Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

"When life gives you  lemons...make Pink Lemonade Cupcakes!"

Hello Blog World!

Things here are crazy during these months so I am behind again on posting and baking!  So last week I made Pink Lemonade Cupcakes.  A friend has made them before and I just thought they were so cute I had to take a swing at them.  The first batch was so bad!  They burnt in under their bake time and tasted so bad!  I threw them away and deleted the recipe!

I found a new recipe and started again.  This recipe was easy and wonderful and it tasted so good!!!  Even the beloved BCA Eagles want us to make them for their sports banquet!  How wonderful!  I will share the recipe with you now!

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes
Cake:

• 1 package white cake mix
• 1 small package vanilla instant pudding
• 3 Tbsp sweetened pink lemonade drink mix (like Country Time Pink Lemonade mix)
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 tsp lemon zest
• 3/4 cup water
• 3/4 cup oil
• 4 whites eggs (save the yolks for tomorrows recipe)
• 6 drops of pink food coloring

Frosting:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup frozen pink lemonade concentrate, thawed
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• Zest from 1 lemon
• 2 pound package  or 7 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
• 3 drops of pink food coloring

1. In a large bowl, whisk cake mix, pudding mix, and drink mix together.  Add sour cream, lemon zest, water, oil, and egg whites to the dry mix. Beat with electric mixer on medium speed for about two minutes. Use a strong mixer, this batter is thick.
2. Scoop batter into 24 lined muffin tins.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes until cupcakes don’t look wet and a toothpick inserted in one comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting the cupcakes.
3. Prepare the frosting by creaming butter, shortening, and lemon zest together. Then add lemonade concentrate, milk and vanilla with a mixer. Beat until smooth.  Then gradually add the sugar, mixing well until light and fluffy. Beat in the food coloring.
4. Pipe frosting onto the cupcakes.  (You will have plenty to pile it on.  I had over 1 cup leftover.  Leftover frosting is good sandwiched between two graham crackers).  Place a lemon candy wedge (I used a real lemon piece)  on top of each cupcakes.  With the straws cut the top 1/3 of the straw off just below the flexible part.  Discard the tops.  Then cut the remaining straw pieces in half.  Place one straw piece in each cupcake to resemble a drink (found on realmomkitchen.com).

People really liked them and they were easy and oh so cute!!!  The right combination of sweet and sour.   Although my little 2 year old friend Michael did not like them.  He said as he pushed it away "I no like!"  But grown ups liked them...liked them a lot!