Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes
These moist Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes consist of homemade strawberry cupcakes with Lemon Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting. You will love this combination of flavors!
Servings: 24
Ingredients
For the Strawberry Cupcakes
- 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, softened (170g)
- 2 cups white sugar (400g)
- 3 large eggs, room temperature (Place eggs in a bowl of warm water for five minutes if in a hurry.)
- 3 cups cake flour (342g)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder (8g)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda (3g)
- ½ teaspoon salt (3g)
- 1 cup sour cream (full fat) (227g)
- ½ cup plus two tablespoons strawberry puree (Puree fresh or frozen, thawed strawberries) (161g) Liquefy in a blender or food processor. We did not heat on stovetop.
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil (68g ) (We use canola oil)
- 2 teaspoons strawberry extract (8g) (If no extract, you can substitute 2 Tablespoons powdered strawberry jello!)
- *Pink Coloring Gel- Optional for desired color. We used a small amount.
Lemon Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
- 16 oz cream cheese softened (It must be full fat, not reduced fat or cream cheese in a tub, those are too soft.)
- 2 cups powdered sugar measure then sift (230g)
- 3 cups heavy whipping cream (696g)
- 2 teaspoons lemon extract adjust to your liking (8g)
- zest of one lemon optional
- Yellow Coloring Gel (very small amount) optional
Instructions
For the Strawberry Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, line cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
- In a medium sized bowl, add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk to blend for 30 seconds. Set aside.
- In another bowl combine the sour cream, strawberry puree, strawberry extract and oil, blend and set aside.
- In the bowl of your mixer blend the butter until smooth. Gradually add the sugar and mix on medium speed 3 to 5 minutes until fluffy and lightened in color. If using pink coloring gel, you can add it now or at any time during the mixing process.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each until the yolk is blended
- With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture and the sour cream mixture alternately, beginning and ending with the flour mixture (3 additions of dry ingredients, 2 additions of wet ingredients.)
- Mix just until combined. Scoop batter into cupcake pans that have been prepared with cupcake liners. We usually add about ¼ cup batter per cupcake.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached.
- Note that these cupcakes while soft and fluffy do not dome, they will most likely have flat tops. They just need a little frosting to dress them up!
Lemon Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
- Freeze your mixing bowl and beaters 15 minutes before whipping the cream (30 minutes if chilling in the refrigerator.
- Use the whisk attachment if using a stand mixer, or beaters on your hand mixer. Beat the cream on medium high to high speed until stiff peaks form. This can happen very quickly so don't walk away from the mixer. You are at the stiff peak stage when you lift the beater and the cream stands straight up forming a peak. Keep in the refrigerator while completing the next step.
- In another bowl combine the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon extract and lemon zest. Add a bit of yellow coloring gel if you'd like. Mix until very smooth.
- Gently stir the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture (or vice versa)- I started stirring with spatula before switching to a handheld mixer on low speed. Mix until well combined (either with spatula or electric mixer).
Decorating
- Frost the cupcakes however you like! We used a 2D large star piping tip to swirl on the frosting, and then topped with either a sliced strawberry or small slice of lemon.
- Because of the frosting, these cupcakes should be refrigerated in an airtight container or sealed bakery box, etc. However, for the very best flavor and texture, remove from the refrigerator 1-2 hours before serving to allow the cake and frosting time to warm and soften.
Notes
Substitution for cake flour: Using all purpose flour (plain in the UK) for each cup of flour in a recipe, remove 2 Tablespoons of flour replace with 2 Tablespoons cornstarch (cornflour in the UK). This recipe has 3 cups of flour so you will measure out 3 cups of all purpose flour, remove 6 Tablespoons and replace with 6 Tablespoons cornstarch, whisk to blend.
This recipe makes 7 cups batter- approximately 28 cupcakes.
Fresh or frozen strawberries can be used.
**Note that if you'd like to add the lemon whipped cream cheese frosting as a filling as well, you would do this step first. Spoon the frosting into a disposable piping bag with the tip snipped away, push halfway down into the cooled cupcake, squeeze piping bag for a couple of seconds to fill, and then add the swirl of frosting on top. (You can squeeze the bag for a couple of seconds on a plate first to get an idea of how much filling you will be adding-- or if you have a cupcake to spare, do a trial run and adjust amount accordingly for the others.)