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, filling 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
How to Store
- Room Temp: Keep your lemon cupcakes covered overnight using an overturned bowl or cupcake keeper. They will stay soft until the next day.
- Fridge: Pop them in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Let them come back to room temp before serving so they taste fresh again.
- Freezer: If they’re unfrosted, wrap each one tightly in plastic wrap, then foil, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then bring to room temp before frosting and serving.
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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These are the best Lemon Cupcake Recipe thank you Jocelyn I appreciate your recipes %
I ran out of lemons, but not limes and they were delicious AND beautiful!
I blame you because my trousers no longer fit, but I’ve enjoyed every second of it.
Now living in Wales, my hunger for catfish is unbelivable, hope to get back to Virginia for a Holiday this year and I’m eating CATFISH!
My family loved them!
Love your recipes my question is my son is allergic to eggs and I found a product Just Egg how would I use it in this recipe or do you have a egg replacement that you recommend.
So happy I found this ideas. Thank you very much for your sharing!
These lemon cupcakes were delightful with just the right amount of lemony sweetness!
These cupcakes look delectable! I want to grab one and eat right away!
Such delicious bites of heaven, and perfect for spring! Looking forward to serving these again for Easter brunch; they are delightful!
We love all things lemony in this house. 🙂 And these cupcakes look amazing. Can’t wait to try them. Thank you!
Love using lemon in baking! It’s so refreshing and this recipe made the perfect, super moist and fluffy cupcake.