Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes (Printable Version)
Moist cupcakes with fresh strawberries and bright lemon, finished with a creamy strawberry-lemonade buttercream.
# Ingredient List:
→ Cupcakes
01 - 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
03 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
04 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
05 - 1 cup granulated sugar
06 - 2 large eggs
07 - 2 teaspoons lemon zest
08 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
09 - 1/4 cup milk
10 - 1/4 cup sour cream
11 - 2/3 cup fresh strawberries, diced
→ Strawberry Lemonade Buttercream
12 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
13 - 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
14 - 2 tablespoons strawberry puree (about 3-4 strawberries)
15 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
16 - Pinch of salt
# How to Make:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt until evenly distributed.
03 - In a large bowl, beat the butter and granulated sugar together using an electric mixer until pale, light, and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
04 - Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until fully incorporated.
05 - Mix in the lemon zest and fresh lemon juice until evenly combined.
06 - Stir together the milk and sour cream in a small bowl until smooth.
07 - Alternate adding the dry ingredient mixture and the milk mixture to the creamed butter, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined; do not overmix.
08 - Gently fold the diced strawberries into the batter using a spatula, taking care not to overmix.
09 - Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each liner about two-thirds full.
10 - Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
11 - Beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, beating until fully incorporated and fluffy. Add the strawberry puree, lemon juice, and salt, then beat until light and creamy.
12 - Pipe or spread the buttercream onto the fully cooled cupcakes. Garnish with fresh strawberries or additional lemon zest if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The combo of tangy lemon and sweet strawberry tastes like a glass of ice cold lemonade got dressed up for a party.
- They come together in under an hour which means you can decide to make them at noon and be biting into one by one.
02 -
- Overmixing the batter once the flour goes in is the fastest route to tough, rubbery cupcakes so stop the mixer early.
- Frosting warm cupcakes will cause the buttercream to slide right off, so patience here actually matters.
03 -
- Dice the strawberries small and uniform so every bite gets a bit of fruit instead of one giant chunk.
- Straining the puree through a fine mesh sieve removes seeds and gives you frosting that looks as smooth as it tastes.