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strawberry lemon cupcakes

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I feel like I crave the flavors of summer all year long.  There is something so magical about these Lemon Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream! The flavors.  The light, warm, refreshing flavors of summer that tastes amazing any time of year!

Lemon Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream!

As much as I love the comforting aroma’s of pumpkin and spice, or the biting coolness of mint, or even the rich decadence of all things red velvet… I can’t help but crave the light citrusy tang of lemon.

And strawberry.

Lemon Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream!

Strawberries go about about $5 a container at my local grocery store and lemons are $1 each!  Since I didn’t win the lottery recently,  I splurged and got just one lemon.

As far as the strawberry, I compromised and made a recipe utilizing strawberry jam instead of fresh.  This worked beautifully!  I was able to get the sweet hint of strawberries and not break the bank.

Lemon Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream!

I slightly adapted my Cherry Limeade Cupcakes to make them lemon and then stumbled upon a recipe using jam for the buttercream.  This is quite a genius way to add flavor to a sweet buttercream, as I noticed that the first ingredient in jam is sugar!

lemon cupcakes with strawberry buttercream

Created by on April 16, 2016

Ingredients

Cupcakes

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 3 tablespoons lemonjuice, divided
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest

Strawberry Buttercream

  • 1 stick butter, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/3 cup strawberry jam or preserves
  • 3 cups confectioners sugar
  • 1 tbsp milk

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare muffins tins. (This recipe yielded 15 muffins for me.)
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
  3. In stand mixer with paddle attachment (starting on low), cream together room temperature butter and sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and add in eggs, one at a time and mix until just blended.
  4. Add in vanilla, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and milk and mix for about 30 seconds on low. Slowly add in dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
  5. Remove from mixer then fold in lemon zest with spatula.
  6. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Transfer muffin tin to oven and bake until tops are just dry to the touch, 18 to 20 minutes.
  7. Use pastry brush to brush remaining 1 tablespoon of lemon juice over the top of the cupcake.
  8. Let cupcakes cool completely and dry before topping with strawberry frosting.

Strawberry Buttercream

  1. Place butter, vanilla and jam in stand mixer with whisk attachment. Whisk on medium-high for 1-2 minutes, or until fully incorporated.
  2. With mixer on low, add in sugar, one cup at a time. When mixer starts to struggle, drizzle in milk one tablespoon at a time.
  3. After all milk as been added whisk buttercream on high for 1-2 minutes.
  4. To make cupcakes, put buttercream in a pastry bag with a large open tip. (or no tip at all, just the opening of the bag) and pipe out dollops on top of cooled cupcake.
  5. OPTIONAL: Sprinkle with gold Star Dust.
Source: © I Am Baker | iambaker.net

Recipe adapted from Cherry Limeade Cupcakes.  

Lemon Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream!

I used one large lemon for the zest and the 3 tablespoons of lemon juice.  In fact, I had almost a 1/2 cup when I was done juicing, just from that one lemon.

Lemon Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream!

It just so happened that the sun made a brilliant appearance this afternoon, reflecting off the white snow and filling the house with an awesome bright light.

Sitting at the table with the sun warming my back I took that first bite of tart lemon-y sweetness and was almost transported.  I closed my eyes and could almost see the tall blades of grass straining to stand up in a warm summer breeze.

My 1 year old wondered over and started grunting impatiently, perplexed why I would be eating a delicious looking snack and not sharing.  I was tempted, mind you, to keep it for myself.  But knowing just how wonderful these cupcakes were, my selfishness was squashed and I happily shared.

I hope you will make these today and enjoy a little summer-time flavor journey just like I did!

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