Watermelon Cupcakes

In keeping with the summer theme I started Monday with the Pink Lemonade Cupcakes, today I'm going to share Watermelon Cupcakes!  Remember I said the other day that very few things say "summer" like lemonade?  Well, watermelon most definitely falls into that "very few things" category...wouldn't you say?

When I first made these cupcakes a couple of weeks ago, I wasn't sure they had quite the watermelon flavor that I was looking for.  I kind of toyed around with the idea of adding watermelon extract (which is expensive and hard to find, by the way), or maybe even adding some watermelon Kool-Aid mix.  Just to give it an extra punch of flavor.

However, when the Buttercream Dreams taste testers (aka: husband and children) gave their opinions, 3 out of 4 thought that they tasted just right.  Now, to be completely forthright, the fourth tester deemed them to be "a little bit of disgusting."  But, I will add that she also thought my chocolate cupcakes were "too chocolatey" (is that even possible?) and she dips her broccoli into ketsup.  I really didn't have any problem disregarding her opinion on the watermelon cupcake.  :)  So, the cake recipe remains as I found it here: From Apples 2 Zucchini.

The watermelon flavor is very mild and the cupcakes are moist.  Topped off with a sweet buttercream frosting with just a hint of watermelon flavor makes them perfect!  I also tossed a handful of mini-chocolate chips into the batter to look like seeds and sprinkled a few on top of the cupcakes.  I thought they turned out terribly cute.  If you love watermelon and all of it's summeriness (is that a word?), I really hope you will try these!  And if you decide to add some watermelon extract, you can find it here: where to order watermelon extract if you can't find it in a store.  :)

Watermelon Cupcakes
{makes about 12}

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 tsp baking powder
2/3 cup watermelon juice*

Directions:
1.  Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a cupcake pan with paper liners.  Sift the the dry ingredients together in a bowl.  Set aside.
2.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.  Add the egg and beat until incorporated.
3.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix to combine, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
4.  Add the watermelon juice and mix until well incorporated.  At this point you could also add a drop or two of pink or red food coloring.
5.  Bake for 15-20 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool in pans for 5 minutes, then cool completely on a rack before frosting.

* I obtained my watermelon juice by cutting up a fresh watermelon and pureeing in my mixer.  Then I put the puree into a strainer to get the juice.

{source of cupcake recipe: From Apples 2 Zucchini

Watermelon Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:
3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
6 Tbsp watermelon juice

Directions:
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter until smooth and creamy.  Add the powdered sugar, about 1/2 cup at a time, and continue to beat until smooth.  Add the watermelon juice, one tablespoon at a time, and beat until reaching your desired consistancy.  If you need to , add a little bit of milk or heavy whipping cream.   Frost the cupcakes your favorite way!