Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes
These Lemon Strawberry Cupcakes are the perfect way to brighten up Valentine’s Day—even if Punxsutawney Phil has doomed us to six more weeks of winter! With a soft, zesty lemon cake base and a luscious, fresh strawberry frosting, each bite is a burst of sunshine. Yes, they’re higher in carbohydrates, but sometimes a little indulgence is so worth it—especially when it’s shared with someone you love. And since these cupcakes are truly a labor of love, from the freshly zested lemons to the homemade strawberry puree, they make the perfect heartfelt treat. Whether you’re baking for yourself or surprising a special someone, these cupcakes are a deliciously sweet way to celebrate!
Ingredients
Lemon Cupcakes
- 1.5 c AP flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 c unsalted butter, softened
- 1 c sugar
- Zest from 1 lemon (~2 Tbsp)
- 2 large eggs, whisked
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp lemon extract
- 1/4 c milk
- 1/4 c sour cream
- 1/4 c lemon juice
Strawberry Frosting
- 1.5 c cup strawberries (fresh or frozen)
- 3/4 c unsalted butter
- 2 c powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp whipping cream
Instructions
Lemon Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Prepare a muffin tin with butter or liners.
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt together.
- In a large, beat the butter, sugar and lemon zest togetheruntil fluffy (~2-3 minutes).
- Beat in the whisked eggs.
- Turn on the mixer to a low speed, beat in about 1/3 of theflour mixture into the butter mixture.
- Then mix in the sour cream.
- Turn off the mixer, scrape down the sides.
- Mix in about 1/3 more of the flour mixture.
- Then add in the milk. Stop mixing as soon as it’sincorporated.
- Scrape down the sides again.
- Beat in the last 1/3 of the flour mixture.
- Gently stir in the lemon juice.
- If there are any lumps, use a whisk to whisk until smooth.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling eachcup about ¾ full.
- Bake for about 14-16 minutes, until a clean toothpick comesout.
- Cool the cupcakes in the tin for about 10 minutes, thencarefully transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling 10-15 minutes.
Strawberry Frosting
- Core the strawberries to remove the centers.
- Blend the strawberries in a blender. Pulse until it’s asmooth puree.
- Pour the puree over a metal sifter and push it through usinga spatula to remove the seeds. Discard the seeds.
- Transfer the puree into a saucepan over medium heat.
- Gently boil and occasionally stir the puree. As it boils, itwill begin to become darker and thicken.
- Once the puree is thick like jam (15 minutes), remove fromthe heat and fully cool. There should be about ¼ cup of puree. (To speed up thecooling process, transfer puree to a bowl and place in the fridge or freezer.)
- In a large bowl, beat the butter until fluffy.
- Add in 1 cup of powdered sugar (1/2 cup at a time) and beat together – starting on a low speed.
- Turn off the mixer and add 2-3 Tbsp of the reduced and cool strawberry puree. Beat until combined.
- Alternatively, mix in the rest of the powdered sugar (1/2cup at a time) and 1-2 Tbsp of the strawberry puree until the desired sweetnessand thickness. If the frosting is starting to separate or look too thin, do notadd any more puree. If the frosting seems too thick, beat in 1-2 Tbsp ofwhipping cream.
- Frost the cooled cupcakes using a knife or piping bag.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition
Serving: 1cupcakeCalories: 473kcalCarbohydrates: 68gProtein: 4gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 57mgSodium: 297mgPotassium: 42mgSugar: 55gVitamin A: 1IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 7mgIron: 2mg