Watermelon Cupcakes are the recipe that Maria makes every summer birthday and every outdoor celebration where she wants to deliver the most completely vibrant and most genuinely summer-joyful individual cupcake that looks like a celebration of everything most beautiful about the season in a single beautifully frosted cup.
She creams the softened butter with granulated sugar until the most light and most genuinely fluffy mixture, adds the eggs one at a time and the vanilla, alternates the flour mixture with the most beautiful fresh watermelon puree and milk until the most perfectly smooth and most delicately pink-tinted batter forms, fills each liner two thirds full, bakes for eighteen to twenty minutes until perfectly done, and then whips the most gorgeous tangy lime buttercream from butter and powdered sugar and fresh lime juice and fragrant lime zest for the most completely extraordinary and most vibrantly zingy frosting that is the most perfect counterpoint to the most naturally sweet watermelon cupcake beneath it.
Watermelon Cupcakes are the most easy and deeply moist summer celebration cupcakes made with creamed butter granulated sugar eggs vanilla flour baking powder baking soda salt fresh watermelon puree and milk topped with tangy lime buttercream of butter powdered sugar lime juice and zest baked at 350°F for 18 to 20 minutes. Come follow us on Pinterest where we share beautiful cupcake recipes and easy summer celebration favorites from our kitchen every single week.
Table of Contents
Why You Will Love This Watermelon Cupcakes Recipe
This Watermelon Cupcakes recipe is the most completely joyful and most genuinely summer-vibrant celebration cupcake that produces the most beautifully light and most naturally sweet and most delicately watermelon-flavored individual cupcake from fresh watermelon puree folded through the batter, topped with the most beautifully tangy and most vibrantly lime-zested buttercream that provides the most perfectly balancing contrast to the most natural fruit sweetness of the watermelon cupcake below.
The pairing of watermelon and lime is one of the most completely extraordinary and most deeply satisfying summer flavor combinations imaginable. The most natural and most delicate sweetness of the watermelon cupcake and the most sharp and most beautifully bright tanginess of the lime frosting together create the most perfectly balanced and most genuinely extraordinary individual summer cupcake bite that transports every person who tastes it immediately and completely to the most sunny and most joyful summer afternoon imaginable. Our Dole Whip Cupcakes with Pineapple Filling make a beautifully equally tropical and equally summer-vibrant companion for a complete and wonderful summer cupcake collection.
Ingredients Needed for This Watermelon Cupcakes Recipe
For the Watermelon Cupcakes:
- 1½ cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1½ tsp Baking Powder
- ¼ tsp Baking Soda
- ¼ tsp Salt
- ½ cup Unsalted Butter, softened to room temperature
- ¾ cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 large Eggs
- 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
- ½ cup Fresh Watermelon Puree
- ¼ cup Whole Milk
For the Tangy Lime Frosting:
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter, softened to room temperature
- 3 cups Powdered Sugar, sifted
- 2 tbsp Fresh Lime Juice
- 1 tsp Fresh Lime Zest
- 1 to 2 tbsp Heavy Cream (if needed for consistency)
- Pinch of Salt
How to Make This Watermelon Cupcakes Recipe
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat together the room-temperature softened butter and granulated sugar until the most light and most genuinely fluffy mixture forms, approximately 3 to 4 minutes, cara mia. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the pure vanilla extract.
Blend the fresh watermelon into a smooth puree and measure out half a cup. Gradually add the watermelon puree and whole milk to the creamed butter mixture, mixing until smooth and uniformly combined.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing until just combined without overmixing. The batter will be the most beautifully delicate pale pink from the fresh watermelon.
Spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling each approximately two thirds full. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out completely clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
For the lime frosting, beat the room-temperature softened butter in a large bowl until completely smooth. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the fresh lime juice, lime zest, and a pinch of salt, continuing to beat until the frosting is completely smooth and most beautifully fluffy. Add heavy cream if needed to achieve the most perfectly smooth and spreadable consistency.
Frost the completely cooled cupcakes with the tangy lime buttercream.
How to Serve This Watermelon Cupcakes Recipe
Serve at room temperature on a beautiful cupcake display for the most completely joyful and most genuinely festive summer birthday or outdoor party presentation. Garnish each frosted cupcake with a tiny triangular slice of fresh watermelon pressed gently into the frosting and a small curl of fresh lime zest for the most completely charming and most beautifully summer-appropriate individual cupcake decoration.
These watermelon cupcakes make the most completely perfect summer birthday cake alternative, summer BBQ dessert, and pool party treat that will delight every guest of every age with the most vibrant colors and the most genuinely extraordinary watermelon-lime flavor combination. Our Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes make a beautifully equally vibrant and equally summer-fruity companion for a complete and wonderful summer cupcake collection.
How to Store This Watermelon Cupcakes Recipe
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Refrigerate for longer storage, allowing the cupcakes to come to room temperature before serving for the most soft and most beautifully tender eating experience. Freeze unfrosted cupcakes for up to 3 months, thawing completely before frosting with freshly made lime buttercream.
Tips to Make This Watermelon Cupcakes Recipe
Use fresh watermelon puree rather than bottled watermelon juice for the most genuine and most deeply watermelon-flavored cupcake. Fresh puree retains the most natural and most vibrant watermelon flavor, subtle pink color, and most beautiful natural sweetness. Blend fresh watermelon chunks until smooth and use the resulting puree directly without straining for the most flavorful result.
