Lemon Cupcakes
These perfectly soft and fluffy Lemon Cupcakes with cream cheese frosting are tangy, refreshing, and the quintessential spring and summertime treats. Full of citrus flavor, there's even a touch of lemon zest in the frosting too. Ideal for birthdays, backyard parties, or for a special dessert at home.
Servings: 12 cupcakes
Equipment
Ingredients
Cupcake
- ¾ cup granulated sugar 136 g
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 3 oz unsalted butter room temperature, 85 g
- ½ cup buttermilk room temperature, 128 g
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk room temperature
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour 162 g
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Frosting
- 12 oz cream cheese room temperature, 340 g
- 6 oz unsalted butter room temperature, 170 g
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 ¼ cup powdered sugar 125 g
Instructions
Make the lemon cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Line a regular size muffin pan with cupcake liners and set aside.
- Add sugar and lemon zest into a medium mixing bowl or your stand mixer bowl and whisk together to release the lemon essential oil from the zest. Add softened butter and beat until fluffy.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla extract. Add the liquid mixture to the butter mixture and beat until combined.
- In another bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and baking powder into a medium mixing bowl. Add salt to the flour mixture, and mix thoroughly with a whisk. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until combined. Stop the mixer and use a spatula to scrape the side and bottom of the bowl to ensure the batter is well mixed.
- Divide batter evenly among twelve cupcake cavities using a large ice cream scoop and bake for 15 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean with just a few crumbs attached.
- Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for 10 - 15 minutes. Remove cupcakes from the pan, and allow to cool completely on a wire rack before adding frosting.
Prepare the cream cheese frosting
- In a large mixing bowl or a stand mixer bowl, cream butter and cream cheese together until thoroughly mixed and creamy.
- Add vanilla extract and lemon zest, and beat to combine.
- Add powdered sugar and stir until incorporated, gradually increase the mixer speed and beat until fluffy.
- Frost the cooled cupcakes using a pastry bag fitted with a piping tip of your choice, or simply add frosting with an offset spatula or butter knife
Notes
- If you don’t have buttermilk, use enough milk + 1 teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice to make ½ cup. Or half sour cream or yogurt + half milk.
- To both the cake batter and frosting, you can add lemon extract or food grade lemon essential oil for additional flavoring or in place of lemon zest if you don’t have any lemons. However, note that fresh lemon zest is preferred.
- The amount of frosting this recipe makes is very generous for 12 cupcakes, if you like to pile the frosting high. If you like less frosting on your lemon cupcakes, cut the ingredients by ⅔.
Nutrition
Serving: 103g | Calories: 404kcal
