Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour or cake flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter softened
- 1 ½ cups cane sugar
- 3 egg whites
- 1 cup buttermilk
- Zest and juice of 2 medium lemons
- 1 pound unsalted butter softened
- 2 cups confectioner's sugar sifted
- ¾ cup strawberry jam divided
- 10 ripe strawberries halved
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and cane sugar together until pale in color. Whisk in egg whites until batter is smooth.
- Fold in half the dry ingredients, then half the buttermilk and repeat. Fold in lemon zest and juice.
- Line two cupcake pans with cupcake liners and fill ⅔ full of batter. Bake for 20 minutes (rotating pans halfway through baking) or until a toothpick inserted in the centers come out clean. Set aside to cool completely.
- Cream butter and add sifted confectioner's sugar. Beat frosting until smooth then mix in ½ cup of strawberry jam. Place in a piping bag fitted with a star piping tip.
- To decorate cupcakes, pipe frosting in a circular pattern over the top of the cupcake leaving a well in the center. Place a teaspoon of strawberry jam in the center of the frosting. Top cupcakes with a strawberry half.
Notes
Makes 18-20 cupcakes
Cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Before serving, allow cupcakes to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.