Lemon Cupcakes with Vanilla Frosting
Total Time
3 hours (includes cooling)
Prep Time
25 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Rating
4.7 out of 5 stars
(69)
Ingredients
12 cupcakes
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 and 1/2 cups (188g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (120ml) whole milk
- 1 and 1/2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 1/3 cup (80ml) fresh lemon juice
- Topping: vanilla buttercream and additional lemon slices
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Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.
Step 2
Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed in a large bowl until creamed, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add eggs and vanilla extract, then beat on medium-high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Set aside.
Step 3
Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, start the mixer on low speed, then slowly add the milk, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Once combined, stop the mixer. Do not overmix this batter.
Step 4
Spoon batter evenly into 12 cupcake liners, filling them about 2/3 full. Bake for about 18-22 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the middle will come out clean when they’re done. For around 30 mini cupcakes, bake for about 11-13 minutes, same oven temperature. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before frosting. I usually let them cool completely in the muffin pan.
Step 5
Frost cooled cupcakes with vanilla buttercream. If topping with lemon zest, do so right before serving. There may be leftover frosting depending on how much you use on each cupcake.
Step 6
Leftover cupcakes keep well covered tightly in the refrigerator for 3 days.
Step 7
Save recipe for the next time?
Chef's notes
Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions:
Cupcakes can be made ahead 1 day in advance, covered, and stored at room temperature. Frosting can also be made 1 day in advance, covered, and stored in the refrigerator until ready to use. Vanilla buttercream can thicken and stiffen in the refrigerator overnight, so use an electric mixer on low speed to beat in an extra splash of milk. Decorate cupcakes before serving. Frosted or unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Special Tools (affiliate links):
12-cup Muffin Pan | Cupcake Liners | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Citrus Juicer | Citrus Zester | Piping Bag (Disposable or Reusable) | Wilton 1M Piping Tip
Milk:
I highly recommend whole milk for a rich and moist tasting cupcake, but any milk (dairy or nondairy) works in a pinch.
Lemons:
You need about 2-3 medium lemons to yield this amount of zest and juice.
Garnish:
Instead of a lemon slice, decorate the cupcakes with sprinkles, white chocolate chips, or even crushed hard lemon candies.
Try my lemon blueberry cake next. It is the same exact recipe, only doubled to make a layer cake.
Be sure to check out my 10 tips for baking the BEST cupcakes before you begin!
