Taste: **** 1/2 | Presentation: **** 1/2
This week's cupcake should provide the perfect refreshment given the great weather this week: a pink lemonade cupcake topped with cream cheese frosting (with a hint of pink lemonade) sprinkled with sugar I dyed red. Sweet (or sour) and simple :)
Pink Lemonade Cupcakes
1/2 cup shortening, room temp
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
3/4 cup pink lemonade concentrate (thawed)
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
red food colouring
1 tsp lemon zest
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl combine shortening and sugar until fluffy (~3 minutes). Beat in the eggs one at a time. In a medium bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, soda and salt. In a small bowl combine the pink lemonade, milk and vanilla extract, set aside. Add the dry ingredient mixture to the sugar mixture in thirds alternating with the milk mixture, starting and ending with the dry ingredients, until combined. Fold in the zest, adding red food colouring until a light pink hue is acquired. Pour the batter into the pans.iners. This batch yielded 12 regular sized and 21 mini cupcakes baked for 10 and 8 minutes respectively. Allow to cool.
Pink Lemonade Cream Cheese Frosting
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 oz cream cheese
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
2 tbsp pink lemonade concentrate, thawed
In medium bowl, cream butter and cream cheese with electric mixer. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, add pink lemonade, beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.
I dropped a dollop of frosting onto the top of each cake then dusting each with some pink sugar I made by adding a couple of drops of red dye to a couple teaspoons of granulate sugar.
1/2 cup shortening, room temp
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
3/4 cup pink lemonade concentrate (thawed)
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
red food colouring
1 tsp lemon zest
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl combine shortening and sugar until fluffy (~3 minutes). Beat in the eggs one at a time. In a medium bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, soda and salt. In a small bowl combine the pink lemonade, milk and vanilla extract, set aside. Add the dry ingredient mixture to the sugar mixture in thirds alternating with the milk mixture, starting and ending with the dry ingredients, until combined. Fold in the zest, adding red food colouring until a light pink hue is acquired. Pour the batter into the pans.iners. This batch yielded 12 regular sized and 21 mini cupcakes baked for 10 and 8 minutes respectively. Allow to cool.
Pink Lemonade Cream Cheese Frosting
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 oz cream cheese
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
2 tbsp pink lemonade concentrate, thawed
In medium bowl, cream butter and cream cheese with electric mixer. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, add pink lemonade, beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.
I dropped a dollop of frosting onto the top of each cake then dusting each with some pink sugar I made by adding a couple of drops of red dye to a couple teaspoons of granulate sugar.
The Panel:
Tartness and moisture were the major compliments on this week's treat. Cheese cake frosting came in just the right quantity and was a good balance to the tart of the pink lemonade which was a prominent flavour though Diana wished the flavour had been a bit stronger. Presentation sweet and simple with pink colour providing a hint of what was to come, though some were left wanting a little more; Eat Freak recommended a pink lemon wedge to add a bit of dimension. The red sugar crystals were appreciated for the crunch they added.
Sugar Princess: "Like lemon meringue pie, but much better".
Sweet Pea: "Summery delight."
Sarah: "I love pink, so this one was easy.This was one of my favorites."
My comments:
Quite pleased with the final product here; would add some extra zest in the future. Ideally I would have liked to finish the cakes off with a pink lemonade gummy slice but was unable to locate them in the time period allotted to the creation.
Tartness and moisture were the major compliments on this week's treat. Cheese cake frosting came in just the right quantity and was a good balance to the tart of the pink lemonade which was a prominent flavour though Diana wished the flavour had been a bit stronger. Presentation sweet and simple with pink colour providing a hint of what was to come, though some were left wanting a little more; Eat Freak recommended a pink lemon wedge to add a bit of dimension. The red sugar crystals were appreciated for the crunch they added.
Sugar Princess: "Like lemon meringue pie, but much better".
Sweet Pea: "Summery delight."
Sarah: "I love pink, so this one was easy.This was one of my favorites."
My comments:
Quite pleased with the final product here; would add some extra zest in the future. Ideally I would have liked to finish the cakes off with a pink lemonade gummy slice but was unable to locate them in the time period allotted to the creation.