First and foremost Happy Birthday Mom who has a big Birthday to celebrate! Happy Birthdays on Fridays deserve happy cupcakes like these and now I can officially cross off a few things off my Summer Bucket List. I finally made some adult flavoured popsicles and experimented in making AJ some cold brewed iced tea (recipes to follow). Next I dove into making Pink Lemonade (cup)cakes and they turned out perfect!
This recipe should make about 24 cupcakes but I got about 27 out of it. I actually halved it and made two batches as my oven is itty-bitty and I can only fit one muffin tin in it at a time. I adapted this recipe (slightly) from a funky little blog called Mission Food which you should definitely check out! Victoria makes a great suggestion in her recipe to use egg whites if you prefer a pink cake as well. I used 2 whole eggs (instead) so my cakes resembled more of a standard vanilla cupcake than hers.
Pink Lemonade Cupcakes
recipe adapted from Mission Food’s Pink Lemonade Cupcakes
cupcakes
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup thawed, pink lemonade concentrate
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 4 free-range egg whites or 2 free-range eggs
- 1/2 cup milk plus 1/2 tsp of apple cider vinegar
- a few drops of red food coloring
- 24-28 cupcake liners
pink lemonade icing
- 1 +1/4 cup of butter, softened
- 2 + 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar,
- 4 tbs thawed, pink lemonade concentrate
- 1 tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice
- a pinch of salt
- red food coloring to taste
garnish (optional)
- 15 cocktail straws, cut in half
- 30 dehydrated lemon slices, candied lemon pieces or grapefruit gummy candies
- pink sugar
- 1/2 pint of red raspberries
Method
If you have a dehydrator make the dehydrated lemons the day before. I made two types, one was plain lemon slices, the other was lemon slices dipped in pink sugar before dehydrating. The pink sugar ones looked like candied lemons when done.
To make the pink sugar, take two tablespoons of granulated sugar and add to a small bowl. Drop one drop of red food coloring on the sugar and with a back of a teaspoon crush dyed sugar into the white sugar until evenly coloured.
To make the dehydrated lemons, wash two lemons and cut into half lengthwise.The cut each lemon half, into 1/4 inch thick moons.
If you made the pink sugar, dip one side of each lemon slice into the pink sugar.
Lay sugar side up on the dehydrator tray. Dry for 8-9 hours at 140F until candied or completely dry.
Make the cupcakes.
Adjust oven rack to the middle and pre-heat to 350F. Prepare two muffin tins with cupcake liners.
In a liquid measuring cup combine milk and apple cider vinegar and let stand.
In a medium sized bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Set aside.
In a separate medium sized bowl add granulated sugar and pink lemonade and combine. Whisk in eggs and oil until smooth.
Add 1/2 of the dry mix to the wet mix and fold in until just combined. Gently mix in the soured milk, then add the remaining dry ingredients and continue to mix by hand until just smooth. Try not to over beat. Drop in additional food coloring to adjust the to the color of cake you would like, remember to add a little extra as the cake bake it lightens up.
Using a spatula and a 1/4 cup measure evenly scoop out batter into each cupcake liner filling 3/4 of the way full. Place in oven and bake 15-18 minutes depending on your oven.
Remove from the oven and let cool for a minute or two before transferring to a wire rack to cool. Once cupcakes have cooled to room temperature they are ready to ice, and decorate.
While cupcakes are cooling or baking, measure of one cup of butter for the icing and place in a medium sized bowl. Let butter come close to room temperature before making the icing.
With a hand mixer or a stand mixer, beat butter until smoothed out. Slowly add in icing sugar 1/2 cup at a time until all the sugar is used. Add pink lemonade, fresh lemon juice and salt and beat until fluffy. Use extra red food colouring to get the colour you are looking for.
When cupcake are cooled enough, ice with pink lemonade icing. Insert half of cocktail straw and top with dehydrated lemon and a fresh raspberry.
Store in the fridge because the butter cream will melt. Let cupcakes rest at room temperature for about an hour before serving.
V-Spot 