Strawberry Lemon Cupcakes

white plate with lemon strawberry cupcakes, adorned with fresh lemon and strawberries

5 from 1 vote

Strawberry Lemon Cupcakes made with lemonade and a strawberry cream cheese icing completely scream summer. These are fun, easy and really cute too.

Prep Time30

Cook Time20

Course: Cakes, Dessert

Keyword: lemon strawberry cupcakes, strawberry lemon cupcake, strawberry lemonade cupcake recipe

Servings:

Calories: 240kcal

Author: Melissa Griffiths

Ingredients

Cupcakes:

1 box lemon cake mix 15.25 ounce
2 tablespoons lemon zest
3 large eggs
1 cup lemonade
½ cup salted butter (1 stick), melted
1 cup fresh strawberries chopped

Frosting:

1 tub strawberry cream cheese spread 8 ounces, room temperature
½ cup salted butter (1 stick)room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar
1-2 teaspoons lemon juice
Fresh halved strawberries optional garnish
Fresh lemon slices optional garnish

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line two cupcake tins with cupcake liners.
Whisk together the lemon cake mix and lemon zest in a large mixing bowl until combined.
Use a hand or stand mixer to beat in the eggs, lemonade and melted butter until a smooth, fluffy batter forms.
Fold in the fresh strawberries.
Gently scoop batter into each cupcake liner, filling them about ⅔ full of batter.
Bake for 19-23 minutes or until the top springs back when tapped and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
To make the frosting, beat together the cream cheese spread and salted butter with a hand or stand mixer in a medium bowl until light and fluffy.
Gradually add in the powdered sugar, ½ cup at a time, beating on medium until the frosting is thick and creamy.
Once you’ve added 1-2 cups of powdered sugar add in 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and beat well.
Continue adding powdered sugar, beating on medium, until you have a thick, pipeable frosting. If it gets too thick you can add an additional teaspoon of lemon juice to get the consistency you need.
Once the frosting is ready, scoop it into a piping bag fitted with a 1M Wilton tip and pipe frosting onto each cupcake in a spiral pattern.
Garnish with fresh strawberry halves and lemon slices, optional.

Notes

This is a great recipe to do with mixed berries instead of just strawberries if you'd like.
To test the cupcakes to see if they are done, you can gently press the cake. If the cupcake springs back when lightly touched, they are done. If it stays indented, it needs to bake a few more minutes.

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