Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 12 ounces strawberries , chopped, or more to taste
• 1.5 tablespoons white sugar , or to taste
• 2.75 cups sifted cake flour
• 2.5 teaspoons baking powder
• 0.25 teaspoons salt
• 1.25 cups white sugar
• 1 cup butter
• 4 large eggs , at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 0.25 teaspoons strawberry extract
• 0.5 cups 2% milk

Instructions

1. 1

   Place 12 ounces chopped strawberries in a bowl; cover with 1 ½ tablespoons white sugar. Refrigerate, 2 hours to overnight.

2. 2

   Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners.

3. 3

   Mash chopped strawberry and sugar mixture with a potato masher, or pulse gently in the bowl of a food processor until strawberries are chunky. Strain strawberries over a bowl, reserving juice.

4. 4

   Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl; set aside.

5. 5

   Beat 1 ¼ cups white sugar and 1 cup butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until pale yellow and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating for about 1 minute after each addition, scraping down the sides of the bowl; beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and strawberry extract.

6. 6

   Add flour mixture in 2 batches, alternating with ½ cup milk, blending well and scraping the sides of the bowl after each addition.

7. 7

   Fold in mashed strawberries and 5 tablespoons strawberry juice with a wooden spoon until well incorporated; you can see strawberry bits showing throughout batter. Spoon batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each ¾ full.

8. 8

   Bake in the preheated oven until tops are golden color and tops spring back when pressed, about 18 minutes.

9. 9

   Cool in muffin cups for 5 minutes; transfer cupcakes to a wire rack to finish cooling, about 30 minutes more.

10. 10

    Combine confectioners' sugar, ½ cup butter, 1 tablespoon milk, lemon zest, lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat until creamy.

11. 11

    Pipe frosting onto cupcakes; garnish each with 1 strawberry slice.