This is a keeper! Last week when my quilt group met to work on the American Hero Quilts, Stephanie served us these cupcakes...first, let me stay that they were beautiful to look at. And now let me say that they were incredible to eat! One wasn't enough...after we finished our lunch and the cupcakes for dessert...we went back to work...but an hour later those cupcakes magically appeared in the workroom and one by one, they disappeared. Stephanie's cupcakes were a luscious yellow color...with a beautiful soft yellow-colored frosting since they are made with lemonade...but when I went to make the cupcakes I only had pink lemonade in the freezer so I made pink lemonade cupcakes...same great taste, different color. You decide how to make yours - if you want pink lemonade cupcakes just add one drop of red food coloring to the batter and one drop to the frosting. If you want them au naturelle then leave out the food coloring. Either way, they will melt in your mouth and you'll be a happy camper.
Frozen lemonade is a staple in our freezer because the mister loves it. I have made him fresh lemonade and he whines - he likes the "real" stuff the best. I love the color of pink lemonade though and if I had my way my bedroom would be done in "pink lemonade" but, as if I need to say, I didn't get my way with that! Like I said - this recipe is a keeper and on a hot day, this is worth heating up the oven and the house for...somehow, eating these sugar-loaded-bombs, that would be a technical diabetic term, you'll feel somewhat cooler even if it's a skorcher out...go figure!
Ziplock bags work great to "pipe" the icing on the cupcakes - no decorator tip either - just snipped off a tiny bit of the corner - give it a try!
Pink Lemonade Cupcakes - Adapted from Stephanie Allgood, Cupcake Afficionado
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cake:
1 1/2 cups sugar
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1 tablespoons grated lemon zest
3 tablespoons thawed lemonade concentrate
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 drop red food coloring
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
2 cups flour
1 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
Frosting:
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 teaspoons thawed lemonade concentrate
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 drop red food coloring
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
In large bowl of electric mixer combine, sugar, butter, lemon zest, lemonade concentrate, food coloring and vanilla. Beat until well blended, about 5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a medium bowl combine dry ingredients, mixing with a whisk. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture, alternating with buttermilk, mix only until blended. Spoon batter into paper-lined muffin tins and bake for 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting. Makes 24 cupcakes.
For Frosting: Combine in the bowl of an electric mixer at high speed, butter, lemon zest, lemonade, vanilla, food coloring and cream cheese. Beat until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, at low speed, and beat until well blended. Chill frosting for one hour before using. Spoon into Ziplock bag, snip one corner to pipe onto cooled cupcakes. Refrigerate, loosely covered, but serve at room temperature. 
Just had to show you my new pink depression glass platter that I picked up at a garage sale for $2....the ceramic cupcake bank was another garage sale find....lucky me...now if only I had some money to put in it!
