Strawberry Cupcakes with Lemon Zest Cream Cheese Icing
Description
Strawberry cake mix gets filled with homemade strawberry puree and baked in these strawberry shortcake-like cupcakes. They're topped with a lemony cream cheese icing, and for strawberry lovers, extra strawberry puree.
Ingredients
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1 cup frozen strawberries
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2 tablespoons water
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1 teaspoon honey
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1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
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1 tablespoon white sugar
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1 box strawberry cake mix (such as Betty Crocker®)
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1 cup water
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3 eggs
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1/2 cup vegetable oil
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1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
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1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
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1/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
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2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
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1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
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1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
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1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
Directions
1
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line 14 cupcake cups with paper liners.
2
To make strawberry puree, pulse frozen strawberries in blender or food processor until evenly chopped. Add 2 tablespoons water, honey, 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, and sugar. Blend until smooth.
3
Beat cake mix, 1 cup water, eggs, and vegetable oil in a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed until moistened; increase mixer speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes. Beat lemon zest into batter. Fill prepared cupcake cups 2/3 full. Drop a spoonful of strawberry puree into the center of each portion of cupcake batter.
4
Bake cupcakes in preheated oven until golden and the tops spring back when lightly pressed, 18 to 22 minutes. A toothpick inserted near the center should come out clean. Let cupcakes cool for at least 30 minutes.
5
To make icing, place cream cheese and butter in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Mix in confectioners' sugar; blend in vanilla extract, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Refrigerate icing until cupcakes are cool enough to frost. Frost cooled cupcakes with icing.