The lime frosting can be made up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated in an airtight container. Bring to room temperature and give a quick re-whip with the mixer before frosting the completely cooled cupcakes for the most beautifully fluffy and most easily piped consistency.
Helpful Notes for This Watermelon Cupcakes Recipe
For the most beautifully concentrated and most vibrantly lime-flavored frosting, add the lime zest and allow it to sit in the butter for a minute before adding the powdered sugar, which allows the essential oils from the zest to infuse most deeply into the butter for the most completely fragrant and most vibrant lime character throughout the entire frosting.
A few tablespoons of fresh watermelon puree can be stirred into the lime frosting alongside the lime juice for the most beautifully pink watermelon-lime frosting that is doubly vibrant and most completely extraordinary in both flavor and the most stunning pale pink color.
Variation of This Watermelon Cupcakes Recipe
Maria made a version swirling a tablespoon of seedless watermelon jam through the lime frosting after piping for the most completely vibrant and most beautifully fruity watermelon-lime swirl frosting. Teresa tried topping each frosted cupcake with a small cube of fresh watermelon and a single fresh blueberry for the most beautifully summer-themed and most patriotically colored decoration.
For a coconut watermelon version, substitute the whole milk with coconut milk and add half a teaspoon of coconut extract to the batter for the most completely extraordinary tropical watermelon coconut cupcake. Our Coconut Cupcakes with Lime Buttercream make a beautifully equally tropical and equally lime-bright companion for a complete and wonderful summer citrus cupcake collection.
FAQs About This Watermelon Cupcakes Recipe
Can I use watermelon juice instead of watermelon puree?
Yes. Freshly blended and strained watermelon juice works well in place of puree. For the most concentrated and most vibrant watermelon flavor, blend the watermelon and use the resulting puree without straining, or strain and then reduce the juice slightly by simmering gently for a few minutes to concentrate the flavor before cooling completely and using in the batter.
How do I keep the watermelon cupcakes moist?
The watermelon puree in the batter provides the most natural and most beautifully sustained moisture throughout the entire storage period. Avoid overbaking — remove the cupcakes at the first moment the toothpick comes out clean rather than waiting for any additional golden browning. Store in an airtight container immediately after the cupcakes have cooled to prevent any moisture loss during storage.
Can I make the lime frosting ahead of time?
Yes. The lime buttercream can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When ready to use, allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to soften, then re-whip with an electric mixer for 1 to 2 minutes until light and fluffy before piping onto the completely cooled cupcakes.
Conclusion
These Watermelon Cupcakes are the most completely joyful and most deeply summer-vibrant celebration cupcake that makes every summer birthday and every outdoor party feel genuinely and completely festive through the most naturally sweet fresh watermelon crumb and the most beautifully tangy vibrant lime buttercream frosting in every single light and completely irresistible watermelon lime cupcake bite. We hope they bring the same deeply joyful summer celebration and the same completely delighted gathering to your kitchen that they have always brought to ours. Make them, share them, and come back to tell us all about it. With all our love, Maria, Lucia, and Teresa
Print
Watermelon Cupcakes The Most Easy Moist Lime Frosting Fresh Watermelon Juice Summer Celebration Cupcake You Will Bake
- Total Time: 1 hour including cooling
- Yield: 12 cupcakes 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
The most easy and moist Watermelon Cupcakes made by whisking 1 1/2 cups flour baking powder baking soda and salt in medium bowl then beating room temperature butter and sugar 3 to 4 minutes adding eggs one at a time and vanilla gradually adding 1/2 cup fresh watermelon puree and 1/4 cup milk mixing in dry ingredients until just combined filling 12 liners 2/3 full baking at 350°F for 18 to 20 minutes until toothpick clean cooling completely and frosting with tangy lime buttercream of softened butter gradually added sifted powdered sugar fresh lime juice lime zest pinch of salt and cream as needed whipped until fluffy. A completely perfect summer watermelon cupcake recipe.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 cup Unsalted Butter softened to room temperature
3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
2 large Eggs
1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup Fresh Watermelon Puree
1/4 cup Whole Milk
1 cup Unsalted Butter softened for frosting
3 cups Powdered Sugar sifted
2 tbsp Fresh Lime Juice
1 tsp Fresh Lime Zest
1 to 2 tbsp Heavy Cream as needed
Pinch of Salt for frosting
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F 175°C. Line 12-cup muffin tin with liners.
2. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl. Set aside.
3. Beat room temperature butter and sugar 3 to 4 minutes until light and fluffy.
4. Add eggs one at a time beating well after each. Stir in vanilla.
5. Blend fresh watermelon until smooth. Measure 1/2 cup puree.
6. Gradually add watermelon puree and milk mixing until smooth.
7. Gradually add dry ingredients until just combined. Do not overmix.
8. Fill liners 2/3 full with batter.
9. Bake 18 to 20 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.
10. Cool in tin 5 minutes. Transfer to wire rack. Cool completely.
11. For frosting: beat softened butter until smooth. Add sifted powdered sugar 1 cup at a time. Add lime juice, zest, and salt. Beat until smooth and fluffy. Add cream as needed.
12. Frost completely cooled cupcakes with lime buttercream.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dessert, Cupcakes, Summer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 240
- Sugar: 20g
- Sodium: 100mg
- Fat: 11g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 55mg
Keywords: watermelon cupcakes, easy watermelon cupcakes with lime frosting recipe, moist summer watermelon cupcakes fresh watermelon puree, best watermelon lime cupcakes summer party
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