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{VIDEO} Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes

A classic summertime drink favorite, transformed into a fun cupcake flavor! These bright lemon cupcakes are bursting with tangy lemon flavor, stuffed with a surprise strawberry filling and topped with a light and fluffy, sweet strawberry lemonade buttercream frosting!




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These cupcakes are packed full of fresh juicy lemons and strawberry, making them perfect for any spring or summer occasion. They have just the right amount of zesty lemon tang, balanced with a sweet jam filling and creamy strawberry lemonade frosting that just melts in your mouth.



I used my favorite vanilla cupcakes for the base of these cupcakes and added a hint of tangy citrus flavor, with some fresh juice and zest from a lemon. I filled the cupcakes with a little strawberry jam, to create the most wonderful flavor combination of sweet strawberry and tart lemon flavor.







I topped them with my favorite strawberry frosting with just a touch of fresh lemon. To create an all-natural strawberry flavor and pretty pink pop of color, I added my secret ingredient, a bag of freeze-dried strawberries that I crushed in into a powder, to add to the frosting base. This way, we get a pink frosting, without any food coloring and a powerful punch of strawberry flavor, without watering down our frosting with all the juices from fresh strawberries or added sugars from jam.





I found mine at my local grocery store by the raisins and dried fruit, but you can also get these online too.




I used the same lemon cupcake base for my lemon cream cupcakes, so if you love lemon, you are going to love those too!



I topped them off with a fresh, juicy strawberry and a little lemon candy, to create the perfect look to finish off these cupcakes. They come out so cute and just cream summer! These cupcakes would be perfect, served with a glass of strawberry lemonade, at a party, bbq or picnic, to go with them.







Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes

Yield: 12 cupcakes


Ingredients
Lemon Cupcakes:
  • 1 1/4 cup (140g) cake flour, weighed or spooned and leveled
  • 3/4 cup (144g) granulated white sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder 
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt 
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick/57g) unsalted butter, softened 
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil 
  • 1 large egg, room temperature 
  • 1 large egg yolk, room temperature 
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup (120g) sour cream, room temperature 
  • 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest (from about 1 large lemon)
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • yellow food coloring, optional
  • strawberry jam or preserves, for filling

Strawberry Buttercream Frosting:
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick/4oz) unsalted butter, softened 
  • 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 15g (about 1 cup or half of a 1.2oz pouch) freeze-dried strawberries
  • 2-3 cups (1/2lb) powdered sugar (confectioners' sugar), sifted
  • 2-3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 1 large lemon)
  • lemon candies and fresh strawberries for garnish, optional
*If you can't find freeze dried strawberries, you can dissolve 3-4 tablespoons of strawberry milk powder or jello/gelatin powder in the cream instead


Directions
Cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a cupcake pan with baking cups.

With an electric mixer, beat together cake flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt on low speed for about 20 seconds. Add softened butter and oil and mix for about 1-2 minutes to coat the flour, until mixture resembles wet sand.

In a small bowl, whisk together egg, yolk, vanilla, sour cream and lemon juice/zest. Slowly add the wet mixture on low speed. Scrape down bottom and sides of bowl. Add a few drops of yellow food coloring, if desired. Increase to medium speed and beat for about 1 minute until batter is smooth.

Distribute the batter between the baking cups, filling about 2/3 full. Bake for 16-20 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. (About 10 minutes for mini cupcakes). Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Frosting:
Pulse freeze dried strawberries in a food processor or high speed blender, until it turns into a powder (or crush in a resealable bag with a rolling pin until you have a fine powder); set aside. With an electric mixer, beat the softened butter on medium-high speed until light and creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Beat in vanilla, salt and strawberry powder. Add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, starting on on low and increasing to medium, until fully incorporated, scraping down sides and bottom of bowl as needed. Add lemon juice, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached. Scrape down bottom and sides of bowl. Increase to medium-high speed and beat for an additional 3-5 minutes until smooth, light and fluffy.

Fill completely cooled cupcakes with about 1 teaspoon of strawberry jam or preserves. Frost and top with lemon candy and strawberry.