Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes
By Jennifer Carlisle

*photos coming soon, sorry!

I made these delicious cupcakes for Mother's Day and they were a hit. My inspiration was all the delicious strawberries that are in season right now and looking forward to the refreshing taste of lemonade in the summer. The cupcakes are simple, I used a box mix, but replaced the water with lemon juice and added some lemon zest for the lemon flavor. And if that wasn't enough lemon, I added a lemon syrup (equal parts lemon juice and sugar) and drizzled it over each cupcake. It made the cupcakes moist and gave great flavor. Last the frosting was a cream cheese frosting with the flavors of more lemon and strawberries. Cream cheese frosting is delicious and works with this cupcake, but is harder to decorate with since it never really firms up. It's easy to spread though. So I have included a buttercream recipe which will have a slight difference in taste but is more firm and better to decorate with. I should note that you should zest your lemons before you cut them and use the juice.
This recipe makes 24 cupcakes and 2 cups of frosting.
Enjoy!

Ingredients: 
Cake:
1 box white cake mix
3-4 eggs according to box directions
Oil according to box directions
Lemon juice -replace the water in the recipe with the lemon juice.
1 tbsp lemon zest
A few drops of red food coloring
24 cupcake liners
1 toothpick

Syrup:
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar

Strawberry Cream Cheese:
1cup fresh strawberries diced
1 tbsp lemon zest
1/4 cup sugar
Juice of half a lemon
4 oz. Softened cream cheese
1 stick softened butter
3+ cups powdered sugar

Strawberry Buttercream Frosting:
1 cup fresh diced strawberries
2tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp lemon zest
1/4 cup sugar
1 stick softened butter
3 cups powdered sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Add cake mix, oil, eggs, lemon juice, and lemon zest zest to a mixer. Replace the water in the recipe with lemon juice. Mix together well. Then mix in red food coloring to make the batter pink. Scoop batter evenly into the cupcake tin lined with papers. Bake as directed. When done remove from the oven and allow to cool. Poke cupcakes few times with a toothpick making sure not to go all the way through. In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice and sugar for the syrup. Spoon the syrup on to the tops of the cupcakes, about 1/2 a tsp of syrup onto each.
Next make the frosting, in a medium bowl combine strawberries, lemon juice, lemon zest and sugar. Stir together and mash strawberries with a masher. With a mixer combine butter and cream cheese and cream together well. Then add the strawberries and mix together. Then add the powdered sugar a little at a time. If you want a thicker frosting you can add more powdered sugar or use my butter cream recipe. Cream cheese never really gets too firm, it's just how cream cheese is. Decorate the cupcakes with frosting and garnish with strawberries or lemon slices.

For the butter cream frosting, mix together strawberries, lemon juice, lemon zest and sugar. Then mash together with a masher. In a mixer cream butter then add strawberry mixture, blend well.Then slowly add in powdered sugar. Blend until well combined. Decorate and garnish. Makes about 2 cups.