Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes

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These sweet and tangy Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes are simply beautiful to look at while also completely addictive!

I don't know about you but I just love the flavor combination of strawberry and lemon. These two flavors provide a perfect balance of fresh tangy zing to a sweetened cupcake base and butter-sugar frosting. 

Serve your strawberry lemonade cupcakes at room temperature or chilled with a thin halved slice of lemon or lime as a pretty garnish to an already beautiful-looking cupcake!

Table of Contents

• Why You’ll Love This Recipe
• Why This Recipe Works
• What You’ll Need To Make This Recipe
• Equipment
• Ingredients
• How To Make Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes
• Instructions
• Pro Tips
• Variations
• What To Serve With Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes
• FAQs
• More Recipes
• Recipe
• Reviews

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Simplicity and eye-catching. These strawberry lemonade cupcakes are quite straightforward and simple to assemble, not to mention that they look so pretty – perfect for birthday parties, baby showers, bridal showers, and many more special events.  
• Make Ahead. Certain components of these strawberry lemonade cupcakes can be made ahead of time such as the cupcake bases or the frosting, stored separately and assembled just prior to serving.  
• Versatile. Adapt your strawberry lemon cupcakes with additional ingredient add-ins or ingredient swaps to better suit your dessert preferences. 
• Inexpensive treat. These strawberry lemon cupcakes are truly irresistible and won't require much expense at all. In fact, you probably already have the majority of the ingredients in your pantry and fridge already if you enjoy these types of sweet treats.

Why This Recipe Works

• Tried and True. This is a tried and tested dessert recipe, allowing me to guide you through simple and clear recipe instructions with corresponding in-process images so that there's zero guesswork on your part!
• Make Ahead. Most of the recipe time is dedicated to the preparation of these cupcakes which gives you the opportunity to make the cupcake bases or the frosting ahead of time to reduce overall time.
• FAQs. Useful tips and frequently asked questions are added in this recipe post for further clarification, making the recipe a breeze to understand and follow. 
• Variations. I've included a few ways that you could adapt these strawberry lemon cupcakes with simple recipe substitutions and suggestions. If you have any of your own, make sure to share them with me in the comments section!

What You’ll Need To Make This Recipe

Equipment

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• Muffin tin
• Cupcake liners
• Mixing Bowls
• Hand Mixer

Ingredients

Below, I discuss the ingredients and possible substitutions if you don't have a specific ingredient. However, if you are looking for the specific measurements of each ingredient, scroll down to the bottom of this article, just above the comments, for the printable recipe card, which includes all the ingredients and the specific amounts of each one.

Cake:

• Flour. If you need these cupcakes to be gluten-free then I suggest using something like King Arthur or Bob's Red Mill gluten-free flour which is a convenient measure-for-measure substitution. 
• Baking powder. Always check for the expiry date on your baking powder as this can have a direct impact on the outcome of the cupcake bases and how well they rise while baking. 
• Salt. A small amount helps to elevate the flavor in these cupcakes. 
• Oil. Vegetable or Canola oil are typical choices of oil for baking but you could also use something like coconut oil (the unscented variety). You won't need to make any quantity adjustments.
• Milk. Use a full cream milk or low fat. Obviously the full cream will add more flavor and moisture to the cupcakes.
• Lemon juice. Always opt for fresh lemon juice over the bottled variety for best taste. 
• Lemon zest.
• Eggs. It's best to bring the eggs to room temperature when baking. 
• Sugar.  I use white granulated sugar in this recipe but you could use a light brown sugar instead – it will give a slightly deeper flavor and add to the moisture in the cake.
• Butter. make sure to use unsalted butter for the frosting. 
• Powdered Sugar. make sure to measure your powdered sugar as too much can cause an overly sweet cupcake frosting and also affect the overall texture since it can dry out the frosting.
• Strawberry Puree. this adds a lovely tart flavor to the sweet sugar frosting while also providing a very pretty pink color. I always prefer using strawberry puree over food coloring and artificial flavoring. 

How To Make Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes

Instructions

Cupcakes

1. Preheat the oven at 350 F / 180 C and line your baking pan with cupcake liners.
2. In a bowl, add in the dry ingredients, the flour, baking powder, and salt, and keep aside.

• In another bowl or stand mixer (you can also use an electric beater for this), add in the wet ingredients, oil, milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, and eggs and mix well.
• Add the sugar to the wet mixture and mix till it’s perfectly incorporated.
• Now add the flour mixture to the wet mixture in batches and mix till it’s fully incorporated.
• Using an ice cream scoop, scoop out the batter and fill your liners till 3/4 full.
• Bake for 20-25 min or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let it completely cool down.

Frosting:

• Cream the butter until it’s creamy and fluffy, add in the sugar (in batches) and beat until it achieves a smooth consistency. Add the strawberry puree and mix well till you get that gorgeous baby pink color!
• Fill the frosting in a piping bag, I am using a big closed star tip nozzle here, and frost your cupcakes.

