Lemon Greek Yogurt Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Moist & Fluffy Lemon Cupcakes made with Healthy Greek Yogurt, topped with a Tangy Cream Cheese Frosting. These Little Treats are so Cheerful and Bright, they’re a Perfect Spring Dessert! Easy One Bowl Recipe.
Last week was glorious.
Did you get a little taste of Spring? We did. And we soaked up every second of it.
It wasn’t a full on, bust out your strappy sandals Spring, but it was a, hey, lets shove the last of the slush off the sidewalk and go for a bike ride with just a fleece on kinda Spring. I’ll take it!
Even though it was still pretty chilly, the sun was shining and the birds were singing. It felt so good and made me think of Easter and all the lemony things.
I’ve been craving lemony things. Light, tangy, lemony things. With a fluffy swirl of something on top.
Cupcakes!
It was also my little guy’s birthday last week. I took this photo yesterday:
… and then I must have blinked my eyes or something, and somehow this happened:
Wha???
So I wanted him to have some cupcakes to take to his preschool friends, and chocolate is not allowed at the preschool. Vanilla is perfectly nice but like I told you, lemony things. So these little babies were born.
Aren’t they so cute? I garnished a few of them with candy daisies and leaves. (They are called “Icing Decorations,” and they’re made by Wilton. Sorry I can’t find a link anywhere! I found them at Michaels. Same goes for the papers.)
And Spring has sprung!
Mini cupcakes are so perfect for preschoolers. I mean, a full-sized cupcake is no sweat for a grownup or a bigger kid to handle, but the littlest ones do sometimes have a hard time managing them. The mini size is just right for tiny hands and mouths. I figure on two mini cupcakes per child.
But this recipe works equally well with standard size cupcakes. They bake up so puffy and fluffy, because of the acidity in the yogurt + baking soda. If you have trouble finding Greek yogurt, you can substitute regular (plain) yogurt, sour cream, or buttermilk. Any of these will really yield a moist and flavorful cake.
Lemon Greek Yogurt Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
- 1 cup (125 g) all purpose flour
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (62.5 g) cake flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest, (zest of 1 lemon)
- 1/2 cup (113.5 g) unsalted butter, (1 stick), softened, and cut into pieces
- 2 eggs, (large)
- 3/4 cup (150 g) plain Greek yogurt, (I used nonfat)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, (juice of 1 lemon)
For the Frosting
- 4 ounces (113.4 g) cream cheese , (half a block), softened
- 1/3 cup (40 g) powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup (78.86 ml) heavy whipping cream, , cold
Instructions
For the Cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a mini cupcake pan with papers.
- In a large bowl, combine the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest.
- Add the softened butter and mix on low speed until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl after each addition.
- Add the yogurt, vanilla, and lemon juice, mix for 30 seconds, and scrape the bowl again. Mix for another minute.
- Fill the cupcake liners about ½ to ⅔ full. (Be careful not to overfill, the cupcakes will puff up a lot as they bake.)
- Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the mini cupcakes are springy to the touch, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with one or two moist crumbs. (Regular sized cupcakes will need about 18-20 minutes bake time.)
- Cool completely before frosting.
For the Frosting:
- Mix the cream cheese and powdered sugar together on medium speed, using the paddle attachment.
- Stir in the vanilla extract, and switch to the whip attachment.
- Slowly drizzle in the cold cream, while whipping on high speed. (The frosting may look a little loose in the bowl, but it actually holds its shape well when piped.)
