Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes for Valentine's Day

Pink. It's not just a singer with a sassy attitude and flamboyant style. It's also the colour that fills my mind when I think of Valentine's Day. Swirls of colour — shades of pink and red, pretty and girly in a heart-shaped package.

Swirly pink yumminess

I wanted to make the quintessential pink cupcake — pink cake, pink frosting, pink flavour! I found these Pink Lemonade Cupcakes here and tweaked them a little to make them even more pink and lemonadey. I decorated them with heart-shaped confetti sprinkles and pink sanding sugar. The pink lemonade is tart and sweet and rich, all at the same time. The cupcakes would be perfect for a bridal shower, or refreshing at a summer picnic. I hope you like them!

Which one should I eat first?

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes
Based on a recipe from Cast Sugar
Makes 24 cupcakes

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
5 egg whites
3/4 cup frozen pink lemonade concentrate, thawed
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk
Red food colouring

Method

1. Pre-heat oven to 350° F.
2. In a bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt until well blended. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer with whisk attachment, whisk together sugar, oil, egg whites, pink lemonade concentrate and vanilla until well blended.
4. Add about 1/3 of the flour mixture; whisk until blended.
5. Add half the buttermilk, whisk until blended.
6. Continue alternately adding flour mixture and buttermilk until everything is mixed together. Do not over mix.
7. Add food colouring, one drop at a time, until you get a nice pink colour.
8. Pour batter into paper cupcake cups in a muffin pan so that the cups is about 3/4 full of batter.
9. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.
10. Cool completely before frosting with Pink Lemonade Buttercream Frosting (recipe below).

I love how pink the cupcake is on the inside

Pink Lemonade Buttercream Frosting
Makes enough to frost 24 cupcakes

Ingredients
1 cup butter, room temperature
4 cups icing sugar
6 tablespoons frozen pink lemonade concentrate, thawed
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Water, if needed
Red food colouring

Method

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter on medium high speed until pale and fluffy.
2. Add icing sugar, vanilla and pink lemonade concentrate and beat on low speed until completely mixed together. If the icing is still too thick, add water one teaspoon at a time, beating after each addition, until you get a spreadable consistency.
3. Add food colouring, a drop at a time, beating after each addition, until you get a pink colour you like.
4. Pipe or spread onto cupcakes. Decorate with sprinkles.