Lemon Cupcakes
If you love lemon, then these lemon cupcakes are for you! The cake is moist, light, lemon-y, and filled with a bright, citrus-y lemon curd. Top them off with a tangy cream cheese frosting. They'll be the hit of the party!
Servings: 24 cupcakes
Calories: 280kcal
Ingredients
For the lemon cupcakes:
- 1 1/2 cups cake flour
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 large eggs
- 2/3 cup Greek yogurt (plain yogurt, sour cream, or buttermilk* may be substituted)
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest (from 2 lemons)
- 1/4 cup lemon juice (from 2 lemons)
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- 1/2 batch homemade lemon curd (or use store-bought)
For the lemon cream cheese frosting:
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 8 ounces cream cheese (the kind in a brick)
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
Optional garnishes:
- small wedges of fresh lemon
- sprig of baby's breath
Instructions
To make the lemon cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and line cupcake pans with cupcake papers.
- Place the cake flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer, and stir on medium-low speed to combine.
- Add the softened butter, and mix on medium speed until the mixture resembles damp sand (about 2 to 3 minutes).
- Stir in the eggs, one at a time.
- Scrape the bottom and sides of the mixing bowl with a silicone spatula, then add the Greek yogurt, milk, lemon zest, lemon juice, and lemon extract.
- Beat on medium speed for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, to aerate the batter and build the cake's structure.
- Evenly distribute the batter between the prepared cupcake pans, and bake for 16 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the thickest part of a cupcake comes out clean.
- Cool the lemon cupcakes completely, then use the tip of a sharp knife to cut a well in the center of each one.
- Fill with lemon curd, and top with lemon cream cheese frosting.
To make the lemon cream cheese frosting:
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter on medium-high speed until smooth (about 2 minutes).
- Add the cream cheese, and beat together until incorporated (about 1 minute).
- Add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, starting the mixer on low speed and increasing to medium-high as the powdered sugar becomes incorporated.
- Stir in the lemon zest and lemon extract until combined.
- Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a jumbo round tip, and pipe the lemon cream cheese frosting onto the filled lemon cupcakes.
Notes
*If you don’t have buttermilk, you can substitute by stirring 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar into 2/3 cup of regular milk. Allow the mixture to stand for 5 minutes, or until thickened and slightly curdled.
Nutrition
Calories: 280kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 162mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 29g