Elderflower syrup and fresh mint leaves make these cupcakes unique. The lemonade frosting on top makes them unforgettably delicious!
Just a few weeks ago I made Elderflower Lemonade that was amazing. Seriously- you need to try it! After making many batches of it for friends and family, it occurred to me that these flavors would make such good cupcakes! I experimented a bit with the cupcakes, and topped them with my famous lemonade frosting and YUM! I really liked them. A lot!
Plus they are so fun and springtime-y! The only special ingredient you’ll need is Elderflower syrup
Here is how we made these (printable recipe here):
INGREDIENTS:
- One boxed white cake mix (plus eggs and oil to make according to package)
- Elderflower syrup (about 1-2 cups depending on boxed mix)
- 1/4 cup finely chopped mint leaves
- 2- 8oz. packages of Philadelphia Cream Cheese (softened to room temp.)
- 1 packet (0.23oz.) of Kool-Aid Lemonade
- 1- 7oz. container Jet-Puffed Marshmallow Creme
- 1/3 c. powdered sugar
- 8 oz. Cool Whip Topping (refrigerator temp)
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees
- Make cake mix according to package, but replace 1/2 of the required water with elderflower syrup (so if the mix calls for one cup of water, use 1/2 cup of water and 1/2 cup of Elderflower syrup)
- Bake according to package, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
- Cool on countertop.
- Cream together cream cheese, lemonade and yellow food coloring until smooth.
- Beat marshmallow creme and powdered sugar in and then fold in Cool Whip until completely smooth.
- Place frosting in a large zip-top bag, fitted with a decorating tip, and keep in fridge until ready to frost.
- Before frosting, use a toothpick to poke holes into the top of each cupcake (6-8). Use a pastry brush to generously brush the top of each cupcake with elderflower syrup, allowing it to soak into the holes.
- Pipe lemonade frosting on the top of each cupcake and decorate as desired.
- Keep in a loosely sealed container, refrigerated, for 2-3 days.
- Enjoy!
My thoughts: These really are such a deliciously different flavor of cupcake. The mint with the lemon- and that yummy syrup… I love them! They are on my permanent list of spring cupcake options! I hope you get a chance to try them! 
~r
This lemonade frosting has been one of the biggest hits on this blog. It was originally created in 2011 for a Strawberry Lemonade Layer Cake, which is my most popular recipe- ever. This is a little sad to me since my photography in 2011 needed LOTS of improvement, and the photos are awful
I remade it (making the frosting a bit thicker) in 2012, and used it on cupcakes in 2013.
It is a go-to frosting recipe for sure. It actually tastes like lemonade, and as my friend Laura (the frosting-hater) says: “I love it- it tastes more like a creamy filling than a frosting.”
Spring recipes are SO FUN! Here’s a few more to try (click on photo to see recipe).
