Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes will turn your pool party from awesome to epic. The perfect summertime treat!
Whenever I think about lemonade, my next thought is almost always Lucy from The Peanuts. Do you remember how she always had that lemonade stand where she’d sell lemonade for 5¢? At some point that lemonade stand turned into a psychiatry booth where she’d sell advice for 5¢.
Like most kids, I also had a lemonade stand when I was younger. It’s where I first learned to count money and manage costs. I wonder if I could get that old lemonade stand up and running again today? In my quiet cul-de-sac in upstate New York. Or better yet, maybe I could start my own psychiatry stand. I bet the business would be booming!
Hmmm…on second thought, maybe I should stick with the food blog. Speaking of food blog, I’m excited to share these Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes with you today. I bet Lucy would’ve made a fortune had she just sold these cupcakes instead of her advice!
Is there anything more refreshing than a cold glass of lemonade on a hot summer day? As far as I’m concerned, lemonade is the quintessential summer drink. The only way to beat it is to top that glass with a strawberry… and then turn it into a cupcake!
These Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes represent the best of what summer has to offer. They’re loaded with the flavors of tart lemons and sweet strawberries, and they’re the perfect dessert to bring to any summer party.
My wife called these cupcakes “the stuff that’ll make a bakery famous.” They’re that good!
I garnished each of these Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes with a piece of candied lemon peel. (In truth, the candied lemon peels were so tasty that I almost ate them all before they made it to the cupcakes. Oops.)
I also chose to go with my standard buttercream frosting, but I bet these cupcakes would also be tasty with a cream cheese frosting. Either way, the strawberry puree is the key! So make a batch of these cupcakes this weekend and call your friends over. Then charge them 5¢ per cupcake. Enjoy!
Make it an epic pool party – have ALL the cupcakes! Serve Margarita Cupcakes and PB&J Cupcakes too!
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Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter room temperature (1 stick)
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 1/4 cups Cake Flour
- 1 tablespoon Baking Powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- 2 tablespoons Lemon Zest roughly 2 lemons worth
- 4-5 tablespoons Lemon Juice roughly 2 lemons worth
- 4 large Egg Whites
- 1 cup Milk
- Candied Lemon Peel for garnish
- 1 1/2 cups Strawberries stems and hulls removed
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter room temperature (2 sticks)
- 2 1/2-3 cups Powdered Sugar
- 2 teaspoons Lemon Juice optional
- 1-2 tablespoons Milk if necessary
Instructions
- Grease and flour a muffin pan, or insert paper liners. Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Using a countertop mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes).
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and lemon zest; set aside.
- Whisk together the lemon juice, egg whites, and milk until fully combined.
- Add flour mixture to the bowl in 3 additions and liquid mixture in 2 additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix on low speed after each addition until fully combined. (Tip: Don’t forget to scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl!)
- Fill each muffin cup or liner approximately 2/3 full.
- Bake at 350°F for 22-24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool before frosting.
- Using a small food processor or blender, puree the strawberries until smooth.
- Transfer the strawberry puree to a small saucepan, and place over medium-low heat. Cook puree for 15 minutes (or longer—until about ½ cup left), stirring often to prevent it from burning. Remove puree from heat and let it cool completely.
- Meanwhile, using a countertop mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter on high speed until light and fluffy.
- Once puree has cooled, add ½ cup of puree to the bowl; mix until well combined.
- Add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing fully after each addition. (Note: The amount of powdered sugar will depend on personal preference and the sweetness of the berries.)
- (Optional) Add the lemon juice and mix until fully absorbed. (Note: The lemon juice adds a wonderful tartness that cuts the sweetness of the frosting, if desired.)
- If necessary, add milk 1 Tbsp at a time until frosting reaches desired consistency.
- Frost cupcakes and garnish with candied lemon peel (optional).
Notes
- Visit David’s blog, Spiced, for his Candied Lemon Peel recipe.