Notes
You are going to love how fluffy these cupcakes bake up. They are bursting with lemon sunshine, soft and moist, but not too delicate to hold up to generous swirl of tangy cream cheese frosting. Speaking of which, my search for the ultimate cream cheese frosting continues. For my Hummingbird Cake, I used a variation on this recipe. It’s great if you like a less heavy option. Then I have this one, from when I made Sweet Potato Whoopie Pies. Also a good one; it holds its shape well when piped. But neither of these are as stiff as I’d like. They seem loose in the mixing bowl, however, once they are piped they do hold up well. A reader clued me in to this recipe, and I’m anxious to try it next time! I’ll keep you posted 😉
For now, I hope you all are enjoying the beginning stages of Spring! It’s taking its time getting here but I’m so happy we’re headed in the right direction! xoxo 😀
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Aaw, your lil guy is so adorable Allie and happy happy birthday to him!! They grow up so fast. You are the sweetest mom to make and decorate all these gorgeous and delicious cupcakes for him to take to his preschool – they all must have loved devouring these bursts of lemon sunshine 🙂 These are definitely making me hopeful for spring to arrive soon 🙂 Pinned.
Thank you Kelly! Hang in there, I’m sure Spring will hit soon enough and we’ll all be so relieved when it finally does! Maybe we’ll even be complaining about the heat at some point, lol! Have a great week my dear, and give your adorable little babies a big squeeze for me 😉
I know how you feel, Allie. Yesterday, it was absolutely beautiful in Vancouver. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, the sky was a startling blue, a shade that hasn’t been seen in a long time. The Husband and I went for a jog after work with Abby and it was glorious. A batch of these cupcakes waiting for me at home would’ve made the day even MORE glorious! These are adorable, girl! And your son is so cute. Happy birthday to him! I bet he and his classmates enjoyed every sunshine-y, lemon-y, delectable bite.
Aw, thanks, Nancy! I’m so glad to hear you and hubby and pup are enjoying the Spring weather! I know just what you mean, I was looking at the sky the other day and thinking how beautiful! You’re right, it had been a long time! Hope this week is even nicer for you than the last 😉
Spring has been with us too though with a few little breaks. Your gorgeous cupcakes are perfect for welcoming it!
Yes, it seems to be two steps forward, one step back, here as well. Last week was nice but then I woke up on Monday morning with a dusting of snow on the ground! Happily it had all melted by late afternoon. We are getting there, slowly but surely! Thanks so much for the sweet comment, Gintare! Happy Spring!
These are beautiful, Greek yogurt and lemon seem like a great combo for cupcakes…and once again how you photograph your food it amazing!! your food looks too pretty to eat!! ;o)
Aw, thank you so much, Teresa! That is such a sweet compliment and so nice to hear! It’s been a long road, learning about photography, and I still feel like I have tons to learn, but it’s so encouraging to hear such kind words! <3
These look amazing! Lemon cupcakes have always been my favourite- especially with greek yogurt! Definitely the perfect Spring cupcake! 🙂
Thanks, Jessica! I love the greek yogurt in this recipe- It keeps the batter nice and thick and the acidity helps the cupcake to rise up with a nice dome. Thanks for the great comment!
They are cute! And so is your little guy! Amazing how they grow up so quickly. What a ‘sweet’mama you are. 🙂
Aw, thanks Melanie! Well a sweet boy like that makes it easy to be 😉
These are such lovely little cupcakes and I imagine the flavor will be wonderful – definitely going on my “to-try” list!
Oh, yay! I really hope you enjoy, Donalyn! I love this cupcake recipe- so easy to make and the flavor and texture are so nice <3
I love lemon! These look like a taste of spring! Beautiful photos as always!
About your cream cheese icing issue – I like to refrigerate mine before I use it. Not too long in the cooler or it will become hard. Maybe 45 or so just to stiffen it up. Works great for me! 🙂
Xoxo
Thanks Mo! That’s what I always end up doing too and I feel it works well enough for my purposes. But a lot of my readers have really high expectations, lol! They want something that pipes stiff right out of the gate and holds up in the heat. I will not rest until I find it! 😛
These cupcakes are really really fantastic! I love how they remind me of spring!
Thanks, Jocelyn, that’s just what I was going for 😉
These are the cutest! I am going to make them for my nephew’s class on the first day of Spring ..and eat the rest myself! 😉
You’ll have plenty I think! The recipe makes a ton, since they’re so little. I hope you enjoy! Thanks Meriem! xoxo
what a sweet little boy, precious smile….
