I seriously think these lemon cupcakes are a dream. They taste so bright and cheery if that makes any sense. I keep the batter simple but they bake up fluffy, moist and seriously tender with a lot of lemon flavor. We ain’t being subtle about it. Pick any of your fave frostings to pair with it. I prefer cream cheese frosting for a little tang or a Swiss meringue buttercream that isn’t overwhelming sweet but go with your heart boos.
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How to Make Lemon Cupcakes
- Start by preheating your oven to 325°F then place paper liners in 2 12-cup muffin pans.
- In your mixer bowl, add oil and butter and beat for 2 minutes on high speed. Slowly add in sugar and beat on high speed for an additional 4-5 minutes until very pale yellow and fluffy. Next, add eggs, one at a time, combining well after each addition and scraping down the sides as needed.
- Turn your mixer down to its lowest speed, and slowly add flour into batter in two increments then add baking powder, salt and baking soda. Don’t over beat.
- Add sour cream, milk, lemon zest, lemon and vanilla extracts, scrape down sides and mix until just combined and turn off mixer.
- Evenly pour batter into prepared muffin pan liners filing three-quarters of the way full. Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake for 17 to 19 minutes or until completely set in the center. Let cool completely to room temperature before adding any frosting.
Lemon Cupcakes Recipe
These Lemon Cupcakes are tender cupcakes that are fluffy, zingy, sweet, moist and coated in the sugary frosting of your choice!
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Servings: 28 cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 2/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour sifted
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/3 cup whole milk
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon zest
- 1 1/2 tsp lemon extract
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Start by preheating your oven to 325°F then place paper liners in 2 12-cup muffin pans. You will need 4 more so you can wait until a batch of cupcakes bake before lining with the remaining ones.
- In your mixer bowl, add oil and butter and beat for 2 minutes on high speed. Slowly add in sugar and beat on high speed for an additional 4-5 minutes until very pale yellow and fluffy. Next, add eggs, one at a time, combining well after each addition and scraping down the sides as needed.
- Turn your mixer down to its lowest speed, and slowly add flour into batter in two increments then add baking powder, salt and baking soda. Be careful not to over beat.
- Lastly, add sour cream, milk, lemon zest, lemon and vanilla extracts, scrape down sides and mix until just combined and turn off mixer.
- Evenly pour batter into prepared muffin pan liners filing three-quarters of the way full. Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake for 17 to 19 minutes or until completely set in the center. Let cool completely to room temperature before adding any frosting.
Notes
Lemon Cupcakes will keep overnight, if left covered. Use an overturned bowl or a cupcake keeper. You can refrigerate them for up to 3 days but they should come to room temperature again before serving.
If unfrosted, you can wrap and freeze these cupcakes for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
Calories: 519kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Cholesterol: 87mg | Sodium: 229mg | Potassium: 113mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 44g | Vitamin A: 744IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 1mg
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Recipe Tips
- Use High-Quality Cupcake Liners: Cheap liners stick to the side of my cupcakes and make for messy eating. Parchment paper liners or any high-quality liners labeled “grease-proof” will change the game.
- Fill the Cupcake Pans Just Right:- Over-filling or under-filling can either cause undercooked cake, sinking, or overflowing. Fill the liners about ⅔ of the way (about 3 tablespoons).
- One Batch at a Time: This is a bit controversial but I suggest baking one batch at a time in the center of the oven. If you know that your oven has particular hot spots, make sure to rotate the pan halfway through baking.
- Hook up your frosting: Add a little lemon zest or lemon juice to the frosting you select if you want to add a bit more citrus flavor.
- For more lemon flavor: Add a little lemon curd to the centers of the cupcakes. It adds such an unexpected surprise and flavor punch. Just fill a piping bag with the curd and add a round tip and gently press down into the top of the cupcake and release the curd inside.
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I was always a chocolate cake person before I tried this recipe. It is so good! I use full fat Greek yogurt as a substitute for the sour cream and it is delicious. Definitely recommend!
Fantastic Megan!!
Hi I was wondering about the frosting. Is there a recipe for it or did I missed it in the directions
I personally use the American or swiss meringue buttercream. Both work great for these.
I’ve made variations of this a few times. The lemon flavor is perfect in the spring! But the recipe is delicious year round. I’ve added fresh lemon juice in addition to the extract. I was short white sugar this most recent time I made it so I used brown sugar and it didn’t turn out to be as moist and soft. Can’t believe this recipe doesn’t have a ton of reviews. Oh! I also use the batter for waffles! Delicious!
I LOVE the idea of using it for waffles!!
I have a question regarding the flour. Should I sift it first then measure out the desired amount or measure it out then sift it?
I’m trying.to be a better baker..
Absolutely! Measure then sift.
I’ve been making these for about a year and ANYONE I make them for is obsessed. I use whole Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. I’ll also add a tsp of lemon juice to the batter, testing different approaches each time. It’s easy, delicious, and one of my favorite Grandbaby recipes!
You have no idea how many times I have failed at baking cupcakes. I always get nervous when trying a new recipe. I am so happy the way this recipe turned out, it was absolutely PERFECT! The cupcakes are so fluffy and delicious. There is no sourcream where I am from so I used 230 gr of unflavored yogurt gr and the remaining of whole milk. Is there anyway I can add some fresh lemon juice? I want even more lemon flavor
Yay so happy to hear that they turned out well for you! I actually recommend adding more lemon zest if you want a stronger lemon flavor without upping the extract.