Get the Recipe: Luscious Lemon Cupcakes
Enjoy a pretty burst of lemon with these lovely lemon cupcakes. Delicious, moist lemon cupcakes, topped with lemon cream cheese frosting!
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and levelled
- 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt, reduce to pinch if using salted butter
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons white granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons whole milk, at room temperature
- Zest of one lemon
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
For the lemon cream cheese frosting:
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 6 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
- 4 cups icing/confectioners sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Zest of one lemon
For garnish:
- Fresh lemon wedges, lemon slice, cut into quarters
- Fresh mint leaves
Instructions
- For the Cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350ºF. (non-convection/not fan-assisted). Prepare 12 cupcake cups with paper baking liners. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together well the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a bowl with an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar for 3 to 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add the egg, mixing slowly to combine.
- Add the vanilla to the milk in a liquid measuring cup.
- Add one third of the dry flour mixture, followed by one third of the milk and mix thoroughly. Repeat, stopping to to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the last third of dry ingredients followed by the last third of milk. Mix slowly just until incorporated. Add the lemon juice and zest and mix until thoroughly combined at low speed.
- Scoop the batter into the cupcake pan using a standard-size ice-cream scoop until the cups are two-thirds full. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes (start checking at 14 minutes) or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
- For the Frosting: Combine the ingredients in a mixer and whip together at high speed until light and airy, approximately 3 to 5 minutes. With a piping bag and a large plain round tip, frost the cupcakes with a swirl and top with a lemon wedge and a mint leaf!
Notes
Tips!
- To garnish my cupcakes, I topped them with a wedge of fresh lemon and a small mint leaf. I love this garnish as it's so simple, yet so pretty. Simply press the lemon wedge into your frosting and tuck a mint leaf next to it. Once decorated, these cupcakes are nice and sturdy, so they hold up really well if you need to travel with them.
- Be sure to note the recipe instructions to start with room temperature ingredients. It will make for a nicer finished product!
- When it comes to making the frosting swirl, I like to start a little in from the edge, leaving a bit of the outer edge of the cupcake exposed. Not only does it look nice, it prevents the swirl from getting larger than the cupcake and top heavy :)
- For a simpler presentation, simply garnish with lemon zest.
Serving: 1 serving, Calories: 402 kcal, Carbohydrates: 68 g, Protein: 3 g, Fat: 13 g, Saturated Fat: 7 g, Cholesterol: 50 mg, Sodium: 83 mg, Potassium: 112 mg, Sugar: 57 g, Vitamin A: 465 IU, Vitamin C: 2 mg, Calcium: 57 mg, Iron: 0.8 mg
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