Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes

4.95 from 17 rating

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes

These strawberry lemonade cupcakes taste just like summer! They have the perfect balance of sweet and tart & are packed w/ strawberry flavor!

Prep Time10

Cook Time19

Additional Time30

Total Time59

Course: Cupcakes

Cuisine: American

Servings: 12

Calories: 367kcal

Author: Chelsey White

Ingredients

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes:

1 cup granulated sugar 200g
zest of 1 large lemon - about 1 Tbsp 5g
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour or gluten free flour blend 150g
1 1/2 tsp baking powder 6g
1/2 tsp fine salt 3g
1/2 cup full-fat sour cream, room temperature 125g
1/2 cup water 120g
1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil 56g
1 large egg, room temperature 56g
1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 4g
yellow gel food coloring - optional

Optional Filling

3/4 cup strawberry jam 240g

Strawberry Buttercream:

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 226g
zest of 1 large lemon - about 1 Tbsp 5g
1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 4g
1 tsp lemon extract 4g
1/4 tsp fine salt 1g
3 Tbsp seedless strawberry jam or jelly 60g
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar 454 grams or a 1 lb. box
1 Tbsp heavy whipping cream, room temperature 15 grams
red gel food coloring - optional

Tools & Decorations

Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
Muffin tin
Cupcake liners
1 small lemon
6 small strawberries
Small heart shaped cutter
1 Tbsp seedless strawberry jam
Large round piping tip like an Ateco 807
Large piping bag

Instructions

Lemon Cupcakes:

Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C and place 12 cupcake liners in a muffin pan. Set aside.
Whisk together 1 cup of granulated sugar and the zest of 1 lemon in large bowl. This helps release the oil from the lemon zest. The mixture should become pretty aromatic and the sugar should become slightly yellow in color.
Add in 1 1/4 cups all-flour, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt. Whisk together, then set aside.
In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup vegetable oil, 1 large egg, and 1 tsp vanilla extract until combined. If you want your cupcakes to have a brighter yellow color, mix a squirt of yellow gel food coloring into the wet ingredients.
Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and whisk together until just combined.
Fill the cupcake liners about 3/4 full and bake for 19-21 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Let the cupcakes cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then place them on a cooling rack to finish cooling.

Strawberry Buttercream:

While the cupcakes bake and cool, make the strawberry buttercream.
Beat 1 cup of unsalted butter on a medium speed for 30 seconds with a stand mixer or hand mixer until smooth.
Add in the zest of 1 large lemon, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tsp lemon extract, and 1/4 tsp salt, and beat on low until the ingredients are incorporated.
Add 3 Tbsp of seedless strawberry jam and mix until fully combined.
Mix in 3 1/2 cups of powdered sugar and 1 Tbsp of heavy cream on a low speed. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
If you want a deeper pink color, mix in a drop of red gel food coloring. It sounds odd but it really enhances the natural pink color of the frosting.
Once fully mixed, if the frosting seems too thick, add in additional cream (1 tsp at a time). If the frosting is too thin, add in more powdered sugar (quarter of a cup at a time). If the frosting looks broken before adding it into the piping bag, add in more room-temperature butter, 1 Tbsp at a time until it comes back together.
Then stir the frosting by hand with a rubber spatula for a minute or two to make the frosting super smooth.
If desired, add 1 Tbsp of strawberry jam into a large piping bag and spread it out to create a thin layer all around the bag.
Cut off the tip of the bag, and fit it with a large piping tip (like an Ateco 807). Place the buttercream in the piping bag and seal the top with a rubber band.

Decorating these Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes:

Once the cupcakes have fully cooled, remove the centers with a small sharp knife or a 3/4-inch circle cutter.
Fill each cupcake with 1 Tbsp of strawberry jam.
Pipe a generous swirl of strawberry buttercream frosting on top of each cupcake and garnish with a little lemon slice and a piece of strawberry.

Video

Notes

Yield:

One batch of this recipe makes 12 standard sized cupcakes. It can also be used to make about 30 mini cupcakes (bake for 12-14 minutes at 350 F / 175 C).

Variations:

To make eggless, dairy free strawberry lemonade cupcakes, use an alternative dairy milk to replace the whole milk (almond, oat, or soy) and dairy free yogurt (almond, oat, or soy) in place of the sour cream.
To make gluten free strawberry lemonade cupcakes, swap in your favorite gluten free flour blend for the AP flour this recipe calls for, and be sure to over-mix your batter and let it sit for at least 30 minutes before baking for best results.

Making these Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes in Advance & Storage Tips:

You can make these cupcakes in advance! If stored unfrosted and unfilled in an airtight container, they can last for 2 days at room temp, up to a week in the fridge, or up to 3 months in the freezer

The frosting can also be made ahead of time too, or you can save any leftover frosting. It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Be sure to give it a good stir once it thaws to get the consistency nice and smooth again.

Frosted cupcakes can sit out at room temperature overnight in an airtight container, but I find frosting and filling them right before serving is best.

Nutrition