Lemon Cupcakes with Fresh Strawberry Buttercream

Happy 4th of July! I saw this recipe for strawberry buttercream on Culinary Concoctions by Peabody and knew that I wanted to give it a try as soon as possible. I make so many cookies for work that I don’t want to go overboard and bring too many things, so I had to wait for the right occasion to use this buttercream. Plus, our weather in the Seattle area has been so bad that all produce is running late this year. I hadn’t really seen that many strawberries in the store any way.

At the end of each academic year, my library throws a potluck to thank all our student workers. Since I always bake, I usually make something savory for the potluck, but this time I knew I wanted to make something with this buttercream. I decided that the buttercream would pair well with lemon cupcakes, so I found a nice, simple lemon cupcake recipe and went to town. These cupcakes would also work well for a family barbeque.

I made mini cupcakes, so if you decide to make minis, I would cut the cupcake recipe in half. I think this made over 5 dozen mini cupcakes, which is way too many to deal with! They are great, with a buttery, crispy top and a tender interior. The buttercream is just incredible. It really does taste just like strawberries. I think the amount of powdered sugar you use will depend on how ripe the berries are and many other factors. I used 5 cups of powdered sugar and the buttercream was still quite soft. It firmed up after refrigeration, so that’s always an option to change the consistency. These were well received at the potluck and I think I need to make this buttercream again!

Lemon Cupcakes with Fresh Strawberry Buttercream

3 large eggs
1 cup milk, divided
2 teaspoons vanilla
10 ounces flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons butter, room temperature
Grated zest of 2 lemons (about 1 tablespoon)

1 cup butter, room temperature
4+ cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 cup finely chopped fresh strawberries
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line regular or mini muffin cups with cupcake liners. This makes 2 dozen regular cupcakes or 4+ dozen mini cupcakes.

In small bowl, lightly whisk the eggs, a quarter of the milk, and the 2 teaspoons vanilla. In large mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and mix on low speed for a minute to combine. Add the softened butter and remaining milk. Mix on low speed until combined. With mixer on medium-high speed, beat for a minute and a half. Beat in the egg mixture in three batches, beating for 20 seconds after each addition. Stir in lemon zest by hand.

Using a cookie scoop, fill the baking cups ¾ full. Bake for about 20 to 24 minutes or until they are golden and test done with a toothpick. (Bake minis about 15-17 minutes.) Immediately remove from pans and cool on wire rack before frosting.

Make the buttercream: In a large mixer bowl, beat the butter and 1 cup powdered sugar on medium speed for 1 minute. Add vanilla and strawberries and beat for 1 minute. Adding 1 cup at a time, add the remaining powdered sugar. You may need more or less than 4 cups of powdered sugar depending on the consistency of the frosting you are going for. Frost the cooled cupcakes with the buttercream.

Cupcake recipe from Delightful Repast
Frosting recipe from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody