Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Insert cupcake liners into 18 standard muffin cups.
In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, vegetable oil, water, vanilla, and espresso powder. Whisk for 2 minutes. Slowly add the cake mix. Whisk until combined.
Divide the batter evenly into the prepared muffin tins. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely.
While the cupcakes are baking and cooling, reserve a few strawberries for garnish, slice the rest, and mix with ½ cup sugar and the lemon juice. Let sit for 15-20 minutes, tossing occasionally. Lightly mash the strawberries with a fork.
Cut a hole about as wide as a quarter and about ½ inch or so deep into the top of each cooled cupcake. Spoon the strawberry mixture into the holes (you can reserve some of the strawberries and syrup to drizzle on top of the frosted cupcakes, if desired).
Make the Frosting:
Whip the cream with the vanilla and the powdered sugar until it forms peaks. Frost each cupcake with the whipped cream. Slice the reserved strawberries and garnish.