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Lemon cupcakes are filled with lemon curd and topped with a lemon-blueberry buttercream frosting for the spring and summer cupcake of your dreams.
I don’t have anything against a good chocolate cupcake. After all, making my doctored cake mix cupcakes is one of my favorite tricks.
But I’ll pick lemon over chocolate almost any day, so having a go-to lemon cupcake recipe is pretty important to me.
These lemon cupcakes are packed with tons of bright, citrusy flavor and are so pretty. Consider them your new spring and summer go-to cupcake recipe!
THE PERFECT LEMON CUPCAKES
If you love lemon as much as I do, then these lemon cupcakes are the cupcakes for you.
I took my homemade funfetti cupcake recipe and added lots of lemon zest. Then I filled them with lemon curd and topped them with a lemon-blueberry frosting.
That’s right, I found a way to pack lemon into these cupcakes in three different ways!
These may very well go into my lemon hall of fame alongside my lemon cream cheese pound cake and homemade lemon bars.
HOW TO MAKE THESE LEMON CUPCAKES
There are a few steps to making these lemon cupcakes, but I promise that they’re worth it!
Cupcake ingredients
For the cupcakes, you will need:
- 2 ¼ cups cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
- 1 ¼ cups buttermilk, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon pure lemon extract
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- lemon zest from two lemons
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4 large egg whites, room temperature
You do need to use cake flour for this recipe instead of all-purpose flour. If you don’t keep any on hand, you can use my cake flour substitute instead.
I also have a buttermilk substitute you can use if you don’t have any buttermilk in your fridge!
Make sure you also check out my tips for how to bring butter and eggs to room temperature, since having those at room temperature is important before you get started baking.
For the filling, I like to use my microwave lemon curd. You can use any lemon curd that you like best, though.
Frosting ingredients
For the frosting, you will need:
- 4 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 2 pounds confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- pinch of fine grain sea salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- zest of one lemon (finely grated)
- ½ cup fresh blueberries, pureed with 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1-3 tablespoons very cold milk
If you run out of powdered sugar, don’t stress. I have a post on how to make powdered sugar, and you can definitely use that substitute in this frosting.
Making this recipe
This recipe makes 24 cupcakes, so make sure you line 2 standard cupcake pans with paper liners before getting started.
Sift together the dry ingredients: the flour, baking powder, and salt.
In another bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk, vanilla, and lemon extract.
Add the sugar and lemon zest to the bowl of a stand mixer. Use your fingertips to rub these together until the sugar is moistened and fragrant.
Beat the butter and sugar together for about 3 minutes, or until very light and fluffy. Alternate adding the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients, beginning and ending with the dry. Make sure to mix until well combined after each addition.
Use a hand mixer to beat the egg whites in a separate bowl until stiff peaks form. These will get folded into the batter for lots of lift.
Gently stir about ¼ of the egg whites into the batter, then fold in the rest one half at a time. To fold, cut the spatula down the middle to the bottom of the bowl, then sweep it around, up and over. Turn the bowl 90 degrees and repeat until no streaks of egg whites remain.
Divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake for 18-22 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool completely.
When ready to decorate, fill the cupcakes with the lemon curd, following my instructions for how to fill cupcakes.
Beat together the frosting and then spread or pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes.
STORAGE TIPS
These lemon cupcakes can be stored at room temperature for up to 1-2 days if your kitchen is cool. Otherwise, store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Unfrosted, unfilled cupcakes can be frozen for up to 2 months. Wrap them in plastic wrap and store them in a zip-top freezer bag before freezing.
If you’d like to make the lemon-blueberry frosting ahead of time, you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to a month. Let the frosting come to room temperature and whip it with your mixer for 1-2 minutes before frosting the cupcakes.
OTHER FROSTING OPTIONS
While I love these lemon cupcakes when they are filled with lemon curd and topped with the lemon-blueberry frosting, you don’t have to go that direction!
Try them with a classic vanilla buttercream frosting or even with cream cheese frosting instead.
Or try them with strawberry frosting for a cupcake version of strawberry lemonade!
Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon-Blueberry Frosting
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups cake flour I used Swan’s Down brand
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
- 1 ¼ cups buttermilk room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon pure lemon extract
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- lemon zest from two lemons finely grated
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- 4 large egg whites room temperature
For the filling:
For the lemon-blueberry frosting:
- 2 cups unsalted butter softened
- 2 pounds confectioners’ sugar sifted
- pinch of fine grain sea salt
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- zest of one lemon finely grated
- ½ cup fresh blueberries pureed with 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1-3 tablespoons very cold milk
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the center. Line two standard cupcake pans with paper liners.
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
- In a measuring cup, combine the buttermilk, vanilla, and lemon extract.
- Rub sugar and lemon zest together until the sugar is moistened and fragrant. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar at medium speed for 3 minutes, or until the butter and sugar are very light and fluffy. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture, beating on low speed. Beat in half of the milk mixture, then beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients until well incorporated. Add the rest of the milk, beating until the batter is fully incorporated and smooth, then add the last of the dry ingredients, beating until the ingredients are thoroughly combined.
- Add the egg whites to a medium bowl and beat with a hand mixer on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.
