These lemon cupcakes are soft, moist and filled with fresh lemon flavor. Made from scratch with easy to find ingredients and topped with a dreamy lemon cream cheese frosting.
If you love lemon, these cupcakes need to go on your must-make list! These lemon cupcakes are tender, sweet, and filled with lemon flavor.
Grab a couple of fresh lemons from the grocery store. You'll be using fresh lemon zest and juice for these cupcakes and the frosting.
These cupcakes turn out tender and soft, with a fine crumb. I like to use cake flour in my cupcakes, which makes them more tender than a cupcake made with all-purpose flour.
Ingredients and substitutions
Cake flour is needed for this recipe. I use and recommend Swans Down cake flour. I do not recommend substituting with all-purpose flour. It can give your cupcakes a coarser texture that readers often describe as a 'cornbread' texture. Cake flour gives your cupcakes a tighter, more tender crumb, like what you would find at a bakery.
You'll need 2 to 3 lemons for this recipe (including the frosting). I zested one lemon for the cake batter, another lemon for the frosting, and juiced one of the zested lemons for the cake and frosting combined. Depending on the size of your lemons, you may want to buy an extra just in case.
Unsalted butter and salt can be substituted with salted butter. If you only buy salted butter in your home, don't forget to omit the salt in this recipe. Otherwise, your cupcakes will turn out salty!
Whole milk, large eggs, butter, and granulated sugar all contribute to the moist texture of your cupcakes. Substituting any of these with alternatives (like sugar substitutes or skim milk) will change the texture of your cupcakes and they can turn out dry.
Cupcake tips and tricks
- Make sure you’re using baking powder and not baking soda. There is a difference, and baking soda will not work for this recipe.
- Properly measure your flour by using a kitchen scale and the metric measurements in the recipe card below (click 'Metric'). Or, measure by using a spoon to scoop flour into your measuring cup, then using a knife to level off the top. Scooping with the measuring cup will compact flour into the cup, adding up to 25% extra flour to the recipe.
- Only mix your batter until the ingredients are just incorporated. Overmixing your batter can whip extra air in, causing your cupcakes to rise quickly and then fall in the center when they bake.
- Do not unwrap your cupcakes while they’re still warm. Your cupcakes will stick to the liners until they are fully cooled throughout. Once cooled, your cupcakes will easily unwrap.
- Are your cupcakes sticky on top? This can be caused by humidity in your home or storing cupcakes while they’re still warm. This can’t really be fixed, but can easily be covered with frosting.
- Do not frost warm cupcakes! Buttercream is sensitive to heat and will melt between 90 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit.
Do I need to refrigerate cream cheese frosting?
If not serving your cupcakes immediately (or within two hours), yes, your cream cheese frosted cupcakes need to be refrigerated. Any food made with cream cheese can sit out for up to two hours before needing refrigeration.
If you have leftover cupcakes, or plan to make these a day ahead: Store your frosted cupcakes in a tightly sealed container and refrigerate. Before serving, bring your cupcakes to room temperature for 20-30 minutes on the counter top.
Is your home particularly hot (summer time, tropical climate) and reaching 90 degrees Fahrenheit? This time is reduced to one hour. I do not recommend displaying cream cheese frosted cupcakes directly in sunlight - the frosting will melt.
Make ahead
Can cupcakes be made ahead of time?
As with most baked goods, your lemon cupcakes are best served the same day as baking. However, cupcakes will keep for up to 2 to 3 days in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
I highly recommend serving cupcakes for an event a maximum of one day after baking for best flavor for your guests.
Cupcakes can also be frozen for up to three months. Place your cupcakes (frosted or unfrosted) in the freezer for 1 to 2 hours, or until firm. Gently wrap with plastic wrap and foil, then place in a freezer safe container or freezer bag. Frozen cupcakes will come to room temperature in about 30 minutes.
Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Lemon Cupcakes
- 1 ½ cups cake flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- ½ cup whole milk room temperature
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Lemon Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 4 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 4 cups confectioner's sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
Instructions
Lemon cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a cupcake pan with liners and set aside.
- In a bowl, sift or whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add butter and sugar. Beat until creamed and fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla extract and lemon zest. Beat until incorporated and smooth.
- In a separate bowl, combine milk and lemon juice.
- Add half of your dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Stir until just combined. Add half of the milk mixture, again stirring until just combined. Repeat once more, adding remaining dry ingredients and remaining milk, stirring each until just combined.
- Divide batter between 15 cupcake liners, filling about halfway full. Bake in preheated oven for 17-19 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove pan from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before transferring cupcakes to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Lemon cream cheese frosting
- In a large bowl, add room temperature butter and cream cheese and beat until creamy, about 1 minute.
- Add confectioner's sugar, half at a time, and slowly mix until ingredients are fully combined. Then, whip at high speed for 2-3 minutes, or until light and fluffy.
- Add vanilla extract, lemon juice, and lemon zest, then whip until fluffy, another 1 to 2 minutes.
- Pipe or spread frosting with a knife onto cupcakes and serve.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Cupcakes will have their best flavor and texture when served the same day as baking.
- Cream cheese frosting will need refrigeration after sitting out for about 2 hours. Store any leftover cupcakes in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator. Before serving, bring to room temperature for 20-30 minutes.
- Cupcakes will keep in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, and can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Tightly wrap in plastic and foil, then store in a freezer safe container. Bring to room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
Do you have to use self rising flour or can you use all purpose flour?
I would not recommend self rising flour, this recipe can be made with cake flour or all-purpose flour, but highly recommend using cake flour (for the finer texture and tighter crumb) if you have it on hand.
Hi. Have you tried doubling the recipe before. If so, are there any measurement changes? These are so yummy but I need to make them in larger quantities.
You should be able to double the recipe as written with no issues!
Thank you for the info. These cupcakes are a hit!
My 8 year old daughter made these, with a little help 😉. We made exactly as recipe stated and they were amazing!!! Like gone in 1 day good! She wants to try and make a cake, do you have a recipe for a cake? We aren’t that good at figuring measurements
Hi Kelly, I'm so glad to hear you enjoy the recipe! I do not have a cake recipe, but I've had readers convert my other cupcake recipes successfully. As written, this recipe will make two 8" round cake layers that are about 1 inch high (baking time will be slightly longer than cupcakes). Or, this recipe can be doubled and poured into a 9x13 pan (baking time may be closer to 30-35 minutes). No matter what size pan, the oven temperature will be 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Hope this helps!