Lemon Cupcakes

These Lemon Cupcakes are the perfect summertime dessert. Super moist and full of fresh lemon flavor topped with a lemony buttercream frosting.

These Lemon Cupcakes are super easy to make and make a wonderful summertime dessert. They are moist and fluffy, and the lemon buttercream frosting adds to the tasty zing the lemons bring to these cupcakes.

This easy to make Lemon Cupcake recipe will made super soft, fluffy and moist cupcakes bursting with lemon flavor.

How to make Lemon Cupcakes:

As with most cupcakes and baked goods, start by mixing together your dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately. Mix them together to form the batter. Fill your cupcake liners in the cupcake pans and bake. While the cupcakes are baking make your frosting.

Ingredient Notes:

Cupcakes:

• All Purpose Flour
• Baking Powder
• Salt
• Eggs
• Sugar
• Butter: unsalted butter that has been melted.
• Vanilla Extract
• Milk: I used skim milk for this recipe.
• Lemon: use fresh squeezed lemons for the juice and the zest of 2 Lemons

Lemon Frosting:

• Confectioners Sugar
• Butter: unsalted and softened.
• Vanilla Extract
• Heavy Whipping Cream
• Zest of 1 Lemon

Directions:

Step One – Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare a muffin tin by lining with cupcake liners.

Step Two – Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together, then set aside.

Step Three – Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar for 1-2 minutes until eggs are light yellow.

While still mixing very slowly pour in the melted butter and vanilla.

Step Four – Slowly mix in the milk and dry ingredients. Adding in a little at a time back and forth, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.

Continue until all ingredients are well combined. Then mix in the lemon juice and zest.

Step Five – Spoon cupcake batter into the prepared muffin tin; about 3⁄4 the way full. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until cupcakes are cooked through and a toothpick can come out clean. Cool completely on a rack before frosting.

How to make Buttercream Frosting:

Did you know there are actually three kinds of Buttercream Frosting? I will be making the American Buttercream style for this recipe. There is also a Swiss Meringue Buttercream and an Italian Meringue Buttercream.

Buttercream Frosting is a frosting made with Butter, Sugar and some dairy. I use Heavy Whipping Cream as it is more flavorful and richer than just milk and helps the frosting a lot more.

Frosting Directions:

Step One – With an electric mixer cream together the confectioners’ sugar and softened butter. Once combined add the vanilla and heavy whipping cream then mix again until smooth.

Step Two – Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes and then sprinkle with lemon zest.

Adding as much or as little zest as desired.

Tips for making a great cupcake:

1. Use room temperature ingredients: Room temperature ingredients will not cause any drastic temperature changes to your batter when mixing. Yes, you need to melt the butter, but allow it to cool to room temperature before you mix it in with the ingredients.
2. Make sure to use accurate measurements: If you do not measure accurately and use a heaping “cup” of flour you will have too much and your cupcakes will be dense and/or dry. One thing about this recipe is it is very simple to make but does need to be precise. Making a fluffy, moist cupcake is tough for a lot of people (including me), and using accurate measurements definitely helps!
3. Allow to cool before icing: This may sound like a no-brainer, but icing these cupcakes that are still even a little warm will melt your frosting and make the frosting look runny. part of the appeal and deliciousness of cupcakes is how the frosting looks. Having beautiful frosting will make your mouth water before even tasting them!

Decorating cupcakes like a pro!

Frosting a cupcake or cake is so fun! I am a firm believer though that taste in some food, like a cupcake, starts at seeing it!

Yes, looking at a beautifully frosted and decorated cupcake really makes you want it more than you originally thought. Here are some tips for frosting your cupcake!

Use a piping bag with a decorative tip: I love using Wilton Cupcake Tips.

Piping bags can be difficult to use, but they really do create an amazing end result once you get the hang of it.

If using a decorative tip, you want to start perpendicular to the cupcake about a 1/2 inch above the cupcake.

Use two hands on the piping bag and leave the cupcake on a flat surface. Start on the outside edge of the cupcake and try your best to frost in one motion.

Squeeze your frosting while slowly rotating the bag in a circular motion, moving towards the center of the cupcake.

As you reach the center pull up, stop squeezing, and make a little “twist” with your wrist to cut the frosting off.

Practice does make perfect in this, and it has taken me a lot of trials to get very pretty looking frosting.

Use a frosting knife and rotating cake stand: If you do not have piping bags and frosting tips it is ok! Wilton also makes a really helpful frosting knife and you could also get this rotating cake stand.

Try some of my other favorite Cupcake Recipes:

Vanilla Cupcakes – The most perfect Vanilla Cupcakes. It’s so simple to make with a light cupcake made with your everyday pantry staples and a buttercream frosting that can’t be beat. 

Chocolate Cupcakes – These Chocolate Cupcakes are super moist and rich made with ingredients you already have in your pantry! These super simple cupcakes are topped with an amazing homemade Chocolate Buttercream Frosting.

Funfetti Cupcakes – These Homemade Funfetti Cupcakes are a super light, fluffy, and beautifully flavored with vanilla colored with decadent sprinkles. Topped with an amazing buttercream frosting these cupcakes are better than any box mix you can find!

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