Pro Tips

• Don’t Overstir. As with any other cupcake recipe, over stirring the cupcake batter will result in crumbly (and possibly rubbery) cupcakes. You only need to stir just until the flour is incorporated, no more. 
• Gluten-Free. If you've opted to make these strawberry lemon cupcakes gluten-free with your choice of gluten-free flour, just be aware that it's normal for the cupcakes to require additional baking time than what's called for in this recipe. You can always test the cupcakes for doneness by inserting a toothpick into them which should come out clean if cooked through.  
• Frosting Tip. An easy way to ensure a smooth consistency to the frosting is to use a stand mixer with paddle attachment. While you could make the frosting by mixing by hand, it won't have a velt-smooth finish and will definitely require additional arm work!
• Chill Out. These cupcakes can be enjoyed at room temperature or chilled. I've tried both options and tend to enjoy them even more after they've been chilled!
• Cool. Wait for the cupcakes to completely cool before even attempting to frost them otherwise you will ruin the frosting and end up with a melted mess. 
• Tiny Bubbles. To reduce the possibility of any bubbles in the cupcake batter, simply tap the cupcake pan gently on the countertop prior to baking. 
• Make Ahead. If you'd like to make these cupcakes in advance, consider baking the cupcakes ahead of time, leaving the frosting to make and apply just prior to serving.
• Puree. While I've used store-bought strawberry puree for convenience, feel free to make your own strawberry puree from scratch. This is a great idea when strawberry season is coming to a close and there are great bulk sales or if you happen to grow your own strawberries in your garden. 
• Color. For a deeper color in the frosting, add in 1-2 drops of pink or red food coloring.
• Flavor. For more flavor in the cupcake batter, add in 1-2 tsp of vanilla extract. 

Variations

• Flour: I've only ever tested these strawberry lemon cupcakes with all-purpose flour since it's my choice of sturdy flour for baking with. From my experience of making gluten-free baked goods, I believe that these cupcakes will still turn out beautifully when using gluten-free blends such as King Arthur of Bob's Red Mill.
• Strawberry puree: If you want to make a different berry-flavored cupcake, consider using blueberry, blackberry, or even raspberry puree. They all go really well with the zesty lemon.  
• Cupcake base: The cupcake base for this recipe is a simple lemon flavored batter. You could get creative and add in some pink food coloring if you'd like these cupcakes to really stand out! A cute idea for a gender reveal party!
• Boozy cupcakes: If you plan on making these cupcakes for a special birthday for an adult, consider adding in some strawberry liqueur into the cupcake batter! Factor the amount of alcohol into the overall liquid quantities permitted in this recipe. For example, you could reduce the milk slightly to accommodate the addition of alcohol. 

What To Serve With Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes

It's pretty difficult to imagine that these strawberry lemon cupcakes actually need anything else – they're just that good! However, if you're planning on serving these pretty cupcakes for a special occasion, be sure to add some garnish such as a slice of lemon or lime to the top of the frosting. 

Adding some pink and white decorative sprinkles to the freshly piped frosting is another way to add to the presentation when serving these cupcakes.

FAQs

WHAT KIND OF TEXTURE DO THESE STRAWBERRY LEMON CUPCAKES HAVE?

These strawberry lemon cupcakes are soft and moist with a sweet and tangy flavor. The cupcakes are then topped off with a velvet-like strawberry frosting, making every bite super decadent and addictive!

HOW SHOULD I STORE LEFTOVER STRAWBERRY LEMON CUPCAKES?

These strawberry lemon cupcakes can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for 1 -2 days or in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.

While you can serve these cupcakes at room temperature or chilled, I prefer storing leftovers in the refrigerator for the sake of the dairy-based ingredients in the cupcake batter and the frosting. 

CAN I FREEZE STRAWBERRY LEMON CUPCAKES?

Absolutely! I do recommend that you store the unfrosted cupcake bases in the freezer only though as it's going to be rather tricky to store the cupcakes frosted, not to mention that the freezing can affect the texture of the frosting.

Once completely cooled, wrap each cupcake base in plastic wrap and then store them in an airtight container or large Ziploc bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. 

Thaw the frozen cupcake bases in the refrigerator overnight and then make the frosting and pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes just prior to serving these scrumptious cupcakes to guests and family. 

HOW DO I PREVENT MY BAKED CUPCAKES FROM STICKING TO THE PAN?

If you intend pouring the cupcake batter directly into the cupcake pan, it's a good idea to spray the pan with non-stick cooking spray. 

Otherwise, consider lining the cupcake pan with paper cupcake liners or even silicone liners. 

CAN I MAKE MY OWN STRAWBERRY PUREE FOR THIS RECIPE?

Absolutely! To do, simply follow these easy steps:

1. Take about 1 cup of strawberries and core them to remove the green part. 
2. Puree the strawberries in the food processor until smooth. 
3. Sieve the puree to remove any seeds – this step is optional.
4. Take the strawberry paste in a saucepan and heat it over medium flame, stirring continuously till it’s reduced to about 1/4 of a cup. 
5. Let the mixture cool and then refrigerate it until you are ready to use. 

Make sure that you don't use your homemade strawberry puree to make the frosting if it is still hot as this will cause the frosting to separate. 

More Recipes

• Strawberry Cupcakes
• Hot Chocolate Cupcakes
• Strawberry Shortcake
• Strawberry Upside Down Cake

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