Light and fluffy lemon cupcakes with lemon cream cheese frosting. These classic cupcakes are perfect for spring and summer!
I don’t make cupcakes often, but when I do, I go all out! This recipe is one I’ll be making time & time again- it’s a classic. You can dress it up or down, the options are endless! Check out Carrot Patch Cupcakes, Pina Colada Cupcakes, or Cherry Almond Cupcakes for some additional delicious treats!
Moist + Fluffy Lemon Cupcakes
If you haven’t noticed, I really like lemon! There’s something about its fresh, zesty flavor that goes well in both savory and sweet recipes. Today we’re talking all about cupcakes, more specifically, lemon cupcakes. It’s been several years since I’ve made lemon cupcakes so I thought it was time to fix that! These have a light, tender crumb, and a soft cream cheese frosting. They’re divine!
When my mom was in town a few weeks ago we decided to test a lemon recipe. Everything looked good going into the oven, however, when we pulled out the pan after 18 minutes the cupcakes were rubbery and sunken. Fail. I went back to the drawing board, adjusted a few things and we tried again. Thankfully they turned out, because after testing 3 recipes that day, I wasn’t sure if I had it in me to try again.
I’m sure you’re all wondering what made this batch better? Or is that just the geeky recipe developer in me? Let’s find out!
How to Make Lemon Cupcakes
Here’s why this recipe worked:
- Using all-purpose flour AND cake flour gave these that nice tender crumb.
- Adding lots of fresh lemon zest along with lemon juice and vanilla extract made these cupcakes taste amazing!
- Using an egg plus egg whites helped keep these cupcakes nice and fluffy.
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt added some much needed moisture. No one wants a dry, crumbly cupcake!
- The batter was gently mixed and the cupcakes were baked for the proper amount of time.
BATTER. Beat the butter, sugar, and zest together on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes) Add vanilla, egg and egg whites. Beat on medium speed until combined (about 1-2 minutes).
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a small bowl whisk together the lemon juice and sour cream.
With mixing speed on low, gradually alternate adding the dry ingredients and sour cream mixture to the wet ingredients **do not overmix.
FRUIT. Fold in fresh fruit, if desired. (TIP: Coat your blueberries in the flour that you are going to use for the cupcakes. Just roll them around in the flour and then they will float better in the cupcakes, rather than giving you soggy bottoms.)
BAKE. Using a large scoop (#20 or 3.5 tablespoons), divide batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 18-22 minutes (until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean). Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.
The Frosting + Recipe FAQ
This frosting isn’t just any cream cheese frosting, it’s a Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting! It’s sweet, buttery, lemony, and slightly tangy, but in a good way! It pairs perfectly with plain lemon cupcakes or with berry-filled cupcakes.
BEAT. Cream the butter, lemon zest, vanilla and salt for 2 minutes or until light and fluffy With mixing speed on low gradually add the powdered sugar and lemon juice. Beat until it forms a thick paste. Add the cream cheese and mix on the lowest speed possible for 1½ minutes, then STOP!
CHILL. Place in refrigerator to chill for at least 15 minutes, or until cupcakes have completely cooled.
PIPE. Allow to stand at room temperature for 5 minutes before placing in a bag to pipe on cupcakes. Using a large piping tip, pipe the frosting on top of the cooled cupcakes
Top with a slice of lemon and a sprig of mint, if desired. You can also save a few berries to press into the top of the cupcakes after they’re frosting… you know, because that makes them look so much cuter!
Lemon:
- Can you use lemon oil? Adding lemon oil to a baked good would make up for using fresh lemon zest. It is that potent of a flavor! If you would like you can just use lemon oil in place of fresh lemon juice.
- Fresh lemon juice or bottled? Fresh lemon juice is obviously preferred because it will give more of a potent tang, but if all you have is bottled lemon juice then that should work just fine. Bottled lemon juice may seem stale but it will give the right basic flavor.
What makes a cupcake moist and fluffy? We prefer using sour cream to get the needed moisture into our cupcakes to make them moist and fluffy. You can make the cupcakes using greek yogurt if sour cream is unavailable. You could also use buttermilk to get a tender crumb.
How do I make my cupcakes look professional? Make sure that you don’t overfill your liners, because they bake over the edge and make a whole mess. At this point, it won’t look very professional. You can also get a real piping bag to do the frosting work; at some point a ziploc bag doesn’t cut it.
Storing Tips
Storing/freezing? Store frosted cupcakes in the fridge since they have dairy in them. They will dry out quicker in the fridge because of the cold air. But typically cupcakes will last 3-5 days.
To freeze, wrap each individual cupcake in plastic wrap and then in foil. Place them in a freeze safe bag and keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let them thaw for about 2-4 hours at room temp before serving. Store unfrosted cupcakes at room temp in an airtight bag.
If you give these lemon cupcakes with lemon cream cheese frosting a try, let me know what you think!
For more lemon treats, check out:
- Mini lemon cheesecakes
- Classic lemon bars
- Heavenly lemon cream pie
- Lemon Meringue Pie
- Raspberry Lemonade
Lemon Cupcakes Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 c. 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 c. granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp. lemon zest
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 egg + 2 egg whites
- 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
- 3/4 c. cake flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. kosher sea salt
- 1/2 c. full-fat sour cream or Greek yogurt - plain, vanilla or lemon
- 2 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 c. fresh fruit - optional - small blueberries, diced strawberries, etc.
For the frosting:
- 1/2 c. 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 tbsp. lemon zest
- 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp. kosher sea salt
- 3 c. powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 8 oz. block original cream cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius). Line a muffin pan with paper liners, and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar, and zest together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add vanilla, egg, and egg whites. Beat on medium speed until combined, about 1-2 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and sour cream.
- With the mixing speed on low, gradually alternate adding the dry ingredients and the lemon juice and sour cream mixture to the wet ingredients; do not overmix. Fold in fresh fruit, if desired.
- Using a large scoop (#20 or 3.5 tablespoons), divide the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
- Place in the oven and bake for about 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. The edges should be slightly golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, to prepare the cream cheese frosting, use the paddle attachment to cream the butter, lemon zest, vanilla, and salt for 2 minutes, or until light and fluffy. With the mixing speed on low, gradually add the powdered sugar and lemon juice, beat until it forms a thick paste. Add the cream cheese and mix on the lowest speed possible for 1½ minutes, then STOP! Place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 15 minutes, or until the cupcakes have completely cooled. Allow to stand at room temperature for 5 minutes before placing in a bag to pipe on cupcakes.
- Using a large piping tip, pipe the frosting on top of the cooled cupcakes. Top with a slice of lemon and a sprig of mint, if desired.
I have made these cupcakes several times and they were a hit!! I plan to double this recipe and make a pound cake soon. This recipe is a WINNER!!
I made these for a birthday celebration at the request of a friend. I was informed later that these were a hit!! I think I am going to double this recipe and make a two-layer cake. I will be using this recipe a lot in the future! Thanks!
Hi Angela, thanks for the review. Yes, these are a hit!