Description
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
- 1 cup frozen strawberries
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ½ teaspoon fresh lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 1 box strawberry cake mix (such as Betty Crocker®)
- 1 cup water
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- 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
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line 14 cupcake cups with paper liners.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Prep Time: 25 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins
Servings: 14