Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes (Printable)

Moist cupcakes infused with fresh strawberry and lemon, finished with zesty strawberry-lemonade buttercream.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cupcakes

01 - 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 ½ 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 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 purée (from about 3–4 strawberries)
15 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
16 - Pinch of salt

# Steps:

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, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together using a hand or stand mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
04 - Mix in the lemon zest and fresh lemon juice until evenly incorporated.
05 - Combine the milk and sour cream in a small bowl and stir until smooth.
06 - Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the milk mixture to the creamed butter, beginning 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.
08 - Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full.
09 - Bake for 16–18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely before frosting.
10 - Beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, beating until fully incorporated and fluffy. Add the strawberry purée, lemon juice, and salt, then beat until light and creamy.
11 - Pipe or spread the buttercream onto the cooled cupcakes. Garnish with fresh strawberries or additional lemon zest if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The combination of real strawberry pieces and bright lemon zest creates a cupcake that tastes genuinely homemade, nothing like a box mix.
  • The buttercream uses actual strawberry puree instead of artificial flavoring, and once people taste it they always ask what your secret is.
02 -
  • If the buttercream looks curdled after adding the strawberry puree, keep beating it on medium speed for another two minutes and it will come back together.
  • Do not frost warm cupcakes under any circumstances, the buttercream will melt into a puddle and slide right off.
03 -
  • Dice the strawberries very small, about the size of a pea, so they distribute evenly and every bite gets a bit of fruit.
  • Use a cookie scoop to portion the batter into the liners for perfectly even cupcakes that all finish baking at the same time.

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