Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

OK, so in an effort to stave off the onset of fall, last week I made pink lemonade cupcakes and took them to work.  I'm not really ready for summer to be over.

My cousin posted these on her blog a while back...you can see them here.  Let me just say up-front that she is a much better photographer than I am. 

Because I was taking these to work, I doubled the recipe.  I got 23 cupcakes.  If I make them again, I will fill the cups a little fuller and maybe only make 20 or 21. 

Here's the recipe:

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 egg whites
1/3 cup thawed frozen Pink Lemonade Concentrate
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 or more drops red food coloring
1 tablespoon lemon juice*

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line muffin pan with liners.

• In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, oil, egg whites and lemonade concentrate. Alternately whisk in flour mixture and buttermilk, making three additions of flour mixture and two of buttermilk, beating until just smooth. Add just enough food coloring to turn the batter a light shade of pink.
• Scoop batter into liners (fill about three-fourths full). Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until tops of cupcakes spring back when lightly touched. Let cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely on rack.

*I used one Tbs in the doubled recipe...they were quite tart.  Yum!

And because I love my icing recipe, I used it, slightly altered for the pink lemonade flavor, instead of the one in the link above:

Icing

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 stick unsalted butter, softened

1 cup shortening
1/4 tsp salt

2 pounds powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 tablespoons thawed frozen Pink Lemonade Concentrate

3 tablespoons heavy cream (or more depending on consistency desired)

• Combine butter, salt, cream cheese and shortening on low speed until well-blended.
• Add the sugar and beat until incorporated.
• Add vanilla and concentrate and beat until incorporated.
• Add cream 1 tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached.
• Beat on med/high speed for 10 minutes until light and fluffy

The cupcakes came out nice and tart.  For you lemon lovers, they are a treat!  If you don't like lemon, don't make these.  Just sayin'.

 

 

 

Enjoy!