Shelly's Recipe

Lemonade Cupcakes

Category: Cupcakes

CUPCAKES
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup prepared lemonade

FROSTING
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 to 4 tablespoons prepared lemonade
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups powdered sugar
5 to 6 drops yellow food coloring
1/4 cup sparkling white sugar

1. Heat oven to 350. Line 36 mini muffin cups with paper liners. Whisk flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl.

2. Beat sugar and 1/2 cup butter in large bowl at medium speed 1 minute or until blended and lighter in color. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. At low speed, beat in lemon peel and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat in flour mixture in two parts alternately with 1/3 cup lemonade until blended and smooth, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Fill each muffin cup with scant 1 1/2 tablespoons batter.

3. Bake 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes. Remove cupcakes; cool completely on wire rack.

4. Beat 1/2 cup butter, 2 tablespoons of the lemonade and 1 teaspoon vanilla in large bowl at medium speed 1 minute or until creamy. At low speed, slowly beat in powdered sugar, adding additional lemonade 1 teaspoon at a time, if necessary, for desired consistency. Beat in food coloring. Spread frosting over cupcakes; sprinkle with sparkling sugar.

36 mini cupcakes

VARIATION
For pink lemonade cupcakes, use pink lemonade for the liquid and tint the frosting with 2 or 3 drops of red food coloring instead of yellow.