- Gently stir ¼ of the whipped egg whites into the cupcake batter with a rubber spatula until no streaks of egg whites remain. This will help lighten up the batter. Gently fold in the remaining whipped egg whites, one half at a time, by cutting the spatula down the middle to the bottom of the bowl, then sweeping it around, up and over. Turn the bowl 90 degrees and repeat until no streaks of egg whites remain.
- Using a large scoop (about 3 tablespoons), distribute the batter between 24 muffin wells, filling each well 2/3 full.
- Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until the cupcakes are springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the centers come out clean. Cool on wire rack.
- Once cupcakes have cooled, hollow out a small circle in the center of each cupcake. Add a spoonful of lemon curd into each hollow. Frost with lemon blueberry buttercream or as desired.
For the Lemon-Blueberry Frosting
- In a large mixing bowl, cream butter until fluffy. Slowly add in confectioner’s sugar, and continue creaming until well blended.
- Add salt, vanilla, lemon zest and blueberry puree and mix until well combined. If buttercream is too thick, slowly drizzle in milk until you reach the desired consistency. Beat at high speed until frosting is smooth and fluffy.
Video
Notes
- Learn how to make a cake flour substitute.
- Learn how to measure flour correctly.
- Get tips for how to bring butter and eggs to room temperature.
- Find out how to make powdered sugar.
- Learn how to fill cupcakes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I just made these! They are amazing! I’ve never mixed the sugar with the rinds like that. It was perfect!
Your frosting looks perfect! What size tip did you use?
Thanks for all your wonderful recipes!
Dana-
I actually used a piping bag without a tip, but you could use a large round tip as well. Thanks for stopping by!
Jamie
Hi Jamie,
I’ve been looking for a light and moist lemon cupcake recipe for the last week and came across this one through Google or Pinterest. I’m excited to try this recipe out I have a friend asking for a lemon cake with blackberry frosting, so I’m going to try this one out also.
However I have two questions. One, do I have to use cake flour and two is real lemon juice okay instead of lemon flavor? I have a few large Meyer lemons I was going to use in the cake. I just don’t want to change the texture or mess up the flavor of the cake.
Thanks a bunch for sharing,
Dani
Dani-
Unfortunately, I am unable to answer this question for you. I have never attempted the recipe using another type of flour. Cake flower typically yields a more delicately textured cake, so I think another flour would alter the texture quite a bit.
-Jamie
Thanks for the info. I got the cake flour and made the cake with real lemon juice! The lemons weren’t very strong so I had to make a lemon syrup to brush over the top of the cupcakes. Frosted half them with lemon cream cheese and the other half with blackberry cream cheese. Either way they were super moist and yummy. Everyone one who tasted them loved them and asked for more. I’m so making these weekend for my friends birthday.
Thanks again for sharing and for the tip!
Dani
I’m so making these this weekend for my friends birthday.**
The cupcakes ended up having a very hard time baking despite waiting for the butter mixture to cool. My batch ended up having a crusty top and a semi baked middle.
I was wondering if this would work as a cake rather than a cupcake? I’ve made this recipe as a cupcake and it was delicious but was thinking I would like it make it as a cake instead. Thoughts?
Desiree-
Sure – the recipe originated from Dorie Greenspan’s Perfect Party Cake. I hope this helps.
-Jamie
These are my go-to lemon cupcakes, and are always such a hit when I make them. I usually add a raspberry filling to the middle, and the cake itself holds up well to the addition of a filling. I recently used this as a base for a key lime cupcake, and they turned out phenomenal! In place of the lemon extract, I used additional zest from the limes, and while the concentrated lime flavor isn’t as strong as it is when making the lemon cake and using the lemon extract, it is still noticeable but not overpowering. Thank you so much, I always have a blast recreating your recipes!
Alison-
I am so happy to hear how much you enjoy the cupcakes! And your lime version sounds AMAZING!!!!!
-Jamie
Between Thanksgiving, Christmas and my husband’s birthday (tomorrow), I have used quite a few of your recipies with amazing results. I will be making these for my hubby who isn’t into super sweet desserts and hates chocolate! (really, who hates chocolate?). If it turns out as amazing as it looks, I may have found his permanant birthday (cup) cake recipie!
Christen-
Thank you so much! I agree with you…who hates chocolate?! Please stop back and let us know what he thought and your experience with the recipe. Have a great day!
-Jamie
To be honest, I’m not much of a sweet tooth person because the rich flavouring can be a little too much for me. I prefer my savouries, but this sounds amazing with the cream cheese frosting. Over the summer holidays I’ve decided to get into the kitchen more and your blog provides some great recipes that I’ll be experimenting with.
Iris-
Thanks so much for stopping by – I’m glad I could offer you a little inspiration! Have a great day.
-Jamie
ive gained two pounds from this website its so addicting and every recipe turns out perfect !!!!!!!!
Thank you! I’m so happy that you enjoy the recipes. Have an awesome day and thank you for following MBA!
Jamie
If I don’t have the lemon extract, can I just use 1/2 tsp of fresh lemon juice?
Hi Kelle,
I wouldn’t suggest that. Lemon extract is a concentrated lemon flavor. You wouldn’t taste lemon juice at all in the final product. You’d have better luck replacing the lemon extract with the zest of an entire lemon.
– Jamie