Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes are tangy, sweet, fluffy, and moist. Combining a homemade lemon cupcake flavored with lemon zest, lemon juice, and lemonade drink mix, topped with a sweet strawberry frosting made with real strawberries. The perfect summer cupcakes!

Strawberries and lemon go great together! Be sure to check out more of my recipes with this amazing fruit duo including my Strawberry Lemonade Bars, Strawberry Shortcakes with Lemon Cream, Oatmeal Strawberry Lemonade Squares, and Lemon Strawberry Sweet Rolls.

Summer Cupcakes

Summer brings a lot of favorite things: flip flops, tan lines, the smell of freshly cut grass, BBQ’s, campouts, and late nights. As well as some favorite flavors like summer strawberries and ice cold lemonade. So why not combine these two flavors into delicious gourmet cupcakes?!

Why You’ll Love these Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes

• From Scratch Recipe: Honestly, I tested this recipe 3x with a cake mix and it just wasn’t good. However, the homemade cupcake was the perfect light and fluffy texture while still being moist and flavorful.
• Tangy Lemon Cupcakes: There’s 3x the lemon flavor in these cupcakes. Lemon zest, lemon juice, and Country Time Lemonade Mix combine together to pucker your palate.
• Sweet Strawberry Frosting: Made with freeze dried strawberries to create a thick, strawberry buttercream that is perfect for piping on top.

Recipe Adjustments

For these strawberry lemonade cupcakes I tweaked my lemon cupcakes recipe to include lemonade drink mix for fun and a boost of lemon flavor. You can follow the link above to make it without the lemonade mix, if you prefer.

I also decided to make the strawberry frosting with freeze dried strawberries because it makes the frosting a bit more stable than using jam like I usually do in my Strawberry Buttercream or Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting. NOTE: Freeze dried strawberries will make the frosting “crust” a bit more compared to using jam.

Of course if you want to cook fresh strawberries with a splash of water down into a thick paste (like jam) you can always do that too.

Ingredients for the Lemonade Cupcakes

Below is a preview of what you’ll need for the lemon cupcakes. NOTE: The full ingredient amounts and instructions are in the printable recipe card at the end of the post.

How to Make the Lemonade Cupcakes

You only need two bowls and a whisk to whip up these easy lemon cupcakes.

Start by preheating the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line cupcake pans with paper liners. Set aside.

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar, and dry lemonade mix.
• Add eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition.
• Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and yellow food coloring, if desired. Mix until combined.

• Add half of the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined.
• Add all of the buttermilk. Mix until just combined.
• Add the remaining flour mixture. Mix until just combined. Do not over-mix.
• Fill each cupcake liner ⅔ full. I use a #24 scoop for this. (affiliate link)

Bake at 375˚F for 14-15 minutes or until the cake springs back when touched or a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. Cool completely before frosting.

Ingredients for the Strawberry Frosting

Below is a preview of what you’ll need for the strawberry frosting. NOTE: The full ingredient amounts and instructions are in the printable recipe card at the end of the post.

How to Make the Strawberry Frosting

You can use a strong electric hand mixer or stand mixer to make this frosting.

• First, place the freeze dried strawberries in a food processor and pulse into a fine powder.

• Cream the butter and salt together with an electric hand or stand mixer.
• Add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing well between each addition. (Note: The mixture will continue to go from dry to combined.)
• Add the strawberry powder and mix. (May be somewhat dry after this step.)
• Mix in milk (or heavy cream) 1 Tablespoon at a time until the desired texture.

Topping the Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes

All that’s left to do is top the cupcakes with the frosting. I used a Wilton 6B piping tip (affiliate link) which is my favorite for cupcakes. I also added a slice of strawberry and lemon on top for garnish, which is pretty, but optional.

NOTE: Add the garnish just before serving as the juices from the fruit start to absorb the sugar in the frosting and leak. You would also have to refrigerate the cupcakes if you garnish them beforehand.

Storing and Freezing

TO STORE: If you leave the fruit garnish off of the top, you can store these cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for about 5 days.

TO FREEZE: Place the frosted cupcakes (without fruit garnish) on a plate, uncovered, and set them in the freezer for an hour or until the frosting has frozen solid. Then individually wrap and store the cupcakes in a freezer-safe container for up to 6 months.

Alternatives

• Homemade Buttermilk: Place 1 teaspoon of white distilled vinegar or lemon juice in a glass measuring cup, then fill up to 2/3 cup with milk. Stir and let sit for at least 5 minutes before using. (I actually prefer making this over buying it.)
• No Lemonade Mix: If you don’t have lemonade mix or don’t want to use it, make this lemon cupcakes recipe instead.
• No Freeze Dried Strawberries: If freeze dried strawberries are hard to find, make this strawberry frosting with jam instead.

If You Make This Recipe, Please Rate and Review it in the Comments Below. THANKS!