Sweet strawberries blended into a moist, fluffy cupcake and topped with a creamy lemonade buttercream frosting. A dessert that shouts summer time! For low carb cupcakes option, please see recipe notes.
1 ¼cupsall-purpose flour(see notes for low carb substitution)
1teaspoonbaking powder
¼teaspoonbaking soda
½teaspoonsalt
½cupgranulated sugar (see notes for low carb substitution)
¼cupbrown sugar,packed (see notes for low carb substitution)
⅓cupavocado oil (or other neutral oil)
1cupunsweetened almond milk,or other milk of choice
2teaspoonsvanilla extract
1teaspoonfinely grated lemon zest
1teaspoonlemon juice
red food coloringif desired
For the Frosting:
6ozunsalted butterat room temperature
2cupspowdered sugar (for low carb substitute, see recipe notes)
2tablespoonslemon juice(1 large lemon)
½teaspoonpure vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Cupcakes
Place chopped strawberries into a large bowl and use a potato masher to mash them until they are pulpy. Transfer mashed berries to a fine mesh sieve and place over a bowl. Use the potato masher to press strawberries, extracting as much juice as possible. Set strawberry juice aside and discard strawberry pulp (or eat it served over a bowl of ice cream!)
Heat the oven to 350°F and line a 12 cup muffin tin with cupcake liners. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add sugar and brown sugar and whisk to combine.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the strawberry juice, oil, milk, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Add a few drops of red food coloring here if desired, to make the cupcakes a brighter shade of pink/red. Mix until batter is relatively smooth.
Fill cupcake liners about 2/3rds full. Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before frosting.
For the Frosting:
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter for 2-3 minutes, until whipped and airy. Add powdered sugar, about 1/2 cup at a time, on LOW SPEED and beat until combined. Add the lemon juice and vanilla and continue to beat for 2-3 minutes or until frosting is light and fluffy.
Transfer to a piping bag and frost cupcakes as desired.
If desired, top cupcakes with sliced or whole strawberries.
Notes
Low Carb Ingredient Substitutions
Instead of all-purpose flour in the cupcakes, substitute 1 cup almond flour and 1/4 cup vanilla flavored whey protein powder.
Instead of white sugar and brown sugar in the cupcakes, substitute 3/4 cup of Erythritol or other cup-for-cup sugar substitute and 1 teaspoon molasses.
Instead of powdered sugar in the frosting, substitute powdered Erythritol or other low carb powdered sugar substitute.