Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes (Printable)

Fluffy cupcakes bursting with fresh strawberry and tangy lemon flavors, finished with luscious lemon-strawberry buttercream frosting.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cupcakes

01 - 1½ cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 tsp baking powder
03 - ¼ tsp baking soda
04 - ¼ tsp salt
05 - ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 1 cup granulated sugar
07 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
08 - ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
09 - 1 tbsp finely grated lemon zest
10 - ½ cup buttermilk, room temperature
11 - ½ cup chopped fresh strawberries

→ Lemon-Strawberry Buttercream

12 - ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
13 - 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
14 - 2 tbsp fresh strawberry puree
15 - 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
16 - 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
17 - Pinch of salt

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F and line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
02 - In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Mix in lemon juice and zest.
05 - Mix in half the dry ingredients, then add the buttermilk, and finish with the remaining dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
06 - Gently fold in chopped strawberries to avoid streaking the batter.
07 - Divide batter evenly among cupcake liners, filling each about 2/3 full.
08 - Bake for 16–18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
09 - Beat softened butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until smooth.
10 - Mix in strawberry puree, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt. Beat until light and fluffy.
11 - Once cupcakes are fully cooled, pipe or spread buttercream onto each one. Garnish with extra strawberries or lemon zest if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The combination of tart lemon and sweet strawberries tastes like summer in every bite
  • The buttercream is somehow both light and decadently rich at the same time
  • These look impressive but are surprisingly straightforward to make
02 -
  • Cold ingredients will curdle your batter—take everything out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before starting
  • Overmixing after adding the strawberries can turn your beautiful batter an unappetizing grayish pink
  • Room temperature cupcakes absorb frosting better, so never rush the cooling step
03 -
  • If strawberries aren't in season, frozen ones thawed and drained work surprisingly well
  • A splash of vanilla extract in the frosting rounds out the fruit flavors beautifully

Return