These pink lemonade cupcakes taste just like the drink! Concentrated pink lemonade is used in the cupcake and in the buttercream to get that fresh, tarte, lemonade taste. These are perfect for a summer day!
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🧁A refreshing cupcake
These pink lemonade cupcakes are so fun and easy to make! Some of my cupcake recipes have a filling in them, like this one, and this one. But I decided to make this cupcake more simpler, and left out a filling. They actually don't even need a cupcake filling though. These cupcakes have a big lemonade flavour!
Thawed frozen pink lemonade concentrate is used in both the cupcake and buttercream frosting. The concentrated form gives these cupcakes a big, fresh, tarte, lemonade taste. I used food colouring to colour the cupcakes pink, and used pink and yellow to colour the buttercream frosting. Use whichever colours you prefer, or none at all!
🥘Ingredients
Ingredient notes
- Frozen pink lemonade - You want to purchase the concentrated frozen lemonade.
- Vegetable shortening - I like to use a mix of butter and shortening in my buttercream. If you like the taste of a full butter buttercream, replace the shortening with butter.
- Gel food colouring - You could also use oil based food colouring. Do not use liquid food colouring. It won't giver a vibrant colour unless you use a ton of it. That could wreck your buttercream.
- Sour cream - You can replace this with plain yogurt.
🔪Instructions
Cupcakes
To make the cupcakes, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, mix butter and sugar together until well mixed, and butter has lightened in colour, about 3 minutes.
Add egg whites, vanilla, and sour cream, and pink lemonade. Mix together, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Add food colouring if using, and mix until it's blended in. Don't overmix the batter.
Add batter to cupcake liners and fill until cupcake liners are ¾ full. This will make between 12-14 cupcakes. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack.
Buttercream Frosting
Mix butter and shortening in a large bowl until well mixed together. Add powdered sugar and mix until well incorporated. Add pink lemonade concentrate until the buttercream is pipeable.
Remove half the buttercream to another bowl. Colour one buttercream amount pink, and the other yellow.
Place the pink buttercream in a line on top of a piece of plastic wrap. Place the yellow buttercream in a line beside the pink. Wrap the buttercreams up in the plastic wrap, and place inside a piping bag. Pipe buttercream on top of cupcakes. I used Wilton 1M tip.
✔️Expert Tips
- Use frozen concentrated pink lemonade in this recipe. It will give a lot of lemonade taste because it's in a concentrated form.
- Use plain yogurt instead of sour cream.
- Use gel or oil food colouring for the cupcakes and buttercream.
- Add a slice of lemon, sprinkles, or little umbrellas for decorations if you like.
💭FAQs
You can make the cupcakes a day before. Store in an airtight container and frost the next day.
You can freeze the unfrosted cupcakes in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature and then frost.
No, leave them white and colour the buttercream. Or colour the cupcake and leave the buttercream white. Decorate with pink and yellow sprinkles.
If you don't want to use any food colouring, that's fine. Decorate with lemon wedge or sprinkles.
🔖Related Recipes
📋 Recipe
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Pink Lemonade Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1¾ cup all purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large egg whites
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup frozen pink lemonade concentrate thawed
- pink food colouring
Buttercream Frosting
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup vegetable shortening
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons frozen pink lemonade concentrate thawed
- pink and yellow food colouring
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a 12 muffin tray with cupcake liners.
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together.
- Mix butter and sugar together in a large bowl until well mixed together and butter has lightened in colour, about 3 minutes.
- Add egg whites, vanilla, and sour cream, and pink lemonade. Mix together, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Add food colouring if using, and mix until it's blended in. Don't overmix the batter.
- Add batter to cupcake liners and fill until cupcake liners are ¾ full. This will make between 12-14 cupcakes. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack.
Buttercream Frosting
- Mix butter and shortening in a large bowl until well mixed together. Add powdered sugar and mix until well incorporated. Add pink lemonade concentrate until the buttercream is pipeable.
- Remove half the buttercream to another bowl. Colour one buttercream amount pink, and the other yellow.
- Place the pink buttercream in a line on top of a piece of plastic wrap. Place the yellow buttercream in a line beside the pink. Wrap the buttercreams up in the plastic wrap, and place inside a piping bag. Pipe buttercream on top of cupcakes. I used Wilton 1M tip.
- Store cupcakes at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Use frozen concentrated pink lemonade in this recipe. It will give a lot of lemonade taste because it's in a concentrated form.
- Use plain yogurt instead of sour cream.
- Use gel or oil food colouring for the cupcakes and buttercream.
- Add a slice of lemon, sprinkles, or little umbrellas for decorations if you like.
Did you try this recipe? Comment below to let me know ☺️