Raspberry Lemonade Cupcakes

School’s out for summer and that can only mean one thing: it’s officially lemonade stand season! As temperatures rise, America’s number one lemonade brand, Country Time Lemonade is inviting families nationwide to join in the fun and help launch the "Great American Lemonade Stand-tacular" while supporting a very worthy cause. I've partnered up with Country Time Lemonade to help them spread the word of their family friendly lemonade stand event and we had so much fun in the process! I mean, who could resist a tall, cold glass of refreshing lemonade on a hot summer day? If that isn't enough, we've even paired it  with some tempting Raspberry Lemonade Cupcakes to get a sweet bite of summer. Lemony cake is topped with a fresh raspberry buttercream and garnished with fresh berries. Sweet. Tart. Delicious...

When's the last time you stopped at a lemonade stand to buy a cup of lemonade from a hopeful child? Or better yet, did you ever put up a lemonade stand as a kid growing up? If it's been awhile, here's a chance to relive those childhood moments or create them as an adult with the children in your lives...

As quick background, the Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation {ALSF} emerged from the front yard lemonade stand of cancer patient Alexandra “Alex” Scott {1996-2004}. In 2000, 4-year-old Alex announced that she wanted to hold a lemonade stand to raise money to help find a cure for all children with cancer. Since Alex held that first stand, the Foundation bearing her name has evolved into a national fundraising movement, complete with thousands of supporters across the country carrying on her legacy of hope. To date, ALSF has raised more than $60 million toward fulfilling Alex’s dream of finding a cure, funding over 300 pediatric cancer research projects nationally.

Country Time is reaching out to families nationwide to help spread the word about the “Great American Lemonade Stand-tacular” charitable program by helping families host their own stellar lemonade stand in support of this very worthy cause. For every lemonade stand photo uploaded to Country Time’s Great American Stand-tacular Facebook application, Country Time will donate $5 {up to $50,000} to Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation. 

So how do you get started and have your kids participate in the fun?

Visit the Country time's Great American Stand-tacular Facebook page! The Country Time Lemonade “Great American Lemonade Stand-tacular” online offers a free downloadable “Stand Plan," which is a creative and user-friendly guide that gives parents all the information they need to help their kids build the best stand, while teaching them a little bit about business basics.

Host your own lemonade stand with your kids and take pictures to upload on Facebook! Country Time will donate $5 (up to $50,000) to Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation to help fight childhood cancer for every family lemonade stand photo uploaded to the Great American Standtacular’s Facebook page this summer.

Through the Great American Lemonade Stand-Tacular, Country Time will be supporting other key fundraising events including Midwest Lemonade Days in Kansas City, MO, and Alex’s Original Lemonade Stand event in Philadelphia, PA, the charity’s marquee annual event.

We've been getting a lot of rain this week but that didn't stop me and Joel from hosting an indoor lemonade stand on our balcony where we invited our neighbors to come by. Here are pictures of Joel excited to welcome neighbors with a glass of lemonade! We're uploading our pics of the fun we had to the Great American Standtacular’s Facebook Page as a way to help the Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation to help fight childhood cancer. Will you join us? In the meantime, perhaps try this recipe for some cupcakes incorporating lemonade!

Raspberry Lemonade Cupcakes 

recipe adapted from Your Cup of Cake

Lemonade Cake:

1 box white or GF vanilla cake mix

1/4 cup canola oil

3 eggs

3/4 cup buttermilk 

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

zest of 2 lemons

1 teaspoon raspberry extract

Raspberry Buttercream:

1 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup fresh raspberries, mashed

1 tsp. lemon juice

4 - 5 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line pans with cupcake liners.

Sift {gluten free} cake mix into a small bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl combine eggs, buttermilk, yogurt, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla extract until smooth. Stir in cake mix until smooth.

Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake for 10-14 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool on a cooling rack.

For the buttercream frosting: Place butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat with paddle attachment for 2 minutes. Add the raspberries and lemon juice and slowly add powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency.

Transfer frosting into a piping bag and pipe onto cooled cupcakes and top with fresh berries.