Strawberry Cupcakes with Lemon Zest Cream Cheese Icing
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Description
This was an experiment gone amazing! My seven-year-old and I baked these and agree that they are the best cupcakes. It's a simple strawberry cake mix with a little extra zest.
Ingredients
- 1 cup frozen strawberries
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ½ teaspoon fresh lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 1 box strawberry cake mix (such as Betty Crocker®)
- 1 cup water
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
Directions
- 1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line 14 cupcake cups with paper liners.
- 2. To make strawberry puree, pulse frozen strawberries in blender or food processor until evenly chopped. Add 2 tablespoons water, honey, 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, and sugar. Blend until smooth.
- 3. Beat cake mix, 1 cup water, eggs, and vegetable oil in a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed until moistened; increase mixer speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes. Beat lemon zest into batter. Fill prepared cupcake cups 2/3 full. Drop a spoonful of strawberry puree into the center of each portion of cupcake batter.
- 4. Bake cupcakes in preheated oven until golden and the tops spring back when lightly pressed, 18 to 22 minutes. A toothpick inserted near the center should come out clean. Let cupcakes cool for at least 30 minutes.
- 5. To make icing, place cream cheese and butter in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Mix in confectioners' sugar; blend in vanilla extract, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Refrigerate icing until cupcakes are cool enough to frost. Frost cooled cupcakes with icing.
Nutrition Facts
serving: 14 cupcakes
calories: 392.4 kcal
carbohydrates: 50.9 g
protein: 3.4 g
saturated fat: 8.4 g
cholesterol: 61.4 mg
sodium: 291.3 mg
fiber: 0.4 g
sugar: 36.7 g