Enjoy these Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes with soft and moist lemon cupcake base, a tangy lemon curd filling, and sweet and fluffy strawberry cream cheese frosting. They’re a delicious treat for any occasion!
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These strawberry lemonade cupcakes are a perfect treat! They start with moist lemon cupcakes filled with tangy lemon curd filling and topped with creamy strawberry cream cheese frosting.
Made from my favorite vanilla cupcake recipe and infused with fresh lemon juice, these cupcakes feature a homemade lemon curd center that intensifies the lemon flavor.
For the frosting, I decided to flavor my whipped cream cheese frosting with fresh strawberries, my strawberry cream cheese frosting. This addition gives it a sweet, fruity strawberry flavor, and tangy taste that perfectly complements the lemony cupcakes.
The combination of creamy frosting and fresh strawberries creates a delicious and refreshing topping that's sure to be a hit with everyone.
Why you'll love this recipe
Craving for more Strawberry and lemon desserts? Give these a try: strawberry lemonade cake,
Ingredients Notes
You need these ingredients to make these strawberry lemon cupcakes:
- Lemon Cupcakes: My vanilla cupcake base is made with softened unsalted butter, white granulated sugar, room temperature eggs, fresh lemon juice and zest, cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, a pinch of salt, and milk.
- Lemon curd filling: A lemon cream made with eggs (whole or just yolks), white granulated sugar, fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, and cold unsalted butter.
- Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting: My butterless cream cheese frosting base with Philadelphia cream cheese, cold heavy cream, powdered sugar, homemade strawberry puree, and vanilla.
Strawberry and Lemon Cupcakes Instructions
Here are some quick visual instructions. Don't forget that full instructions with exact ingredients can be found in the main recipe card below!
Lemon Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
- Mix and sift together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Then, mix the milk and lemon juice together.
- In a large bowl or the large mixing bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the softened butter with the granulated sugar and lemon zest until creamy.
- Add the eggs and vanilla, and beat again until well incorporated and smooth.
- Alternately add the flour mixture and the milk mixture in several additions in the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
- Divide the cupcake batter evenly among the paper liners, filling each about ¾ full. Bake for about 18 minutes.
- Let the lemon cupcakes cool on a wire rack.
Lemon filling
- In a bowl, mix together the eggs, granulated sugar, lemon juice, and zest.
- Cook the mixture in a double boiler until it thickens, then remove from heat and stir in the cold butter pieces. Strain the lemon curd through a fine mesh sieve to remove any residues.
- Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface and let it cool completely in the refrigerator.
- Using a cupcake corer or an apple corer, remove the center of the cupcakes and fill them with the lemon curd.
Strawberry cream cheese frosting
- In a large bowl, place all the ingredients: Philadelphia cream cheese, cold heavy cream, strawberry puree, powdered sugar, and vanilla.
- Whip with an electric mixer on medium low speed for about 2-3 minutes until you get a smooth and firm frosting.
- Transfer the frosting to a large piping bag fitted with a decorative tip and pipe swirls onto the lemon cupcakes.
- Decorate with a slice of fresh strawberries or a lemon slice and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.
Tips for this recipe
How To Store Strawberry Lemon Cupcakes
In the fridge: Store frosted cupcakes in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap in the fridge for about 3-4 days.
Freezing: You can also freeze plain cupcake bases or decorated cupcakes for approximately 2-3 months.
Variations & Substitutions
Recipe Questions
Can I use bottled lemon juice instead of fresh lemon juice?
Fresh lemon juice is recommended for the best flavor, but you can use bottled lemon juice or lemon extract if needed.
Can I use frozen strawberries for the frosting?
Fresh strawberries are best for the frosting, but if you use frozen strawberries, make sure to thaw and drain them well to avoid extra liquid.
What’s the best way to core the cupcakes for the lemon curd filling?
You can use an apple corer, a cupcake corer, or even a small knife to remove the center of the cupcakes and fill them with lemon curd.
More Cupcake Recipes
I hope you love these strawberry and lemon cupcakes. If you make it, be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Happy Baking!
Print
Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 12 cupcakes
Description
Delicious recipe for lemon and strawberry cupcakes featuring a soft lemon cake base, a lemon curd filling, and a cream cheese frosting flavored with strawberry (makes 12 cupcakes).
Ingredients
Lemon Cupcakes
- 100 g (½ cup) unsalted butter - softened
- 120 g (½ cup) granulated sugar
- 2 eggs - room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ lemon juice + zest - about 15 ml (1 tbsp)
- 160 (1 ¼ cups) cake flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 120 ml (½ cup) milk - or buttermilk
Lemon filling
Follow one of these recipes: lemon curd (whole eggs) or egg yolks lemon curd
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- 200 g (7 oz) cream cheese - Philadelphia
- 200 ml (¾ cup) heavy cream - full fat and cold
- 100 g (½ cup) homemade strawberry puree
- 50 g (⅓ cup) powdered sugar - sifted
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Lemon Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a cupcake pan with paper liners.
- In a bowl, mix and sift together the dry ingredients: flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. In another bowl, mix the milk with the lemon juice.
- In a large bowl, place the softened butter, granulated sugar, and lemon zest. Mix with an electric mixer for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is creamy and smooth.
- Add the eggs and vanilla, and beat again for about 3 minutes until the mixture is smooth and voluminous.
- Alternately add the dry ingredient mixture and the milk with lemon juice to the butter mixture in several batches, mixing with the electric mixer until the cupcake batter is smooth.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cupcake pan, filling the liners ¾ full.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 18-20 minutes until golden on top and cooked through. (Check doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of a cupcake; it should come out clean.)
- Let the cupcakes cool slightly before removing them from the pan, then let them cool completely on a wire rack.
Lemon filling
- Follow either the whole egg lemon curd recipe or the egg yolk lemon curd recipe and let it cool completely in the fridge.
- Remove the core of the cooled cupcakes using an apple corer or a cupcake corer, and fill the center with lemon cream.
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a large bowl, place the cold Philadelphia cream cheese, cold heavy cream, strawberry puree, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract.
- Whip with an electric mixer on medium speed for about 2-3 minutes until the frosting is smooth and firm.
- Place the frosting in a large piping bag fitted with a decorating tip, and pipe a swirl on top of the lemon cupcakes.
- Decorate with a slice of strawberry and let the cupcakes rest in the fridge for at least 1 hour before serving.
Notes
Storage: Store in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: cupcakes,
- Cuisine: American
Just made these for a BBQ and everyone loved them! So light and full of flavor. The strawberry frosting is amazing