Monday, January 30, 2012

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.

17 comments:

Melissa @ Honeybee Vintage said...

These are so cute and look delicious too!

"Jimmy Zup" Memorial Page said...

is icing sugar the same as confectionary sugar?

Anonymous said...

These are so pretty! I love your cupcakes and nails!! Yummy (to the cakes)

MyFudo™ said...

This is so unique...when i think of pink cupcakes I think of strawberry, vanilla, raspberry...I never thought it could be citrusy too. This is so romantic. Thanks for sharing!

Lulu said...

Thanks everyone! These were very, very good.

@JimmyZup: Yes, icing sugar is the same as confectionary or confectioner's sugar. Some also call it powdered sugar.

Janet said...

I made these before but's its like a sour punch cupcake. If I make them again I would not put the concentrate in the frosting. My husband and son hated them. I liked them but it was too much tart for my taste.

jlrjackie said...

Where can i get the pink lemonade concentrate from?

Lulu said...

@jlrjackie - you can find it at your grocery store, with the other frozen drink mixes. Here is a link showing the one I used:
http://www.minutemaid.ca/en/products/lemonades/pink_lemonade_fc.htm

Good luck!

jlrjackie said...

@lulu Thanks Lulu :-)
I am from australia, so I will take a look. Hopefully we have the same or something similar!
Cheers for the tip!

Union Street Eats said...

I have ADORED pink lemondade ever since I was a little girl! I think these will also be perfect for festive springtime treats :)

kellypea said...

So very, very cute! I've been wanting to make a pink lemonade cake for quite a while...must do it.

Monster Kookies said...

I bet this would be really good if you used Limeonade, too! Replace the pink lemonade concentrate with the limeonade concentrate, use some green instead of pink/red food colour, and maybe some lime zest... :)

I gotta try this recipe!

Tina S said...

mine isn't rising or finishing through -- grr.

Lulu said...

@Tina S – I'm sorry your cupcakes aren't rising. The recipe is always successful for me. Are you substituting any ingredients?

Unknown said...

Just made these for relay for life fundraiser and everyone loved them. Now I need to make a batch for my family! I followed recipe exactly! Delicious!!

Anonymous said...

Can I use powdered lemonade like Country time? And how would I substitute it? Thanks!

Lulu said...

I wouldn't use powdered lemonade