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
Cupcake Batter
- 1 box strawberry cake mix (such as Betty Crocker®)
- 1 cup water
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
Strawberry Puree
- 1 cup frozen strawberries
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ½ teaspoon fresh lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
Lemon Zest Cream Cheese Icing
- 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
Step 1
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line 14 cupcake cups with paper liners.
Step 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.
Step 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.
Step 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.
Step 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.
Cook’s Notes:
I put the icing in a heavy-duty resealable plastic bag and refrigerated it. When the cupcakes were cool, I cut a corner off the bag and funneled the icing onto the cupcakes. My son loved this part.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Nutrition Facts | |
---|---|
Servings Per Recipe 14 | |
Calories 392 | |
% Daily Value * | |
Total Fat20g | 26% |
Saturated Fat8g | 42% |
Cholesterol61mg | 20% |
Sodium291mg | 13% |
Total Carbohydrate51g | 19% |
Dietary Fiber0g | 1% |
Total Sugars37g | |
Protein3g | |
Vitamin C7mg | 35% |
Calcium73mg | 6% |
Iron1mg | 6% |
Potassium75mg | 2% |
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
**Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient.If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.
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