I used to totally hate the color pink! Like, I would cry and beg and plead my mother not to make me wear it, kind of hate.
Well, that and dresses. And tights…
That was how I was totally convinced my first daughter was going to be a girl – I suddenly wanted pink everything! Pink clothes, pink towels, cute little baby dresses covered in bows and lace…
I’m pretty sure my husband just thought that I had totally lost my mind! (Still might actually…)
I like to tease that it was a mother’s intuition, although I don’t actually believe that for like 2 seconds.
Two daughters later, I am still madly in love with anything pink. And seriously, how cute are these? Pink frosting, pink sugar pearls, well, you get the idea.
Since I’m totally jonesing for summer right about now, I thought I’d make something that will help me at least pretend it’s summer for Kristen’s monthly Improv Challenge.
The Meyer lemon gives these cupcakes THE perfect balance of sweet and tart and reminds me of those seemingly far away days of summer.
Ingredients
6 oz. butter, melted
1 c. + 2 tbs. cake flour
½ c. + 2 tbs. sugar
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
Zest of 2 Meyer lemons (about 1 rounded teaspoon)
¼ c. sour cream
1 tbs. Meyer lemon juice
2 large eggs
4 tbs. unsalted butter
2 c. confectioners’ sugar
1 ½ tsp. Meyer lemon juice
1-2 tbs. milk
A few drops of red food coloring
Light Pink Sugar Pearls
Pink and Yellow bendable straws (12 total), trimmed slightly
Directions
Melt the butter and set aside until it starts to solidify again. You want it still pourable but not totally melted.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine cake flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest. With the mixer on low, gradually add the butter and sour cream.
Add lemon juice and eggs, one at a time. Mix only until combined to make sure that the cupcakes stay light and fluffy.
Fill prepared muffin cups two-thirds full of batter. Bake 18-21 minutes until light and fluffy or a cake tester comes out clean.
Cool in pan 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
Cream together the butter and confectioners’ sugar. Add lemon juice and then the milk 1 tablespoon at a time until smooth and creamy, should be around 1 ½ tablespoons.
Once cupcakes are cooled, spread cupcakes with frosting or frost using a #12 piping tip. Sprinkle with sugar pearls, garnish with a trimmed bendable straw and serve.
Check out these other amazing lemon and sour cream creations!
Those are adorable cupcakes! My daughter wants nothing but pink these days. After 4 boys, I am only happy to oblige!
These are so adorable! We are all needing a touch of summer right now, and thanks for providing it! I love the color of these, and the cleaver decorations with the pearls and beads!
Your cupcakes are so cute, I love pink and having twin girls all i see is pink and purple. They would love these!
How sweet are these! I love the little straws!
I’ve never been a fan of pink either. But I think I can deal with it for these! They’re so cute and they look delish!
Lovely! My 2 year old will love these!
These look so pretty and “drinkable”!
Genius!
♥ pink lemonade — but as a mother with 3 boys (18, 13 & 12) that is strictly forbidden!
Your cuppie cakes look so absolutely yummy!
Well for them you just make the frosting yellow and use blue straws! They’ll never know they were originally called pink lemonade cupcakes!
HA!
Well, we’ve got a birthday coming up next weekend — maybe I’ll just have to try that!
So cute! I bet they taste fantastic!
AAAAAAAAGGGHHHH!!!!! These. Are. SO. Precious!
But now I love it! And the more cutesy and girlie the better.
It’s funny b/c I was never big on pink, either. I was a bit of a tomboy
These cupcakes are just so stinkin’ cute. And nice touch with the straw.
Me too, but I sort of got over it when I had two girls. Still prefer jeans and a ball cap!
these are adorable!!! I love anything and everything pink but my oldest daughter has a “no pink” rule
I would love pink lemonade in cupcake or drink form right now!
Haha, I was definitely a very pink little girl, but soon enough turned goth and brooding.
I did however hold pink parties periodically to go crazy with (hey, torn fishnets look hot with pink mini skirts!)
These look fantastic! Love the pearls, and the straw just is the perfect touch. My wife would love these, pink lemonade is one of her favorites.
You sure you’re not related to Dudette? She HATES anything to do with pink, dresses or girlie stuff. She loves Spiderman, skeletons and anything gun or sword-related. Hopefully that means that the teeter will totter as she grows up and she’ll embrace her feminine side like you are now. I don’t mind the one except that I can’t dress her up in the gorgeous dresses and clothes she gets from family and friends.
I’ll bet she’d be all over these cupcakes no matter what color they are. They’re just too amazing looking. I’ll take them for the lemon sake of it all. I love citrus. These were perfect for the challenge.
Dudette is my kind of girl!!
Oh these are gorgeous and YES I love anything pink as well.
The touch with the straws though put me over the top, it’s the little things after all.
I too went for dessert for this months challenge. I absolutely love participating and seeing what everyone comes up with…just brimming over with creativity these bloggers are.
Me too! It’s amazing how different the recipes are, isn’t it!?
BEST.CUPCAKE.EVER! What a clever idea! Definitely pinning =)
Aw shucks! Thanks!
