Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes (Printable Version)
Light vanilla cupcakes infused with fresh strawberries and zesty lemon, topped with tangy strawberry-lemon buttercream frosting.
# What You Need:
→ Cupcake Batter
01 - 1 ⅓ cups (170 g) all-purpose flour
02 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
03 - ¼ teaspoon baking soda
04 - ¼ teaspoon salt
05 - ½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter, softened
06 - 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
07 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
08 - ⅓ cup (80 ml) whole milk
09 - ¼ cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice
10 - 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
11 - ½ cup (80 g) fresh strawberries, diced
→ Strawberry Lemonade Buttercream
12 - ½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter, softened
13 - 2 cups (240 g) powdered sugar, sifted
14 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
15 - ¼ cup (40 g) strawberries, pureed
16 - ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
17 - Pinch of salt
# How to Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed.
03 - In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together until pale, light, and fluffy.
04 - Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until fully incorporated.
05 - Mix in the fresh lemon juice and finely grated lemon zest until combined.
06 - Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk in two additions, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined — do not overmix.
07 - Gently fold the diced strawberries into the batter using a spatula, taking care not to overmix.
08 - Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cupcake liners, filling each about two-thirds full.
09 - Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
10 - Remove the cupcakes from the muffin tin and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
11 - Beat the softened butter until creamy and smooth. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, beating until well combined. Add the lemon juice, strawberry puree, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Beat until the frosting is light, fluffy, and fully combined.
12 - Once the cupcakes are completely cool, frost generously with the strawberry lemonade buttercream. Garnish with small strawberry slices or a sprinkle of lemon zest if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- Real fruit in both the cake and the frosting means every bite tastes genuinely like summer, not like a candy imitation.
- The lemon and strawberry balance each other perfectly so nothing lands too sweet or too sharp.
02 -
- Overmixing once the flour goes in toughens the crumb, so stop the second everything looks just combined.
- I once frosted cupcakes while they were still warm and watched the buttercream slide right off like a pink avalanche, so patience truly matters here.
03 -
- Brush the cooled cupcake tops with a thin layer of lemon syrup before frosting for an extra burst of brightness that catches people off guard in the best way.
- Dice the strawberries smaller than you think you need because large chunks sink to the bottom every single time.