We have 4 kids, so we bake a lot of cupcakes. I mean who doesn’t love cupcakes. They are quicker to bake than a whole cake, and always my preference for birthday parties and gatherings.
This summer we seem to be stuck on a fruity cupcake kick. Our 13 year old daughter is an amazing baker and love thinking up new cupcake flavors. Recently we decide to take two of our favorite cupcake flavors, strawberry and lemon, and combine them!
These Vegan Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes are not just delicious, but also pretty adorable with the little straw poking out of the top! We prefer to use freeze dried strawberries in this recipe because they pack a punch of strawberry flavor without adding too much extra liquid to the cupcake like fresh strawberries can. You can normally find these strawberries where you find other dried fruits or fruit and nut snacks in your local grocery store.
So if you are celebrating a birthday, holiday, or just the fact that its summer, these cupcakes are the perfect sweet treat for any occasion! And I promise nobody will ever even guess they are vegan!
INGREDIENTS:
3 cups all purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cups lemon juice (about 4 lemons)
zest from 2 lemons
3 tablespoons crushed, freeze dried strawberries
2 cups plant milk (I like to bake with oat milk)
1/2 cup melted vegan butter
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
fresh strawberries for garnish
Frosting:
1/2 cup vegan butter
1/2 cup shortening
5-6 cups powdered sugar
zest from 1 lemon
juice from 1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons crushed, freeze dried strawberries
INSTRUCTIONS:
PREHEAT OVEN TO 350 DEGREES
In a large bowl, whisk together dry cake ingredients. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. We put the strawberries into a blender and blend until they are powdery.
Combine the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until well combined.
Line a muffin tin with 24 cupcake liners. We actually have a tin that holds 2 dozen cupcakes, but if yours holds 1 dozen, you will need to bake in batches.
Fill the cups 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of one of the cupcakes comes out clean.
Allow the cupcakes to cool completely.
In a stand mixer, or using a hand mixer, cream together the butter and shortening. Add in the vanilla, lemon juice and lemon zest. Begin adding the powdered sugar a little at a time and beat it in until the frosting is the desired stiffness. Divide frosting in half. Beat in the crushed strawberry powder into one half of the frosting.
Fill a piping bag with half lemon frosting and half strawberry side by side. We do this by laying out a piece of plastic wrap. Scoop equal amounts of frosting side by onto the wrap. Roll the plastic wrap into a log shape. Twist both ends. Cut one end of place the plastic wrap, then place the log with the cut end side down into a piping bag fitted with a large piping tip. Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes in a swirl pattern, and garnish with a piece of fresh strawberry and small paper straw if you like ( we cut a regular straw into 4 pieces to garnish the cupcakes) This video shows a different method of piping 2 different frostings. You can use which ever one you find easier! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUawMYKM29E
Store cupcakes in an airtight container at room temp or in the fridge. I like to store them in the fridge until I am ready to serve just because we live in Florida and I don’t like the frosting getting too soft since its always, ALWAYS hot here!
Serves 24.
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