Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes . . . no one will guess that these pretty and scrumptious cupcakes start with a cake mix. The strawberry cream cheese frosting makes them extra special!

Rachel turned three in April. I know, what happened to my baby? For her birthday party, I made a unicorn cake. But her actual birthday was about a week before the party, and I felt like I needed to make something for her special day. When I asked her what she wanted, she told me “pink cake”.

She loves strawberries. No, she adores strawberries! And I had a cake mix in the pantry and a lemon in the fridge. So I decided to make Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes. I combined three of my favorite recipes to come up with these, and they were an epic success! Everyone loved them, not just the birthday girl.  🙂

The cupcakes themselves are nice and moist, with a hint of lemon flavor. They aren’t a vibrant pink color, but you could add a few drops of red food coloring if you like. The glaze on top might seem a little strange, but it adds another level of flavor to the cupcakes. Helps keep them moist as well.

Then there’s the frosting. The heavenly, I could eat it by the spoonful frosting. I love all variations of cream cheese frosting, but this one is up there at the top of my list. It’s a beautiful color, and the strawberry and lemon are a perfect flavor combination. It is so good people!!

I hope you’ll give these cupcakes a try. They are perfect for three year old birthday girls. Oh, and everyone else too!

If you love these cupcakes, here are a few more cupcake recipes to try:

Butterscotch Cupcakes
Oreo Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting
Lime Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes

Yield: 24-26 cupcakes

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

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Scrumptious strawberry lemonade cupcakes with strawberry cream cheese frosting.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Additional Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes

Ingredients

Cupcakes

• 1 box yellow or white cake mix
• 1 (3.4 oz) box vanilla pudding mix
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1/4 cup strawberry jam
• 1 tsp lemon zest

Lemon Glaze

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Strawberry Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

• 4-ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• pinch of salt
• 1-2 tsp lemon zest
• 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar (more or less)
• 2 Tbsp strawberry jam

Instructions

1. Combine all cake ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Beat for about 2 minutes, or till smooth. Pour batter into muffin cups filled with paper liners. Fill just over half way full. (I ended up with 26 cupcakes.)
2. Bake at 350° for about 15-20 minutes, or till a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for about 5-10 minutes.
3. Combine glaze ingredients in a small bowl and whisk till smooth. Brush glaze evenly over warm cupcakes. Allow cupcakes to cool completely, then frost. Garnish with fresh strawberries if desired.
4. For frosting: Beat cream cheese and butter till smooth. Add salt, lemon zest, and 4 cups of powdered sugar. Beat in the strawberry jam, and add more powdered sugar to get the consistency you need. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

24

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 243Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 52mgSodium: 84mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 0gSugar: 27gProtein: 2g