Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

How good does that sound?! As soon as I heard the name of the recipe, I knew I wanted to try these. They're tart, and sweet, moist and fluffy and just completely delicious. The original recipe can be found here. I made a few adjustments to the recipe, but overall, they are fabulous and a perfect Summer treat.

Ingredients

• 1 1/8 cup (9 oz) frozen Pink Lemonade Concentrate, thawed*
• 1 white cake mix (I used one with added pudding and they are super moist)
• 3 egg whites (I only had 2 but they still came out fine)
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 recipe lemon buttercream frosting (see below)

* For a less tart cupcake (and these babies do pack a punch), try reducing the amount of pink lemonade. 3/8 cup water and 3/4 cup pink lemonade will cut the tartness. (This is what I used and they are still quite tart! I recommend this proportion of water and lemonade instead of the 9 oz listed above.)

Directions

1. In large bowl, add cake mix, egg whites, vegetable oil and pink lemonade concentrate. Mix on low for about 30 seconds, then increase to medium speed for 90 seconds (the batter will still be a bit lumpy; take caution not to overmix so you don't end up with dry cupcakes).

2. Spoon batter into a prepared muffin pan (I used an ice cream scoop to ensure they were all even). Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick registered "done" in the center. Remove the pan from the oven and cool 5 minutes. Remove the cupcakes and cool completely on a wire rack.

3. Once the cupcakes have cooled, prepare the icing and ice the cupcakes.

Lemon Buttercream Icing

Ingredients

• 3 cups + 3 Tbsp powdered sugar
• 1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 2 T lemon juice
• red food color
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar (optional)

Directions

1. Add butter, sugar, salt, lemon juice, and food coloring (if using) to a small bowl. Mix on low until combined. Turn speed to medium high until the icing is fluffy and uniformly pink. Add the icing to a pastry bag fitted with a 2D tip and ice the cupcakes. (I am not a HUGE fan of globs of icing, so I used a small star tip to ice my cupcakes.)