Thanks so much! He’s my whole world. 😉
They grow up so fast! I remember taking treats to preschool and now my kids are 12 and 10…ugh! Greek yogurt is one of my favorite ingredients in the world, and when you add citrus to the mix, it makes me very happy. 🙂 These look amazing, Allie! Pinning.
It happens way too fast, Marcie! I often have to remind myself to slow down and appreciate these sweet moments because they are so fleeting… Ps I love greek yogurt too, and it works so well in cake batters! I like how it keeps the batter nice and thick, no drippy mess everywhere! Thanks for the sweet comment and for pinning too <3
I’m feeling spring too Allie and have baked two lemon treats already the past week!! These cupcakes look so amazing. I love the zest in the cupcakes peeking out and how moist the cupcakes look. The frosting looks delicious. That link you said you will try next is a swiss meringue cream cheese…I have tried it before and it failed on my own creations but I am now curious to try this person’s! Your little man is so cute. He sure is growing up fast. I hope you guys had a great birthday celebration.
Thank you Zainab! It was nice and he had lots of fun 😉 I had another reader tell me that swiss meringue cream cheese was impossible and not to waste my time or ingredients, and I took it to heart. But then this recipe came across my radar. Faith is a great baker, so I’m anxious to try her method. I’ll let you know how it works out! Thanks for all the sweet compliments and hope you’re having a fantastic week!
I’m with you Allie, I love lemony things this time of year. I always keep a big bowl of lemons in house, you never know when your lemon craving is gonna strike! Those cupcakes are so cute, I love mini treats.
Thanks Laura! That’s a great idea too, to keep a bowl of lemons around. They look pretty and taste great in all sorts of dishes, too!
Love this recipe with use of yogurt in the cupcakes and the cream cheese frosting! This looks so delicious and fresh. Thanks for sharing!
Thank YOU, Jodee, for all the love! I so appreciate all your sweet comments and shares! 😀 😀 😀
Beautiful cupcakes, Allie! And your photos are stunning, such pretty spring colors. I love lemon desserts and can’t ever pass up a cupcake. Happy Birthday to your little one!
Aw, thank you Ashley! So sweet. And I can’t pass up a cupcake either, they’re so much fun! Hope you’re having a fun week <3
Saw your post on Time to Sparkle. Your photos are just gorgeous! And the time does fly, doesn’t it? We have a 9 year old boy and 7 year old girl…. they’re so TALL now! Going to pin and try these cupcakes. Also, where did you find your green plates and juicer… they have a milk glass look, I think? I love them!
Thanks, Jill! And what a good eye you have! They are like milk glass. I’ve been collecting for years… They’re called Fire King, sometimes they also go by the name “Jadeite.” From the ’40’s and ’50’s. I pick pieces up at junk stores and antique shops. Thanks for noticing! And thank you for popping over, I’m so glad you did! Hope to see you here again soon. Hugs to you and your kiddos too 😉
We had one nice day of spring weather before it took a turn for the cold again. I could really use one of these cupcakes to cheer me up! Lemon is such a great springy flavor and a great alternative to standard vanilla. Besides, who can say no to a mini cupcake?
You’re so right, Rebecca! Especially when they’re so little, it’s like the calories don’t even count 😉 Thanks so much for the sweet comment, and I hope you get some warm sunshine soon! <3
Lemon cupcakes are my absolute FAV. I’ve had them with a buttercream before, but never a CC frosting—Must try that! I literally want several of these cupcakes this morning with my coffee. Gorgeous as always, Allie! pinned.
I know, who doesn’t love a cupcake? Right? You can’t help but smile when you see one. The lemon and cream cheese really compliment each other, and this recipe is so quick and simple. I’m so happy you liked it! And thanks for pinning, Sarah! <3
Allie, you can read my mind!! Lemons are on my mind too. These sound lovely with the twist of adding yogurt! Love it!! Pinning this one for sure, thanks for sharing! 😉
My pleasure Kelly! I don’t know what it is about this time of year but everyone seems to have lemon on the brain! I love it. Thanks so much for pinning 😉