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–+ servings
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5 from 3 votes

Lemon Cupcakes

Sweet and tart Lemon Cupcakes are bright and sunny with a fresh lemon buttercream on top. These easy-to-make cupcakes are from scratch and you can even fill them with lemon curd for more lemon deliciousness!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Additional Time20 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Cake
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 Cupcakes
Author: Amy Nash

Ingredients

Cupcakes

  • 1/2 cup salted butter room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (188g)
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon zest

Frosting

  • 1 cup salted butter room temperature
  • 4 cups powdered sugar (480g)
  • 2 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
  • 1-2 Tablespoons lemon juice

Optional

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.
  • In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat again, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
    1/2 cup salted butter, 1 cup granulated sugar, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Add flour, baking powder, and salt and mix until combined.
    1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Add milk, lemon juice, and lemon zest, mixing again until combined.
    1/2 cup milk, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
  • Scoop the batter into prepared cupcake liners, filling them about 2/3 full. I find a medium cookie scoop works best. Bake the cupcakes for 15-18 minutes until the tops bounce back when you touch them or a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcakes comes out clean. Cool completely.
  • Make the frosting by beating the butter in a large bowl until creamy and light, about 2-3 minutes.
    1 cup salted butter
  • Add half of the powdered sugar, mixing on a low speed until combined. Add remaining powdered sugar and mix again.
    4 cups powdered sugar
  • Add heavy cream, lemon juice, and lemon zest, mixing until light and creamy. Adjust powdered sugar or lemon juice to make the frosting thicker or thinner, as needed.
    2 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream, 1 Tablespoon lemon zest, 1-2 Tablespoons lemon juice
  • If using lemon curd as a filling, cut a small cone out of the top of each cupcake like hulling a strawberry. Fill with 1-2 tablespoons of lemon curd, then replace the plug.
    1/2 batch [homemade lemon curd]
  • Pipe lemon frosting on top of each cupcake using a decorative tip, then serve.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupcake | Calories: 540kcal | Carbohydrates: 76g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 93mg | Sodium: 416mg | Potassium: 59mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 62g | Vitamin A: 803IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 1mg

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