(Pink Lemonade Cupcakes)

You may or may not believe me...but i did not have a single measuring cup in the house. I improvised with everything...

Cheers to you and to me, for with standing this heat.

Pink lemonadaa cuppy cakes between the olives, the pickels and cheap beer. :) i love my roommates. We have the BEST food selections.

Recipe:

Cake:
1 package white cake mix
1 small package vanilla instant pudding
3 Tbsp sweetened pink lemonade drink mix (like Country Time Pink Lemonade mix)
1 cup sour cream
2 tsp lemon zest
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup oil
4 whites eggs

Frosting
-- This was the recommended frosting, but for some reason my didn't turn out AT ALL, the butter and lemon and egg like curdled together, and seperated. It was probably because instead of using shortnening and butter, i used margin :/

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup shortening
1/2 cup frozen pink lemonade concentrate, thawed
2 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
Zest from 1 lemon
2 pound package or 7 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
3 drops of pink food coloring

The recipe i used for frosting is the one my mom taught me when i was younger- it is

powdered sugar
milk
vanilla

and then i added my own twist to it by adding the
lemon zest
frozen pink lemonade concentrate

Decorations
- I used dry pineapple bits to resemble a lemon
- Colorful straw


Baking Directions:
1. In a large bowl, whisk cake mix, pudding mix, and drink mix together. Add sour cream, lemon zest, water, oil, and egg whites to the dry mix. Beat with electric mixer on medium speed for about two minutes. Use a strong mixer, this batter is thick.
2. Scoop batter into 24 lined muffin tins. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes until cupcakes don’t look wet and a toothpick inserted in one comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting the cupcakes.
3. Prepare the frosting by creaming butter, shortening, and lemon zest together. Then add lemonade concentrate, milk and vanilla with a mixer. Beat until smooth. Then gradually add the sugar, mixing well until light and fluffy. Beat in the food coloring.
4. Pipe frosting onto the cupcakes. (You will have plenty to pile it on. I had over 1 cup leftover. Leftover frosting is good sandwiched between two graham crackers). Place a lemon candy wedge on top of each cupcakes. With the straws cut the top 1/3 of the straw off just below the flexible part. Discard the tops. Then cut the remaining straw pieces in half. Place one straw piece in each cupcake to resemble a drink.


**Also it was suppose to be mixed with an electric mixer but i didn't have that either, ha so a fork worked fine for me. My arms are tired though- it is a thick batter.

They may not look as perfect as i wanted but hey, i had a great day baking and listening to my itunes in my hot little apartment. Sums up the summer of a college student.

Love,
Marissa