EASY Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Frosting
Want a dessert to brighten your day? Try these quick and easy lemon cupcakes. They are fluffy, moist and topped with a delicious lemon buttercream. This dessert is perfect for spring!
I won’t lie, these are the best homemade lemon cupcakes. The texture and flavor is perfectly balanced. The tender, zesty cupcakes are made from scratch, then paired with a silky smooth citrusy buttercream. Your tastebuds will love the extra lemony flavor!
Why this recipe works
Both the frosting and the cupcake batter calls for fresh lemon juice for the ultimate citrus flavor! The addition of zest increases the flavor as well. The cupcakes turn out extra moist and fluffy while the lemon buttercream is super creamy and light.
Ingredient notes
- Flour: All purpose flour is my go-to for citrus desserts as it provides structure with the acidic ingredients. I do not recommend self-rising flour or cake flour for this recipe.
- Butter: Use unsalted butter that is room temperature. Salt is added separately to activate the baking soda.
- Lemon juice and zest: It’s super important that these ingredients are fresh for the best citrus flavor! Do not use bottled juice (it doesn’t have enough flavor).
- Baking soda and baking powder: These leavening agents help lift the batter and create light and fluffy cupcakes.
- Milk: Whole milk or low-fat milk works well in this recipe. Make sure it is room temperature.
- Confectioners’ sugar: Also known as powdered sugar, this is used to make the frosting.
Recipe variations
Triple lemon cupcakes: Fill the cupcakes with lemon curd. Use a cupcake corer or the wide end of a round frosting tip to make a hole in the center. Fill to the brim with the curd and add the frosting on top. Garnish with a lemon slice or zest right before serving.
Different size pans: You can use this recipe to make a layered cake with three 6-inch round cake pans. Baking time will be 20 to 25 minutes. You can also make mini cupcakes! Fill each cup about 2/3 full and bake for 10 to 12 minutes (yields 30). For a small batch, cut the recipe in half and bake 6 standard-sized cupcakes or 18 miniatures.
Mix-ins: Lemon pairs well with berries. You can garnish the cupcakes with fresh berries or add 1 cup blueberries or raspberries into the batter. I suggest tossing the fruit in 1 Tablespoon flour so they don’t sink.
Different frostings: These cupcakes also go well with vanilla buttercream and strawberry frosting! Another delicious option is cream cheese lemon frosting. Replace 1/2 cup butter with 1/2 cup block cream cheese.
How to make lemon cupcakes
- Whisk together the dry ingredients, flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or a regular mixing bowl, rub sugar and lemon zest together.
- Add butter and beat until creamy, about 2 minutes. Mix in eggs, one at a time, then lemon juice.
- Alternate adding the flour mixture and the milk, mixing just until combined. Scrape down the bowl.
- Divide batter among prepared muffin tin. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with little to no crumbs. Cool cupcakes completely.
- Prepare the frosting. Beat butter until light and fluffy. Add confectioners sugar and mix until combined. Add lemon juice and mix again. If necessary, add milk for a thinner frosting consistency. Transfer frosting to a piping bag with desired tip. Frost cupcakes and serve.
Expert tips
As with any cake recipe, I encourage you weigh the ingredients with a kitchen scale. It is far more accurate! If you don’t have a scale, spoon your flour into a measuring cup and level with a knife (don’t pack it down).
Make sure all your ingredients are room temperature and when preparing the batter, alternate adding the dry and wet ingredients and mix just until combined.
For the ultimate lemon flavor, use fresh lemon juice and zest. It makes all the difference in the flavor. To increase the lemon flavor, rub the zest into the sugar using your fingers. It’s a trick I picked up in my years of baking and I use it for my citrus recipes!
Finally, allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting! If your frosting is thin, add 1/4 cup more confectioners’ sugar or refrigerate until it’s thicker. If it’s too thick, add 1 Tablespoon of milk until desired consistency is reached.
High altitude adjustments
This recipe was created and written for sea level. However, I tested it at both sea level and in Denver, CO (altitude 5,280 ft). If you are baking at a similar altitude, make these changes. Use a high protein flour such as King Arthur all purpose flour. Decrease the baking powder to 1 teaspoon and decrease the sugar to 2/3 cup. Add an extra 2 teaspoons milk. Oven temperature will remain the same. Check cupcakes at 18 minutes to see if they are done.
Make ahead and storage tips
To store, place frosted cupcakes in an airtight container. They will keep fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can also serve them at room temperature for a day if you are entertaining.
To freeze, place cupcakes in an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. For best results, wrap the cupcakes in plastic wrap to prevent freezer burn. Frosting can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost both in the refrigerator before bringing to room temperature and serving.
To make ahead, the unassembled cupcakes and frosting may be kept in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours. Any longer and they won’t taste as fresh if you’re serving at a party. You can also freeze the cupcakes! Unfortunately, the batter can not be made ahead of time because the cupcakes won’t rise properly.
Frequently Asked Questions
They were either under-baked or the oven temperature wasn’t accurate. Another reason could be that the baking powder or baking soda was expired.
This happens when lemon juice is included in a recipe. Don’t worry! The batter will smooth out when the flour and milk are added.
A simple lemon slice or fresh zest is my choice, but fresh blueberries or raspberries are always a good option! You can always add sprinkles or flowers such as pansies or violets.
Related Recipes
Here are some of my favorite citrus-y desserts!
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Get the Recipe: Lemon Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1 ½ cups (187 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 1 ½ Tablespoons lemon zest
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup (120 ml) milk, room temperature
Frosting
- 1 cup (226 g or 2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 ½ cups (300 g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1-2 Tablespoons milk, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or using a hand mixer), combine sugar and lemon zest. Rub the zest into the sugar to increase its flavor. Add butter and use an electric mixer to beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs and mix until combined. Add lemon juice and mix again (it's okay if the batter looks slightly curdled at the point).
- Add half the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined. Add the milk and mix until combined. Add remaining flour mixture and mix just until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary.
- Use an ice cream scoop to transfer batter to prepared pan, filling each cup about ¾ full. Bake cupcakes at 350 F for 20 to 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with little to no crumbs. Allow cupcakes to cool in pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the lemon buttercream frosting, beat butter on medium-high speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add confectioners’ sugar and mix until combined (it may look dry at first, but it will come together). Add lemon juice and mix until smooth. If a thinner consistency is required, add milk one tablespoon at a time.
- Transfer frosting to a piping bag with desired tip and frost cupcakes. Garnish with lemon zest and serve.