LOL! Same here..didn’t like pink, didn’t like dresses, anything that girly..but than my daughter came in this world and I turned into Pink crazy person hehehe by the way she don’t like pink either so I stopped a while ago trying to convince her it’s a girly beautiful color:)))
Your cupcakes look incredible, love how you pipped the frosting..me in that department not as good as you…on the end I just take a spoon and slap it right on:)))
Have a wonderful day Jen!!!!
I can totally relate on the pink subject. I have two daughters and pink will catch my attention anywhere!
The cupcakes look amazing! I love lemonade so I am bookmarking these 
I found you through the Improv Challenge!
The pink reminds me of something that should be in a Dr. Seuss book. They look delicious!
You win the prize for the prettiest offering, so far. These are lovely and the dream of any little girl and big ones, too.
Thanks Chaya!
I love these cupcakes and my daughter who loves pink is going crazy begging me to make them for her. They are so very cute and I love the straw… so very cute. The pearls make it just as pretty as a picture! Well done… take a bow!!
Thanks Ramona! Your daughter will not be disappointed!
These are adorable! I love all the pink, seriously couldn’t have been more opposite of you when we were younger…my favorite color was HOT pink! And I still don’t mind it. The cupcake sounds delicious too…makes me wish I was on the beach some where.
Pink and lemonade-makes me thing of little baby girls and summertime, which are both nice thoughts! In looking through this recipe, I am wondering why the butter has to be melted first instead of just mixing in when it is soft or at room temperature.
It sounds crazy, but it makes the best texture. I’ve tried it totally melted, just softened, and I’ve tried substituting oil, and none of those work nearly as well for some reason. Beats me why, but they come out perfectly light and fluffy every time!
These are adorable! They reminder me of summer also, and what little girl wouldn’t love these for a birthday party. Just love these!
Jen
Your cupcakes are seriously cute! The decorations you used are so fun. Is there a princess birthday party in your future?
I LOVE pink too! Not to be over done, but tastefully pink. My sister hates pink and hearts.
Thank You for checking out my ICC recipe today.
No princess party, thank goodness! I think my daughter’s are both past that stage. Just digging the pink lately for some reason!
The cupcakes are so pretty and I am obsessed with the straws!
Those are absolutely gorgeous! I can almost taste them. Yum!
This is so cute! I love the straw!
OMG HOW CUTE!! These remind me of warm summer days. Must make and take a little mental vacation from the cold
What fun it was to click over to your post! It’s getting dreary and threatening to rain here, so it was nice to see such bright little cupcakes. They sound delicious too.
So adorable!!!
Cute cupcakes. We are no strangers to pink, even my son wears it.
Mimi
These cupcakes are absolutely gorgeous! Also wanted to let you know I have a food blog award waiting for ya! =] http://www.freespiriteater.com/2012/01/paula-deen-rant-food-blog-award.html
Thank you!! That is SO very sweet of you!
Oh Jen….these cupcakes are soooo pretty! And I love your summertime theme…..we could use that right now! I have two boys…..so I yearn for pink. That and lemon cupcakes! And these look fabulous! : )
Very summery and very girly. They make me smile.
I love these–they’re just so cheerful–the straws are an inspired touch!
Totally loving the pink! These are so lovely! Found you through the Challenge!
I’m so glad you did. Thanks for stopping by Ashley!
I love these. So adorable! I have alwasy been a fan of pink but it seems to be increasing over time. I don’t have any daughters to blame either!
I simply LOVE that you put straws in these to decorate them. I love it! aaaah!
Confession time… Pink is my favorite color! And YES! I am missing summer as much as you are!
these cupcakes are beautiful! evertything looks lovely and they sound pretty good
Pink rules in our home with my 6 year old. Beautiful and delicious looking cupcakes, great ICC entry.
Adorable! I love this!
I love these cupcakes, they are so cute!!
Jen, these are stunning! I LOVE pink and I got a chuckle since your blog has so much pink on it! These are as pretty as anything I’ve seen in a bakery!
I hadn’t really ever thought about that…
So pretty and perfect! And yes, once you have girls, it’s everything pink all the time!
Your cupcakes are so precious! Beautiful! I have two little girls myself, so I will have to remember this for future birthday parties!
Love these! And I’ve been inspired to feature your cupcakes in my Friday Food Fetish roundup and on Pinterest. I can’t wait to see what you come up with next and please let me know if you have any objections…
Thank you! That is so sweet of you1 Feature away my friend!!
These are almost too cute too eat! I myself am a huge pink lover, and these cupcakes are the pinnacle of pink treats! I especially love the little straws
I love your pink cupcakes! So pretty and I’ll bet so tasty, as well. Great use of your lemons and sour cream. Congrats on the top nine!
These look so amazing and are my fave color in the whole wide world. I am thinking of painting my blog room pink. I know it’s sad right. I’m 43, not 3, but pink is just so adorable. So are these cupcakes. Just love them. Congrats on top 9. Well deserved. xx
Thanks Kim!