Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

Cake:

• 1 (16.25 oz) package white cake mix
• 1 small package (3.4 oz) vanilla instant pudding
• 3 Tbsp sweetened pink lemonade drink mix (like Country Time Pink Lemonade mix)
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 tsp lemon zest
• 3/4 cup water
• 3/4 cup oil
• 4 whites eggs (save the yolks for tomorrows recipe)
• 6 drops of pink food coloring

Frosting:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup frozen pink lemonade concentrate, thawed
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• Zest from 1 lemon
• 2 pound package  or 7 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
• 3 drops of pink food coloring

Decorations:

• 24 lemon slice candies or grapefruit slice candies
• 12 colored flexible drinking straws

1. In a large bowl, whisk cake mix, pudding mix, and drink mix together.  Add sour cream, lemon zest, water, oil, and egg whites to the dry mix. Beat with electric mixer on medium speed for about two minutes. Use a strong mixer, this batter is thick.
2. Scoop batter into 24 lined muffin tins.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes until cupcakes don’t look wet and a toothpick inserted in one comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting the cupcakes.
3. Prepare the frosting by creaming butter, shortening, and lemon zest together. Then add lemonade concentrate, milk and vanilla with a mixer. Beat until smooth.  Then gradually add the sugar, mixing well until light and fluffy. Beat in the food coloring.
4. Pipe frosting onto the cupcakes.  (You will have plenty to pile it on.  I had over 1 cup leftover.  Leftover frosting is good sandwiched between two graham crackers).  Place a lemon candy wedge on top of each cupcakes.  With the straws cut the top 1/3 of the straw off just below the flexible part.  Discard the tops.  Then cut the remaining straw pieces in half.  Place one straw piece in each cupcake to resemble a drink.

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