Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes

Lemonade is a perfect summer time drink for all those warm summer days. Since I love everything in cupcake form I thought these Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes would be a perfect treat for the housewarming party. They are made with fresh strawberries straight from the garden! This is our first year with strawberries and I absolutely love having them on hand in the backyard, I just can't use them fast enough!

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes

Triple Lemon Cake- Makes 18 cupcakes
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temp
2 ounces cream cheese, room temp
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup buttermilk
Zest of 1 lemon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin tins with liners. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl and set aside.

Add sugar and lemon zest to mixing bowl or stand mixer and rub zest into sugar with your fingertips until well distributed and fragrant, Add the butter and cream cheese to the sugar and beat until light and creamy, 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating about 1 minutes after each egg. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture, beating on low speed until just incorporated. Add 1/2 of buttermilk, once incorporated add the next 1/4 of the flour mix, followed by remaining buttermilk and remaining flour, beating each addition until just incorporated. Add lemon juice, beating until combined on low speed.

Transfer batter to muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 of the way full. Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes in pan then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Frosting:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp
1/2 cup diced strawberries
1/2 tsp lemon extract
1 lb powdered sugar

Cream butter in a mixing bowl until smooth. Add in strawberries and lemon extract and beat until most of the chunks are gone. Add powdered sugar one cup at a time, beating on low speed until incorporated. Increase speed to medium and whip for about thirty seconds. Place in a piping bad and decorate as desired. Tip with a fresh strawberry if desired.