• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners and set it aside.

Cupcakes:

• In a large bowl, whist together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, with a hand mixer whisk the melted butter, sugar, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and lemon zest, until well combined.
• Add the eggs and whisk together until well combined.
• Add the sour cream and whisk together until well combined.
• Add the buttermilk and whisk just until well combined.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk together just until combined, do not over mix.
• Fold in the chopped strawberries with a spatula.
• Fill the cupcake liners a little more than half full and bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached.
• Remove cupcakes from the oven and place them on a cooling rack to cool.

Strawberry Buttercream:

• Add the fresh strawberries to a food processor and puree until smooth, you need 1 cup of strawberry puree.
• Add the puree to a small saucepan and cook it over medium heat until it comes to a slow boil, stirring consistently, until it has thickened and reduced to about 8 tablespoons. This process will take about 10-15 minutes.
• When the puree has thickened and reduced, transfer it to a measuring cup and allow it to fully cool before using it.
• Add the butter to a large bowl and beat it until smooth.
• Add half of the powdered sugar and mix until well combined, stop to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
• Add half of the strawberry reduction, and the vanilla extract, lemon zest, and salt whisk until well combined.
• Add the remaining powdered sugar, beat until combined, and add the strawberry reduction as needed to get the right consistency.
• Add frosting to a piping bag fitted with a star tip and pipe onto the cupcakes. Garnish with a fresh strawberry.
• Chill for 1-2 hours before serving.
• Serve at room temperature.