I'm back on the cupcake train with my mini pink lemonade cupcakes! I recently celebrated my birthday and thought it would be fun to mix it up with some lemony goodness. Truth be told, I've always loved having lemon cake for my birthday, not just because it's delicious but because it's such a not-your-average birthday cake flavor! These were an absolute hit with my friends and family, and I'll definitely be making these again soon...perhaps for a perfectly sweet and sour Valentine's Day treat? 🍋💖
Ingredients
3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegan butter (+1 cup for frosting)
2 cups organic granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon lemon zest (+/- 1 teaspoon for frosting)
1 cup non-dairy milk
2 tablespoons lemon juice (+/- 2 tablespoon for frosting)
16 oz powdered sugar
pink natural food coloring (optional)
3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegan butter (+1 cup for frosting)
2 cups organic granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon lemon zest (+/- 1 teaspoon for frosting)
1 cup non-dairy milk
2 tablespoons lemon juice (+/- 2 tablespoon for frosting)
16 oz powdered sugar
pink natural food coloring (optional)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a mini muffin pan with paper liners (I went for a sunny yellow).
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. This is the dry mixture.
In another mixing bowl, combine 1 cup vegan butter with granulated sugar, and gradually add in applesauce, vanilla, lemon zest and milk until well incorporated. Slowly add in the dry mixture until you have a divinely smooth, seriously lickable batter.
Spoon slightly less than a tablespoon of batter into each mini muffin cup. Bake for about 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean. Let cool a few minutes in the pan, then remove to a rack to cool completely.
For the frosting, using a standing mixer or hand mixer, whip remaining 1 cup butter, gradually adding in powdered sugar until smooth and creamy. To suit your discerning flavor palette, add approximately 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of lemon zest (trust your taste buds on this one). Since I can't get enough of millennial pink lately, I added in a drop or two of pink natural food coloring to complete the pink lemonade look. You can also add yellow natural food coloring for a traditional lemonade vibe.
I used a piping bag and large star tip for my signature swirls. You can also simply spread frosting on with a knife. Enjoy!
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a mini muffin pan with paper liners (I went for a sunny yellow).
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. This is the dry mixture.
In another mixing bowl, combine 1 cup vegan butter with granulated sugar, and gradually add in applesauce, vanilla, lemon zest and milk until well incorporated. Slowly add in the dry mixture until you have a divinely smooth, seriously lickable batter.
Spoon slightly less than a tablespoon of batter into each mini muffin cup. Bake for about 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean. Let cool a few minutes in the pan, then remove to a rack to cool completely.
For the frosting, using a standing mixer or hand mixer, whip remaining 1 cup butter, gradually adding in powdered sugar until smooth and creamy. To suit your discerning flavor palette, add approximately 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of lemon zest (trust your taste buds on this one). Since I can't get enough of millennial pink lately, I added in a drop or two of pink natural food coloring to complete the pink lemonade look. You can also add yellow natural food coloring for a traditional lemonade vibe.
I used a piping bag and large star tip for my signature swirls. You can also simply spread frosting on with a knife. Enjoy!