How to make Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

For a Mexican fiesta-themed cookout we went to yesterday, I made pink lemonade cupcakes. I thought something cool & sweet would pair nicely with Mexican's hot & spicy flavors!

I found several recipes for these cupcakes online, and tweaked those to use what I had on hand. They are sweet but tart, and provide a great contrast to a spicy meal!

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

1 box white cake mix
1 cup frozen pink lemonade concentrate
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil (I replaced this with 4 oz of applesauce with no problem)
4 egg whites

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place liners in 24 muffin tin cups

Combine all ingredients in mixer bowl, mix on low until well blended, then mix on medium for about another minute.

Fill each liner about 2/3 full, bake 25 minutes.

Cool completely, then frost with pink lemonade buttercream: (can double if you want lots of frosting)


Pink Lemonade Buttercream

3 cups confectioners sugar
1 stick butter, room temperature
2 - 3 TBSP pink lemonade concentrate
pink food coloring, if desired

Combine all ingredients in mixer bowl except for lemonade concentrate.
Mix on low until ingredients are combined, add lemonade concentrate a TBSP at a time. Continue mixing on medium-high until it is the consistency you are looking for. Spoon into bag (with decorator tip of your choice), frost cupcakes. Looks cute if you sprinkle the buttercream with pink or yellow sugar.


** I found these perfect pink striped cupcake liners at Michael's for 50% off a few weeks ago, along with the Wilton pink sugar crystals! I've been planning these cupcakes for a while! ; ) **



   

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