{The Girl Kyle Bakes} Papa Lane's Favorite Cupcake!

I hope everyone had a relaxing Sunday with their fathers.  I'm already looking ahead at my four day work week!  No relaxing to be had this week or weekend.  My to-do list is bursting with tons of last minute things to accomplish for my best friend's bridal shower this Saturday.  I even took Friday off so that I would have plenty of time to get everything just right for her party.  I haven't been able to share many details since she reads this blog so I'm looking forward to the post next week.  There's nothing I love more than throwing a party!

Back to Dad though - last night was another amazing dinner with family and friends at my parent's house.  Followed up with lots of great gifts for my dad.  Our usual way of celebrating, great food and great gifts.  My dad loved his shirt, which I picked up on Etsy at a neat shop called Vital.  If you or someone that you know is a bike enthusiast, it's worth checking out.  I think what my Dad really loved was his tupperware wrapped in a towel.  Yes, I got my Dad tupperware - it's one of those things and I didn't have any non-girly/wedding wrapping paper!  He said that in all his years of unwrapping gifts, he'd never had one wrapped in a towel.  I like to be an original!

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

{makes 19}

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• Large pinch of salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 4 egg whites
• 2/3 c. thawed frozen Pink Lemonade Concentrate
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 5 or more drops red food coloring

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line muffin pan with liners.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In your mixer's bowl, whisk together sugar, oil, egg whites and lemonade concentrate. Alternately whisk in flour mixture and buttermilk, making three additions of flour mixture and two of buttermilk, beating until just smooth. Add just enough food coloring to turn the batter a light shade of pink.  I used about 6 drops, the batter always lightens up during the baking process.

Scoop batter into liners; fill three-fourths full. Bake in preheated oven for 16-18 minutes depending on your oven. Let cool in pan for several minutes and then remove cupcakes from the pan.  Allow to cool completely on rack. Remove from pan and let cool completely on rack. Top cooled cupcakes with frosting (see below).

Frosting

• 2 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter
• zest of 1 large lemon
• 1 tbs. lemon juice
• 3 1/3 powdered sugar

Whip butter with lemon zest on med-high for 5 minutes.  Periodically scraping down the side of your mixing bowl.  About halfway through the whipping I added the lemon juice.  Add more lemon juice after the powdered sugar has been added if it's not lemon-y enough for you.  Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time until combined.  After all the powdered sugar has been added, beat your frosting once again on med-high until you have the consistency you desire.