Your favorite summer beverage becomes a delicious dessert in these sweet-tart cupcakes. Fresh strawberry purée lends a pop of color, while olive oil enhances the fruity flavor and moist texture. The cupcakes are topped with a velvety smooth lemon buttercream frosting and garnished with candied lemon wheels and fresh strawberries. To make the strawberry purée, stem and hull about 8 large strawberries and blend in a food processor until smooth.
Cook Time
-
Total Time
-
Yield
18 cupcakes
Ingredients
Candied Lemon
1 lemon
1 cup water (240 mL)
1 cup granulated sugar (200 g)
Strawberry Cupcakes
2 ¾ cups all purpose flour (345 g)
1 ½ cups granulated sugar (300 g)
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
¼ cup olive oil (60 mL)
¾ cup strawberry puree (170 g)
4 large egg whites
⅓ cup whole milk (80 mL)
3 drops red gel food coloring
Lemon Buttercream
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
8 oz cream cheese (225 g), softened
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup powdered sugar (110 g)
strawberry, sliced, for garnish
Nutrition Info
Calories 246
Fat 8g
Carbs 37g
Fiber 0g
Sugar 24g
Protein 4g
How to Make It
1. Step
Make the candied lemon: Preheat the oven to 200°F (95°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Step
Thinly slice the lemon into rounds, about ⅛–¼-inch-thick, removing the seeds.
3. Step
In a medium shallow skillet, combine the water and granulated sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves, 3–4 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the lemon slices to the syrup, and simmer until the flesh of the lemons begins to turn translucent, about 15 minutes.
4. Step
Transfer the lemon slices to the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until crisp. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
5. Step
Make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line 18 muffin tin cups with paper liners.
6. Step
Make the cupcakes: In a large bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, salt, and baking powder.
7. Step
In a medium bowl, combine the butter, strawberry purée, and olive oil. Beat with an electric hand mixer on medium speed until lightened in color and fluffy.
8. Step
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on medium-low speed until just combined.
9. Step
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg whites, milk, and red food coloring.
10. Step
Add the egg white mixture to the batter and mix on medium-low speed until smooth.
11. Step
Divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups, filling each about ¾ of the way.
12. Step
Bake for 18–22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool completely, about 20 minutes.
13. Step
Make the lemon buttercream: In a large bowl, combine the butter, cream cheese, salt, vanilla, lemon juice, and powdered sugar. Mix with an electric hand mixer on low speed until smooth. Transfer to a zip-top bag with the corner snipped off or a piping bag fitted with a round tip.
14. Step
Pipe the buttercream on top of the cupcakes. Garnish with the candied lemon wheels and sliced strawberries.