Pink Lemonade

Week:2

Sorry I'm late..got really busy on Friday and made them tonight at like 9. Oh life gets in the way. Anyway, I made pink lemonade cupcakes. It took me the longest time to figure out what I wanted to make and started thinking about what time of year we're in. It's almost  the end of summer and I thought of what I drink most during the summer, pink lemonade. Then I looked through all my baking books..go figure I have not one recipe for this.

Thanks to all my blogging sites that I frequent, I found the lemon cake from Brown Eyed Baker. I adapted only by excluding the lemoncello, only because I didn't have any =) Then I just took a regular buttercream recipe and folded in strawberry preserve witha dash of food coloring. I also tried different tecnecs on frosting. I used a closed star, the traditional way and one with waves. I liked the waves better.

They turned out really good. I wasn't sure if I would need more lemon but it was a nice hint of lemon, not over powering.  Although I might add a bit more lemon zest. I like my lemonade a bit on the tart side.=) With the frosting, this is the best buttercream that I've made so far. Everytime I make buttercream frosting it tastes too much like butter or like sweet butter. I think I've figured it out though, I using the wrong butter brand. So this time I switched and it was much better. It won't be until I make it again that I will be convienced it was the best. Next week I'm going out of town, so I'll see ya in two weeks. Please enjoying!
 Until the next time, Happy baking!!

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

Cake:1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1/4 cup plus 2 T lemon juice
1/2 cup buttermilk
Zest of 1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 12 cup muffin tin with liners. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl and set aside.

Add sugar and lemon zest to mixing bowl or stand mixer and rub zest into sugar with your fingertips until well distributed and fragrant. Add the butter and cream cheese to the sugar and beat until light and creamy, 2 - 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating about 1 minute after each egg. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture, beating on low speed until just incorporated. Add 1/2 of the buttermilk, once incorporated, add the next 1/3 of the flour mix, followed by remaining buttermilk, and remaining flour, beating each addition until just incorporated. Add lemon juice, beating until just incorporated on low speed.

Transfer batter to muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 of the way full. Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center cupcake comes out clean. Cool about 5 minutes in the pan and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

 

 

Frosting:

1/2 cup of unsalted buter, room temp.
2 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tbsp. milk
1/2 cup strawberry preserve
1-2 tops of red coloring, if desired

Place the butter in mixing bowl, beat the butter until very soft and pale, about 2 minutes. Gradually sift the confectioners' sugar, beating well. Then beat in milk for a fluffy frosting. Fold in the strawberry preserve, making sure it get well intergrated into the frosting. Add red coloring if so desire.