Pink Lemonade Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting

I work at an organization which happens to put on a film festival. Each September the office begins to look more like a war zone and my co-workers begin to put in 12 hour days. About this time, past filmmakers and volunteers start bringing in chocolates and treats to keep us energized and I start making food. I refer to September through October in our office as “Fat Season.” I hate contributing to it, but can’t seem to help myself. It’s just that walking in with a plate of cupcakes on a Monday morning seems to brighten things up a bit.

Perhaps a healthy muffin recipe would be better to pursue, but in the meantime, here’s the recipe for Pink Lemonade Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting. A new friend passed the recipe along to me, raving about their deliciousness. I modified it only a bit, countering the pink lemonade cupcake base with a rich buttercream frosting instead of a lemonade-infused frosting. They turned out delightfully tangy and rich. They seemed to be an early morning hit and the perfect breakfast for the recent college graduates who make up the majority of our seasonal staff.

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon. baking soda
• Pinch salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 4 egg whites
• 2/3 cup thawed frozen Pink Lemonade Concentrate
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• Red food coloring

Process

1. Preheat oven to 350 Fahernheit. Line muffin pan with liners.
2. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, oil, egg whites and lemonade concentrate. Alternately whisk in flour mixture and buttermilk, making three additions of flour mixture and two of buttermilk, beating until just smooth.
4. Add just enough food coloring to turn the batter a light shade of pink (or the shade you most prefer).
5. Scoop batter into liners (fill about three-fourths full). Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until tops of cupcakes spring back when lightly touched. Let cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely on rack. Top cooled cupcakes with frosting.

Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients

• 3 cups and 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• Buttermilk to reach desired consistency (approximately 1 cup, but add slowly and mix after each small addition)
• Yellow food coloring

Process

1. Add the butter, powdered sugar, salt and a few drops of food coloring. Slowly add buttermilk and mix until fluffy with hand mixer.

A perfect treat for warm days (or in winter when you need a burst of summer taste for a pick-me-up.)