Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes (Printable)
Moist vanilla cupcakes infused with fresh strawberries and lemon zest, topped with tangy strawberry lemonade buttercream frosting.
# What You'll 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 (about 3–4 strawberries)
15 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
16 - Pinch of salt
# How To Make:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners and set aside.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt until evenly distributed.
03 - In a large bowl, beat the room-temperature butter and granulated sugar together using a hand or stand mixer until pale, light, and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until fully incorporated.
04 - Mix in the lemon zest and fresh lemon juice until evenly combined throughout the batter.
05 - In a small bowl, stir together the milk and sour cream until smooth.
06 - Alternately add the dry ingredient mixture and the milk-sour cream mixture to the creamed butter, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix on low speed until just combined — do not overmix.
07 - Gently fold the diced fresh strawberries into the batter using a spatula, taking care not to crush the pieces or overwork the batter.
08 - Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each liner 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. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before frosting.
10 - Beat the room-temperature 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 a pinch of salt, then beat on medium-high speed until the frosting is light and creamy.
11 - Pipe or spread the buttercream generously onto the completely cooled cupcakes. Garnish with additional fresh strawberries or a sprinkle of lemon zest if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- These cupcakes taste like summer in paper wrappers, bright and tangy with real fruit running through every bite.
- The buttercream pulls double duty with strawberry and lemon together, so you never have to choose between your two favorite summer flavors.
02 -
- Overmixing the batter after adding flour will toughen the cupcakes, so stop the mixer the second the last streak of flour vanishes.
- Dicing the strawberries too small makes them disappear into the batter, while pieces that are too large sink to the bottom, so aim for pea-sized chunks.
03 -
- Room temperature ingredients blend more evenly and create a lighter crumb, so pull everything out an hour before you start.
- A light dusting of flour over the diced strawberries before folding them in keeps them from sinking to the bottom of the cupcakes.