Did anyone else have lemonade stands when they were little?

Those were the days. I remember whenever my family would have a garage sale and my job was to sell lemonade and brownies to anyone who stopped by. Every cent I got I’d cherish. I’d put all those coins in my little hand painted piggy bank saving up for something completely unrealistic like a pet monkey or my very own limousine when in reality I’d spend it on every stuffed animal I saw. I felt like they all needed a home, ya know? But that’s besides the point.

Lemonade is the perfect refreshment, especially on a hot summer day. Even better is strawberry lemonade. And as if it couldn’t get better than that, imagine those flavors in a cute, hand-held cupcake. Now we’re talkin’.

There’s nothing artificial here. The buttercream is made with real, fresh, sweet strawberries swirled on top of an extremely moist, lemon-y cupcake. It literally taste like you’re eating decadent strawberry lemonade.

These cupcakes are so refreshing. They’re tart with the perfect balance of sweetness and oh my goodness that frosting. It is so light and fluffy I could just eat it with a spoon (I actually really did ). These are quite possibly my favorite batch of cupcakes I’ve ever made.

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes:
Lemon Cupcakes-
Ingredients: (makes 16)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 3/4 cup sugar
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs
One lemon’s zest, finely grated
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 3-4 medium lemons)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups whole milk

Strawberry Buttercream-
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
3 cups confectioners sugar
2 tablespoons strawberry puree (I just pureed 3-4 strawberries and measured it from there)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
Lemon wedges, for garnishing

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium sized bowl, set aside. In a large bowl cream together the butter, sugar, and lemon zest until smooth. Add one egg at a time, mixing until combined between each addition. Alternate between adding equal amounts of the flour mixture and the milk mixture a little at a time while beating until its mixed thoroughly. Scoop the batter into the cupcake pan using a regular ice cream scooper or just filling it 3/4 of the way full. Bake 18-20 minutes or until a tooth pick comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting. Meanwhile, beat together the butter and sugar, add the vanilla, puree, and salt until it forms a smooth fluffy mixture. Frost your cupcakes, garnish with a thinly sliced lemon wedge and enjoy!