Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners and set aside.
In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla, mixing until everything is well combined. Set aside.
In a medium-sized bowl, stir to combine the flour and baking powder. Gently fold half of the flour mixture into the butter mixture, followed by the milk, then the remaining flour mixture. Stir only until no chunks of dry flour remain in the batter. Do not over mix.
Gently stir in the pink food coloring (if using).
Add a little over half of your batter into the bottom of your cupcake liners. Nestle one whole strawberry (with the stem removed) down into each partially filled cup. Use your remaining batter to cover the tops of the strawberries.
Bake until the edges begin to look slightly golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes in the tin before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool fully.
While your cupcakes are cooling, prepare your frosting by beating together the butter, powdered sugar, jello mix, and milk until smooth.
Frost your cupcakes and enjoy.
Notes
If you are using unsalted butter in the cupcakes, simply add 1 teaspoon of salt to the batter.The pink food coloring is not necessary but it gives the cupcakes a nice hue. These cupcakes can be stored in the fridge or on the counter for up to four days, or in the freezer for up to 1 month. When stored in the fridge, the frosting can become quite firm because the Jello will want to set, so it is best to let the cupcake sit on the counter for 10-15 minutes before serving.