Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes (Printable)

Light vanilla cupcakes filled with fresh strawberries and bright lemon, crowned with creamy fruit buttercream frosting.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cupcakes

01 - 1½ cups (190 g) all-purpose flour
02 - 1 tsp baking powder
03 - ¼ tsp baking soda
04 - ¼ tsp salt
05 - ½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter, softened
06 - 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
07 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
08 - ¼ cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice
09 - 1 tbsp finely grated lemon zest
10 - ½ cup (120 ml) buttermilk, room temperature
11 - ½ cup (80 g) chopped fresh strawberries

→ Lemon-Strawberry Buttercream

12 - ½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter, softened
13 - 2 cups (240 g) powdered sugar, sifted
14 - 2 tbsp fresh strawberry puree (blended and strained)
15 - 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
16 - 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
17 - Pinch of salt

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F and line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
02 - Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
03 - Beat softened butter and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes.
04 - Incorporate eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Mix in lemon juice and zest.
05 - Blend in half the dry ingredients, followed by buttermilk, then remaining dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
06 - Gently incorporate chopped strawberries into the batter.
07 - Distribute batter evenly among cupcake liners, filling each about 2/3 full. Bake for 16–18 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
08 - Let cupcakes rest in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool entirely.
09 - Beat softened butter until creamy. Gradually incorporate powdered sugar, beating until smooth.
10 - Mix in strawberry puree, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt. Beat until light and fluffy.
11 - Pipe or spread buttercream onto fully cooled cupcakes. Garnish with additional strawberries or lemon zest if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The buttercream alone will make you want to lick the bowl clean
  • Fresh strawberries and real lemon juice create flavors you just cannot fake with extracts
  • These look impressive but come together faster than you would expect
02 -
  • Pat those chopped strawberries dry with paper towels or they will sink to the bottom of your cupcakes
  • Room temperature ingredients are non negotiable here because cold butter creates weird lumps in your batter
  • Let these cool completely before frosting or your buttercream will melt right off into a puddle
03 -
  • If your strawberries are not very sweet, add a teaspoon of honey to the puree before mixing it into the frosting
  • These actually taste better the second day because the flavors have time to really meld together

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