Lemon Cupcakes

Our moist lemon cupcakes are light, fluffy, and bursting with sweet citrus flavor, from the soft cake to the lemony frosting.

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Rest Time1

Total Time1 35

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Strawberry Lemon Cupcakes Recipe

Servings:

Calories: 343kcal

Ingredients

Lemon Cupcake Batter

1½ cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest
½ cup salted sweet cream butter, softened
¼ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup half and half, room temperature
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Lemon Buttercream Frosting

1 cup salted sweet cream butter, softened
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
4¼ cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons half and half
9 gummy lemon slice candies, cut in half

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a standard muffin tin with cupcake liners (I used 2 muffin tins, but only needed to line ½ of the second tin). Set aside.
Add the cake flour and baking powder to a small mixing bowl. Whisk together and set aside.
If you have a food processor or a blender, add the granulated sugar and lemon zest, and blend on low for 30 seconds to 1 minute. This will help release the oils in the lemon zest and really kick that fresh lemon flavor into high gear. Set it aside.
Using a stand mixer or a medium-sized mixing bowl and a handheld mixer on medium speed, beat together the butter and vegetable oil for 30 seconds.
Add the granulated sugar and lemon zest mixture. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and beat for an additional 1 to 1½ minutes until well incorporated.
Add in the half and half and lemon juice. Continue mixing for 1 minute.
Lower the mixer speed to low. Add in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each egg until no yellow streaks are visible.
Add the vanilla and mix until no vanilla streaks remain.
Add the flour mixture. Mix just until combined.
Add 2½ tablespoons to each muffin cup; this should fill the cups to ¾ full. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes until the tops are light golden or a toothpick inserted comes away clean. Allow the cupcakes to rest in the muffin pans for about 5 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the pans and transfer them to a cooling rack to finish cooling completely. While the cupcakes are cooling, prepare the frosting.
Use a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl and a handheld mixer on medium-high to beat the butter for 1 minute.
Add the lemon juice and lemon zest, and continue to beat for another 1 minute until well incorporated.
Add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition until all of the powdered sugar is added. Continue mixing for an additional 1½ to 2 minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy. If the frosting is too stiff, add the half and half, 1 tablespoon at a time.
Add the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a 1M decorator's tip or a quart-size ziplock bag with a corner snipped off.
Hold the tip of the bag about ½ inch above the outer edge of the cupcake. Use even and steady pressure as you squeeze the frosting in a circle from the outer edge around the surface of the cupcake to the center. Repeat for the remaining cupcakes. Garnish with the halved gummy lemon slice candies. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Notes

Be sure to wash and dry the fresh lemons before zesting and juicing to remove any contaminants.
Always zest the lemons before juicing. It makes it much easier. It is hard to zest an empty halved lemon.
When filling the cupcake liners with the lemon cake batter, I used 1 tablespoon and 1½ tablespoon cookie scoops to measure the batter correctly. It really takes the guesswork out of filling the liners.
Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to check your cupcakes at the lower end of the recommended baking time.

Nutrition