Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes (Printable version)
Moist, fluffy cupcakes with diced strawberries and bright lemon, finished with a tangy strawberry-lemonade buttercream.
# What you need:
→ Cupcakes
01 - 1½ cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1½ teaspoons baking powder
03 - ¼ teaspoon salt
04 - ½ 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 - ¼ cup whole milk
10 - ¼ cup sour cream
11 - ⅔ cup fresh strawberries, diced
→ Strawberry Lemonade Buttercream
12 - ½ 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
# How To:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper 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 on medium-high speed until pale, light, and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
04 - Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
05 - Mix in the lemon zest and fresh lemon juice until fully incorporated.
06 - In a small bowl, stir together the milk and sour cream 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 on low speed until just combined — do not overmix.
08 - Gently fold the diced strawberries into the batter using a spatula, being careful not to overmix.
09 - Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each liner about two-thirds full.
10 - Bake for 16–18 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 - In a mixing bowl, 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, fresh lemon juice, and salt; beat on medium-high speed until the frosting is light and creamy.
12 - Pipe or spread the buttercream generously onto the fully cooled cupcakes. Garnish with fresh strawberry halves or additional lemon zest if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The combination of real strawberry pieces in the batter and a tangy berry frosting tastes genuinely like strawberry lemonade in cake form.
- They come together in under an hour with no fancy techniques, which means you can make them even when your kitchen confidence is running low.
02 -
- Do not rush the cooling step because frosting warm cupcakes will melt the buttercream into a sad puddle every single time.
- Tossing the diced strawberries in a tiny pinch of flour before folding them in prevents them from all sinking to the bottom during baking.
03 -
- Sift the powdered sugar even if the bag says pre sifted because hidden lumps will ruin the smoothness of your buttercream.
- Pair one of these cupcakes with a glass of sparkling lemonade and you have the most refreshing summer dessert plate imaginable.