Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes (Printable)
Moist cupcakes with fresh strawberries, lemon zest, and a zesty strawberry-lemonade buttercream.
# What You Need:
→ 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 (from about 3-4 strawberries)
15 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
16 - Pinch of salt
# Steps:
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.
03 - In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
04 - Mix in the lemon zest and fresh lemon juice until evenly distributed.
05 - Combine the milk and sour cream in a small bowl and stir until smooth.
06 - Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the milk mixture to the creamed butter, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
07 - Gently fold the diced strawberries into the batter using a spatula.
08 - Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full.
09 - Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
10 - Beat the butter on medium speed until smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar and beat until fully incorporated and fluffy. Add the strawberry puree, lemon juice, and salt, then beat until light and creamy.
11 - Pipe or spread the buttercream onto the cooled cupcakes. Garnish with additional strawberries or lemon zest if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The combo of fresh strawberry and bright lemon tastes like summer in a single bite, and people will assume you spent all day on these.
- The buttercream gets its pink color and real fruit flavor straight from actual strawberries, nothing fake about it.
- They come together in under an hour, which means you can decide to make them at noon and be eating one by one.
02 -
- Do not frost warm cupcakes under any circumstances, because the buttercream will melt right off and you will have a sticky mess on your hands.
- Pat the diced strawberries dry with a paper towel before folding them in, otherwise excess moisture will make the centers gummy.
03 -
- Freeze your diced strawberries for about fifteen minutes before folding them into the batter, because chilled fruit is less likely to sink or bleed color during baking.
- Use a light hand when mixing the batter after adding the flour, because overmixing develops gluten and turns a tender cupcake into a tough one.