Lemon Cupcakes with real Strawberry Frosting

Lemon Cupcakes brighten ANY day with tangy, sweet, sunny lemon flavor. This recipe is a box mix hack you’ll love. Topped with real Strawberry Frosting for a taste of summer.

Lemon cupcakes bring cheer into any day.

The bright, sunny color and flavor make everyone happy!

Add some easy homemade strawberry frosting on top and you’ve got summer in a cupcake.

This box mix hack is fun to make with regular or gluten-free cake mix!

Lemon Cupcakes

Calling all lemon lovers! Moist, tangy, sweet lemon cupcakes are always a winner.

AND you don’t need lemon cake mix to make them.

In fact this cake box mix hack is even better than lemon cake mix.

Transform easy-to-find yellow cake mix into a delicious dessert treat with a few little ingredients:

Fresh lemon juice, lemon zest and lemon gelatin (yes, Jell-O, not pudding) make these cupcakes taste baked from scratch.

No one will ever guess how easy they are to make.

This is a perfect solution when lemon cake mix is not easy to find.

Strawberry Frosting

Strawberry Frosting is my favorite frosting of all time. It’s made with real strawberries! 

Using strawberries, versus strawberry flavoring, gives the frosting an authentic flavor that’s fresh and delicious.

Ingredients

• Yellow Cake mix (regular or gluten-free)
• Lemon Gelatin Dessert mix (Jell-O brand or equivalent)
• Lemon Juice
• Lemon Zest from 2 Lemons
• Eggs as called for in the cake mix
• Oil as called for in the cake mix
• 1 batch Real Strawberry Frosting

Lemon Zest

Always zest the lemon before juicing it.

I love this zester for fast zesting of any citrus fruit.

Lemon Juice

If possible use fresh lemon juice for this cupcake recipe. 

PRO TIP: place the lemon in the microwave for 10 seconds to yield more juice.

I prefer juicing lemons with a hand held juicer.

Halve the lemon and squeeze then flip the lemon half to the other side and juice again for more juice!

If fresh juice is not possible, use a bottled juice NOT from concentrate for the best flavor results.

Making Gluten-Free Lemon Cupcakes

I’m not sure if gluten-free lemon cake mix is even available. I used this yellow gluten-free cake mix for my lemon cupcakes.

How to Make Lemon Cupcakes – Step-by-Step

STEP 1: Preheat the oven to the time listed on the cake mix. Line a muffin pan with baking liners.

STEP 2: Pour the cake mix and any ingredients called for on the mix into a mixing bowl (photos 1-2).

STEP 3: Add the lemon juice, lemon jello mix and lemon zest (photos 4-6); stir to combine.

STEP 4: Fill the molds as directed on the cake mix. Bake and cool as directed on the cake mix.

STEP 5: Once the lemon cupcakes have cooled completely, frost them with Strawberry Frosting.

How to Store

Frosted Cupcakes – In the Refrigerator

If frosted, these cupcakes will need to be stored in the refrigerator.

Place in a firm container (vs a bag) with a lid. Store for 4-5 days. 

Allow to warm at room temperature before eating for best flavor.

Storing Unfrosted Cupcakes

At Room Temperature

The unfrosted cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days.

NOTE: in hot or humid climate, store them in the refrigerator.

In the Refrigerator

Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

In the Freezer

After fully cooled, the unfrosted cupcakes can be placed in an airtight container and stored in the freezer for up to 6 months.

More Lemon Recipes You’ll Love

• Lemon Cake Mix Cookies
• Lemon Cheesecake with Lemon Oreos Crust
• Lemon Pound Cake with Blueberry Swirl
• Luscious Lemon Pie (no bake)
• Nana’s Lemon Bars

Try these Cupcake Recipes too!

• Banana Cupcakes & Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
• 4th of July Cupcakes
• Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes for Easter
• Shortcut Margarita Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Lime Frosting

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Sunny Lemon Cupcakes with real Strawberry Frosting

These cupcakes are easy to prepare by doctoring a yellow cake mix. Perfect for those gluten-free as lemon cake mix is hard to find. The strawberry frosting is flavored and colored by using real strawberries with no additional artificial coloring or flavors. It's the best frosting ever!

5 from 25 votes

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Servings: 24 cups (or quantity indicated on cake mix package used)

Calories: 98kcal

Author: Toni Dash

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Ingredients

• ▢ 1 Yellow Cake mix (I used Pillsbury’s Gluten-Free Yellow Cake mix)
• ▢ 1 3- ounce box Lemon Gelatin Dessert mix (Jell-O brand or equivalent)
• ▢ ¼ cup Lemon Juice
• ▢ Zest from 2 Lemons
• ▢ Eggs as called for in the cake mix
• ▢ Oil as called for in the cake mix
• ▢ 1 batch Real Strawberry Frosting

Instructions

• Preheat oven to the temperature called out in the cake mix. Line cupcake pan with wrappers (tip: I use double wrapper so any oil from the cupcakes are absorbed by the inner wrapper leaving the outer wrapper spotless).
• Follow the cake mix directions to prepare adding the lemon juice, jello mix and lemon zest into the mix. Fill the cupcake molds as directed on the cake mix box and bake according to the mix directions. Allow to cool completely.
• Frost with the Strawberry Buttercream Frosting.

Notes

Cooking time estimated and will depend on the cake mix selected for use.

Nutrition

Calories: 98kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0g | Saturated Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 178mg | Potassium: 12mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 0.5mg

Did you make this recipe?Mention @boulderlocavore or tag #boulderlocavore!

Lemon Cupcakes are moist, tangy and sweet! 

Originally published: September 4, 2016