix the cake mix, ½ cup oil, 1 cup water, and 3 eggs in a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed until combined. Mix on medium speed for 2 minutes.
- Spoon the brownie batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each cup ⅓ full. Spoon the cake batter over the brownie batter, until muffin cups are each ⅔ full.
- Bake in the preheated oven until golden and the tops spring back when lightly pressed, about 20 minutes.
- Cool completely.
Frosting Instructions
- Cream together the butter shortening, and vanilla.
- Then add in milk and powdered sugar 1 cup at a time. Mix until light and fluffy.
- Top with optional sprinkles.
Notes
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?We’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave a review or a question in the comment section below the post.
wow it is a pre-valentine cupcake here you have there…looks really great thanks for this I am going to bookmark it.
eRecipe
I love the chocolate strawberry combo – that really is perfect for Valentine’s Day! These are adorable.
Oh, I love this! I have got to pin this for sure!
Thanks voor the beautiful idea.. I’m gonna try it!! but maybe with my own recipes instead the backage mixes..
These look really cute! I too am pinning it!
Hello, I stumbled upon your blog from a linky party- this looks so yummy! I am now your newest follower and I hope that you will follow me too. Thanks and I look forward to seeing your future creations 🙂
http://www.sweetenedbykagi.blogspot.com
Love it! And oh, the combinations… 🙂
Definitely worth trying and sharing! I pinned it, too.
HELL YEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
These are adorable & sound delicious. Thanks for sharing them!
Cute and Yummy! Found you from SYS Blog Party. Come visit sometime 🙂
These are divine! I am featuring them on my friday finds post today, please stop by!
http://sweetcsdesigns.com/archives/3064
Chocolate and strawberry is one of the best combos…so I know I will love these for sure!!!! Thank you for sharing!!!
These look so good!!! I can’t wait to try them!!!
Oh my! Besides looking adorable, these look tasty too! 🙂 I’m going to bookmark these for V-Day! Thanks for sharing at Oopsey Daisy!
I am featuring your amazing cupcakes tomorrow during my Sunday Best! I can’t wait to make them!
What a fun recipe!!
Thanks for linking up! I featured your post in my wrap up http://tidymom.net/2012/16-valentine-ideas/
Have a great weekend!
I found you on Tatertots & Jello? this looks amazing! Never thought to put cake and brownies together– will definitely have to give this a try!
I?m hosting a Valentine theme linky party starting tonight at 11:30. Would love it if you came by and linked up! http://www.serendipityandspice.blogspot.com
-Melissa
These are so cute! And they sound delicious too. I LOVE chocolate & strawberry together. I think my boys would go crazy for these!
Have a great day!
xo,
Laurie @ Gallamore West 🙂
p.s. I made your crockpot BBQ Hawaiian chicken the other day… my family LOVED it. Thanks for a great and easy recipe. I can handle desserts, but dinners are soooo hard for me! 🙂
Just wanted to let you know that I featured this today from my Show & Share party! Thanks for linking up!
http://southernlovely.blogspot.com/2012/01/show-share-23-features.html
Oh man these look delicious!
Thanks Lindsay! We ablsolutely Love your blog!
Kristen- Sixsistersstuff.com
These are too cute! And I’m sure they are delicious! I’d love to have you submit this to the M&T Spotlight http://www.makeandtakes.com/spotlight
These look soooo yum!! I’m putting together a section of recipes for LOVE month on my site … http://www.wikimommy.com … and I would love to feature this!! Please email me ro (at) wikimommy (dot) com and let me know if I may re-post this on my site. Thanks for sharing!!
I saw these on Pinterest several weeks ago and made them. I too posted them on my blog as I baked them in little ice cream cups for cuteness and easy travel. They are as delicious as they look! I think I actually like them without the frosting better. Everyone should make these!
I tried this recipe, but I had to bake them a tad bit longer because they came out liquidy (the brownie part). However, even after baking them a few minutes longer, the brownie is still a bit gooey. (I am NOT a brownie baker and hardly eat them, but a colleague made this recipe, and I LOVED it.) Should I be concerned with this?
These were wonderful. My daughter and I baked a batch this week for her staff at work. They were gone in 15minutes. We look forward trying more of your recipes.
I am wondering if anyone has tried this recipe in a bundt pan…with baking the strawberry on the bottom, so that when put on a plate it would be on top? I am a little worried about trying it for a party since the brownie batter is thicker, thinking it might not work right pouring it on top of the strawberry. Would appreciate any input. Thanks.
Made these for Valentines Day and just got to posting them on my blog hehe!! Thanks these were awesome!!
There r in the oven. Can’t wait to see how my hubby likes them .
These look great! Do you know if they could be made as bars in a 13×9 pan?
We have only made these as cupcakes. So we aren’t exactly sure how it would all turn out. Seems like it would work if you put the second layer on carefully! 🙂
My brownie layer is still not cooked
Making mini cupcakes as a trial run before making them next week for Galentine’s day. Hubby doesn’t mind being the guinea pig. Thanks for the great recipe!