Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

Summertime and the living is easy. Pink lemonade in one hand, and a pink lemonade cupcake in the other. The tartness of the lemonade makes these refreshing.

Lisa is the expert icing queen - the two-tone was a fun effect to go for!

These cupcakes fluttered through Amy's workplace, and then we made another batch for a July birthday party.

The recipe comes from a very pretty blog, Sweet Tooth. The writer has a bunch of other great ideas too!

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

1 box white cake mix

3/4 cup frozen pink lemonade concentrate

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup vegetable oil

4 egg whites

• Combine all ingredients in medium-sized bowl. Mix on low speed for 30 seconds, then on medium for one minute.
• Line muffin tins with 18 - 24 cupcake liners.
• Divide the batter between cupcake liners. The original recipe says it makes 24, but we made 18 and the cupcakes seemed to be a good size. The liners should be about 2/3 full.
• Bake cupcakes in 350 F oven for about 25 minutes. If you insert a toothpick, it should come out clean.
• Cool cupcakes before adding icing.

Icing

3 cups confectioners (icing) sugar

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature

2 tablespoons frozen pink lemonade concentrate

Pinch of salt

Food coloring

• Mix together all ingredients on low speed, until combined. Increase the mixer speed to medium or high, beating until desired consistency.
• Divide frosting evenly between two bowls. Add food coloring.
• We tried to follow this tutorial on two-tone frosting technique. Give it a shot. Alternatively, use our mom's technique! Put the icing in the fridge for a few minutes, so it's easier to manipulative. Roll equal amounts of each color into long tubes (a little bigger than gummy worms) and place side by side in an icing bag.
• Add little straws or cocktail umbrellas for extra flair!

Plain white cake mix is the base.

Separating the yolk from the white.

Adding bright pink frozen lemonade.

Just wait... they're about to get much prettier.

Icing swirls.

This icing technique didn't work incredibly well for us,

but give it a shot! We basically did the same thing, minus the plastic.

Piping the two-tone icing onto the cooled cupcakes.