Fun in the Sun - Mountain Dew Cupcakes {w/ recipes}

Happy Independence Day my friends. Hope you have amazing plans for a day of sun, swim, and of course great food. In case you are looking for a last minute sweet treat, here is something that is sure to please kids and adults alike, so long as everyone likes Mountain Dew. That's right, Mountain Dew Cupcakes.

I made them a few weeks ago and they were a hit. I'm not much of a soda (or as so many of you call it, "pop") fan, but I LOVE lemon and the combination with lime in this recipe works really well.

I found the recipe from All Things Cupcake and followed it almost exactly, except for the frosting.

When browsing for recipes I came across a blog post from Nothing But Country that had a very cool frosting technique in which you paint the inside of the piping bag with food coloring so that the frosting picks up the color when it is being piped. I decided to try it, but unfortunately didn't have much luck. Still, I really like the style so will have to try again. I think my troubles may have come because of the type of food coloring I use. I'll have to investigate.

Since my original idea didn't pan out, I decided to use green coloring but not mix it all the way. It's a subtle marbling effect that doesn't show up in the photos, but looks nice in person. It's simple, when mixing the frosting don't combine it all the way. I use Wilton Icing Colors. They are very concentrated so a little goes a long way. Plus, they are in gel form, so it does not affect the consistency of your frosting.

Mountain Dew Cupcakes {makes 24 cupcakes}
from All Things Cupcake

cupcakes
1 c butter (2 sticks)
2 c sugar
4 eggs
3/4 c Mountain Dew
1/4 c of lemon and lime juice (about 1 lemon and 1 lime)
zest from 1 lemon and 2 limes (divided)
1 1/2 t lemon extract
2-3/4 c flour
1-1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt

Preheat oven to 350

1. Using a stand or hand-held mixer, beat butter at medium speed for 30 seconds.
2. Add sugar and half of lemon/lime zest, until light and fluffy.
3. Continue mixing and add eggs.
4. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add to the butter mixture.
5. Add the Mountain Dew, lemon/lime juice, and lemon extract, continue mixing on low speed until combined.
5. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 of the way full and bake 18-20 minutes or until done.

frosting
1 c butter (2 sticks)
4 c powdered sugar
2 T Mountain Dew
lemon and lime zest (remaining from cupcake recipe, or zest from half of 1 lemon and 1 whole lime)
1 t lemon extract

1.Beat butter until creamy, slowly adding powdered sugar. 
2. Add the Mountain Dew, zest, and lemon extract .
4. Beat until combined, adding powdered sugar until desired consistency.

Add food coloring, but do not combine evenly. Using a spatula, add the frosting to a piping bag or parchment paper with a large star piping tip. Frost cupcakes as you see fit. I prefer less frosting, but by all means frost as much as your heart desires.

enjoy!