Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes
These fresh strawberry lemonade cupcakes are delightfully summer and are amazing!! A soft lemon cupcake filled with puckering fresh lemon juice and juicy strawberries is topped with a whipped strawberry frosting for the perfect summer cupcakes!
I have no words to describe these strawberry lemonade cupcakes. Not just because they leave you speechless and wanting for more after the first bite (which they totally do!), but because I am brain-dead (and coming from a neuroscientist-in-training this is inaccurate, but I will let it fly today because I am that exhausted).
I had two big presentations earlier this week and I spent the past week and a half just reading and reading and reading and juggling married life, family, friends and blogging with that just left me exhausted. Of course at some points my brain was resisting the urge to work leading to some serious procrastination like giant cookie bake-offs (I’ll share soon), mall excursions in search of cute tea cups that were never procured and baking these perfect summer strawberry lemonade cupcakes (among other stress induced goodies) but with no time to blog about them.
Using up the rest of the strawberries from this dark chocolate cake with strawberry buttercream, I made a light and airy lemon cake filled with fresh strawberry bites and I topped the cupcakes with fluffy whipped strawberry lemon buttercream. It is the perfect balance between sweet and tangy (I believe strawberry and lemons were made just for each other!).
These are now on top of my favorite cupcake list and will be making them again as the months get warmer. I suggest you find a friend with a pool and bring these cupcakes as a bribe, along with some fresh strawberry lemonade for the perfect hot summer day pool party (ahemmm, Laura).
I am off to bake about 80 cupcakes, decorate cookies and a cake for my first bridal shower dessert table this Saturday! Because I am a procrastinator genius, I left everything to last minute. Wish me luck! I’ll share the results (hopefully successful) with you next week.
Hope you all have a great weekend!!

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes
Sweet and sour strawberry lemonade cupcakes perfect for summer gatherings and parties.
Ingredients
For Cupcakes:
- 3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon plus ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups unsalted butter (3 sticks), room temperature
- 2 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 5 large eggs, room temperature
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- 1 ¼ cups buttermilk, room temperature
- ½ cup fresh strawberry, hulled and diced finely
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 6 large egg whites, room temperature
- 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Juice of 1 lemon
- ½ cup fresh strawberry puree
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Line muffin tins with cupcake wrappers
- Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
- Combine buttermilk, vanilla extract and lemon extract. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down side of bowl as necessary. Mix in zest.
- With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with 2 batches of buttermilk mixture and beginning and ending with flour. Mix well to combine after each addition and scrape sides of bowl as needed. Fold in the strawberries by hand using a rubber spatula.
- Divide batter among cupcake liners, filling ⅔ to the top.
- Bake until golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean. About 18-20 minutes.
- Transfer pans to wire racks and let cool in pans for 2 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pans and cool completely on wire racks.
Strawberry Lemon Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Whisk together sugar and egg whites in a heatproof mixing bowl set over (not in] a pan of simmering water. Whisk until warm and sugar is dissolved (mixture should feel completely smooth when rubbed between your fingers), 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
- With an electric mixer on medium speed, whisk egg white mixture 5 minutes. Increase speed to medium-high, and whisk until stiff, glossy peaks form and meringue has cooled (test by feeling bottom of bowl), about 6 minutes.
- Reduce speed to medium. Add butter, one piece at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and lemon juice. Mix the strawberry puree into the buttercream until combined.
- Best if used immediately or store airtight in refrigerator for up to a week.
Notes
- Cupcake liners from Bake it Pretty - I enjoyed these cupcakes with a fresh batch of strawberry lemonade.
MAKING THIS RECIPE? Share it with us on Instagram using #aclassictwist so we can see what you are baking up in your kitchen!
These look delicious! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for stopping by Lisa.
Look at those PERFECT cupcakes! 🙂 They’re adorable! Also, I’d like to invite you to come link up with me at my link party! I’d love it if you could stop by & link up some of your recipes! Here’s the link: http://anyonitanibbles.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/tasty-tuesdays-14-plus-16-dad-approved-fathers-day-recipes.html
Thanks! I’ll stop by the party and link up 🙂
I”m so glad you did! Thank you so much for linking up with me this week at Tasty Tuesdays! I’ve pinned this & shared it with my followers!
I want a big bite of that frosting 🙂
haahha! The frosting is my favorite part too.
Love your cupcake liners too, all very pretty.
Thanks!
I think the strawberry adds such a nice touch!
Yes I agree!
Your cupcakes are BEAUTIFUL!!! And the buttercream sounds divine!
Thanks Maria!
I likey cupcakes! And these look delish! Hopping on over from House of Hepworths. Debbie @ http://www.madefrompinterest.net/
Thanks for stopping by 🙂
these look perfect!
good luck with everything! take some time to relax too 🙂
(ps. i’m watching girls! it’s growing on me :D)
Yay! I’m glad you have it another shot! Let me know when you are done with season two
These are beautiful looking cupcakes! Perfect for summer 🙂 Stopping by from Marvelous Mondays 🙂
Thanks!
These look amazing, Zainab! Thank you so much for sharing on Marvelous Mondays. Pinning and sharing on Facebook tomorrow. 🙂
Julie @ This Gal Cooks
Thanks Julie!
I saw these at Marvelous Mondays! The fluffy pretty pink butter cream caught my eye. I agree strawberries and lemons are perfect together!
Thanks for stopping by!
Thanks so much for linking up to Your Whims Wednesday, I featured this on my blog tonight! Come stop by and grab a featured button: http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/2013/06/your-whims-wednesday-116-and-features.html
Thanks Rebecca!!
Wow…those look fantastic! I can’t wait to try them : )
bisous
Suzanne
These look delightful! The fresh fruit garnish really tops the cupcake off and the icing looks delicious!
Tenns @ New Mama Diaries
I can’t wait to try these, but at what point do you add the strawberries to the batter??
Jess, oops I must have left that out. Fixing recipe now. Thanks for pointing it out. You fold them in at the very last step. Before you put into cupcake liners. Thanks again.
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HI. Any idea how to make the strawberry purée?
Yes, just use a food processor or blender to pulse fresh or frozen strawberries. If you are using fresh strawberries, I would suggest you pass the purée through a fine sieve to get rid of some of the pulp but that’s just personal preference. I hope this helps 🙂
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The recipe calls for 1-1/2 C. butter (2-1/2 sticks). Does it mean 3 sticks since 1 stick is 1/2 C. ?
Shari sorry about that typo. It is 1 -1/2C butter which is 3 sticks. Hope you enjoy them!!
Hi! What piping tip did you use for these? Very frilly! I love them!
Hi Ashley, I used Wilton Tip 2D. Here’s a link to amazon: http://amzn.to/2lTyyaF
Heya! I’m at work browsing your blog from my new iphone!
Just wanted to say I love reading your blog and look forward to all your posts!
Keep up the excellent work!