Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

I travel alot for my job, all within the US, but all so different from each other. I've seen the cows in Arkansas and the freeway in LA. I've eaten at trendy places in Chicago and enjoyed comfort food in Texas.

Last week I had a client to visit in Upstate New York. Even though I live in a borough of New York City, I had never been Upstate. Me and a co-worker drove were driving around the little town on the way to visit my client and I couldn't help but just stare out the passenger side window and take in the quaint town. The weather was warm and the sun was shining, we passed beautiful tree lined streets and Old Colonial houses.

I love Old Colonials, I love the elegant look to them, the history they must have, the quality workmanship that is so hard to find today. But its the beautiful porches that stand out to me the most, especially the wrap around porches. As we passed house after house I kept thinking what a great day it was to just sit on the porch and have a nice pitcher of pink lemonade with friends.

That thought stayed with me until I came home the next day, and I was inspired to make Pink Lemonade Cupcakes. I found a recipe on http://castsugar.blogspot.com/ and they tured out perfect.

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

Ingredients:
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
Pinch salt
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/4 c. vegetable oil
2 egg whites
1/3 c. thawed frozen Pink Lemonade Concentrate
1/4 c. buttermilk
Pink food coloring

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line muffin pan with liners. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
2. In a large 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.
3. Add just enough food coloring to turn the batter a light shade of pink.
4. Scoop batter into liners (fill about three-fourths full). Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until tops of cupcakes spring back when lightly touched. Let cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely on rack. Top cooled cupcakes with frosting (see below).

Lemonade Buttercream:
3 c. + 3 Tbsp. confectioner’s sugar
1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
1/8 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. pink lemonade concentrate
Pink food coloring

1. Add the butter, confectioner’s sugar, salt, lemon juice, and a few drops of food coloring to the stand mixer and mix on low using the paddle attachment until combined.
2. Turn the speed to med-high until the buttercream is fluffy and uniformly pink. Pipe or spread onto cooled cupcakes.