Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

Growing up, my mom would once in a while make a fabulous recipe for Pink Lemonade Cookies from an old Christmas cookie magazine. Over the years they had grown to become one of my favorites. Having their great taste in mind, I was pleased to see this recipe on Tasty Kitchen for Pink Lemonade Cupcakes. They promised "a tart, lemony punch", so I had to give them a shot. Here's the scoop:

CUPCAKES:
Makes 24 cupcakes

1 box white cake mix (18 oz box)
3/4 cup frozen pink lemonade concentrate, thawed
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
4 whole egg whites
Red food coloring, if desired

FROSTING (not the one used in the original recipe):

1 recipe Wilton Class Buttercream, with the following substitutions:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature for half of the shortening
Pink lemonade concentrate for the water (add until desired consistency is achieved. You may want to start thinning it down with another liquid if the flavor starts to become a bit too puckery for your tastes :)
Red food coloring, if desired

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and properly grease 24 muffin tins or prepare them with liners.
2. Combine all cupcake ingredients in an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to medium speed for another minute. Add food coloring to tint the batter pink, if desired.
3. Divide batter evenly, filling each tin about 2/3 full.
4. Bake cupcakes for about 25 minutes, or until tester comes out clean.
5. Prepare frosting. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

Comments: These are fun cupcakes! With the cake and frosting together, they have great flavor. I got the idea to insert the straws into the cupcakes from the recipe page I used. They are a crowd-pleaser!

So next time you spot pink lemonade concentrate for a buck in the supermarket, consider giving these a try! ;)

Credits:
CUPCAKES: sweettooth via Tasty Kitchen (recipe page here). I did not use the recipe given for the buttercream.
FROSTING: Wilton Class Buttercream by Wilton, with some modifications by yours truly :)