Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

I’ve got sweet and tangy, farm-stand fresh Pink Lemonade Cupcakes for you today. So pull up a front porch rocker and get ready to enjoy the appeal of this summertime sensation.

Summertime encompasses so many wonderful things…

Warm lazy evenings on the deck. Swimming pools. Spaghetti straps and tanned legs. Casual parties. Beach trips. Backyard grilling. Fresh seasonal produce. Iced tea and lemonade. Lots of laughter.

We’ve got some exciting travel plans this summer, but we also plan to do a lot of lounging at home, enjoying the sun and the season’s bounty.

Last week I had my first summer trip, a visit to a dairy farm in Minnesota with my friends at Land O’Lakes. Land O’Lakes invited me to come meet one of their co-op farm families, Sadie and Glen (and their sweet kids) from Blue Diamond Dairy.

Sadie and Glen are farmers, parents, and Sadie is a fellow blogger. Both Glen and Sadie work countless hours pursuing their passion, to support their family and raise their children on a working farm.

Glen and Sadie taught us how to milk cows by hand and with special milking pumps. After our lesson we had a hand-milking competition.

As you can imagine, Ree The Pioneer Woman blew us all out of the water.

I did ok though…

We went out to the pasture at Blue Diamond Dairy to see where the cows spend their time in the warm months of Minnesota.

Helen, one of the friendliest cows I’ve ever met, became the bell of the ball by getting close and personal with us.

Here she is, coming to say hi.

Photos of me from Bridget of Bake at 350.

Helen is quite a kisser.

Check out this amazing shot from Jessica The Novice Chef, as Helen gives Maria’s baby a smooch.

Sadie and Glen were so gracious to host us on this marvelous day. I will never forget their hospitality… or Helen.

From left to right: Sadie, Maria, Ree, Me, Jessica, Brenda, Joanne, Bridget, Julie and Jenny.

After our farm tour, we spent a day exploring the Land O’Lakes headquarters and playing in the test kitchens. Not only did we learn all about what makes Land O’Lakes our nation’s top butter producer, but we were able to taste the difference ourselves…

I will happily be a taste-tester for Land O’Lakes anytime they ask.

Before I headed home we made a marvelous summer treat in the Land O’Lakes kitchen, Rhubarb Pie Pops.

Just look at these!

You can get the pie pop recipe we made here, and I also have a special summer treat to share with you today!

One of my favorite summertime treats is fresh pink lemonade.

Regular lemonade is wonderful too, but something about the pale blushing color of pink lemonade makes it seem like a little celebration in a glass.

And since pink lemonade makes me feel like I’m celebrating, I thought it appropriate to turn this sweet seasonal beverage into pink lemonade cupcakes, perfect for summertime parties.

These tangy pink lemonade cupcakes are made with creamy Land O Lakes^® Butter in Half Sticks and fresh aromatic lemons. Using the zest and the juice of the lemons (in both the cake and frosting) creates an intense fresh lemon essence that is hard to beat.

I love using Land O Lakes^® Butter in Half Sticks for cupcakes and frosting recipes, because they are perfectly portioned so I don’t have extra nubs of butter tucked away in the fridge.

The buttery base makes these pink lemonade cakes tender and light, and the frosting adds a creamy decadent layer of zingy goodness to round out each cupcake’s lemony appeal.

With a vibrant flavor reminiscent of summertime, Pink Lemonade Cupcakes taste like little bites of sunshine… with sprinkles!

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5 from 14 votes

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Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes minutes

Sweet and tangy, farm-stand fresh Pink Lemonade Cupcakes. Pull up a front porch rocker and enjoy this summertime sensation!

 

Servings: 24 cupcakes

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

For the Pink Lemonade Cupcakes:

• 3/4 cup Land O Lakes® Salted Butter softened (3 Half Sticks)
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 4 Meyer lemons 2 heaping tablespoons zest + 1/2 cup juice
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 3 to 5 drops red food coloring

For the Pink Lemonade Frosting:

• 1 1/2 cups Land O Lakes® Salted Butter softened (6 Half Sticks)
• 8 ounces cream cheese softened
• 6-8 cups powdered sugar
• 1 Meyer lemon zest + 3 tablespoons juice
• 2 -3 drops red food coloring
• Pink Sprinkles
• 24 lemon jelly candy wedges

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two large muffin pans with 24 paper liners. Place 3 softened Land O Lakes^® Salted Butter Half Sticks in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Scrape the bowl and add the eggs, vanilla extract, and baking powder. Beat to combine.
• Add the lemon zest and juice to the bowl. Turn the mixer on low and slowly add the flour and milk until just combined. Scrape the bowl again and turn on low while adding 3 to 5 drops of red food coloring, creating a pale pink color.
• Divide the batter evenly between 24 cupcake liners. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool in the muffin pans for 10 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.
• Once the cupcakes are completely cool, make the frosting. Place the softened butter and cream cheese in a clean bowl. Cream with the mixer on high until very smooth with no clumps. Scrape the bowl, then add the lemon zest and juice. Turn the mixer on low and slowly add the powdered sugar until your desired consistency is reached. Add 2 to 3 drops of red food coloring to create a pale pink color.
• Place the frosting in a large piping bag with wide piping tip. Pipe large mounds of frosting on top of each cupcake. Then cover with pink sprinkles and top with a lemon jelly candy.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupcake, Calories: 396kcal, Carbohydrates: 54g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 19g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Cholesterol: 65mg, Sodium: 206mg, Potassium: 100mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 43g, Vitamin A: 615IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 50mg, Iron: 0.7mg

Course: Cupcakes

Cuisine: American

Author: Sommer Collier

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Disclosure: A Spicy Perspective has partnered with Land O’Lakes for an exclusive endorsement of Land O Lakes^® Butter for the Kitchen Conversations blogger program. This blog post is sponsored by Land O’Lakes.

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