Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
Super soft and moist and lemon cupcakes with the perfect zesty flavor, topped with irresistible lemon cream cheese frosting.
Servings 12 cupcakes
Equipment
Ingredients
Lemon Cupcakes
- 1 Cup (132g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 Cup (60ml) whole milk, room temperature
- 3 Tbsp (45ml) lemon juice from 1-2 medium lemons
- 2 tsp lemon zest from 1/2 medium lemon
- 3/4 Cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 3 Tbsp (42g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 Tbsp (30ml) vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Lemon Cream Cheese Buttercream
- 1/2 Cup (113g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 8 Oz (226g) full-fat brick-style cream cheese*, room temperature NOT the spread
- 4 Cups (480g) powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- Pinch of salt, or to taste
Garnish (optional)
- quartered lemon slices
Instructions
Make the Lemon Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºF) and line a standard cupcake pan with paper liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer and large bowl), mix together the sugar and lemon zest on low speed until fragrant and well combined, about 1 minute. Meanwhile, in a liquid measuring cup, combine the lemon juice with the milk and set aside.
- Add the butter to the lemon-sugar mixture and cream it together on medium speed until well combined, about 2 minutes. It will look like wet sand at this point. Add the vegetable oil and beat until combined, light and creamy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and paddle as needed.
- With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs one at a time and mix until combined. Add the vanilla, then turn the mixer to medium speed and beat for one minute.
- Turn the mixer off and add the flour mixture all at once. Mix on low speed until just combined, then slowly pour in the lemon milk mixture. Mix until just combined, about 30 seconds.
- Using a spoon or scoop, add the batter to the cupcake liners and fill no more than 2/3 full. Bake for 14-18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing and transferring the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely to room temperature.
Make the Lemon Cream Cheese Buttercream
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese together on medium-high speed until light and creamy (no lumps), about 5 minutes, scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed.
- Add the powdered sugar a few cups at a time and mix on low speed until combined, scraping down the bowl and paddle between additions. Add the lemon juice and salt and continue mixing on low speed until fully combined and smooth.
Assembly
- Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, frost them with the lemon cream cheese buttercream. To create the look pictured, add the buttercream into a piping bag fitted with Wilton Tip 1M and pipe a swirl onto each cupcake, then garnish with a quartered lemon slice.
Notes
*It’s very important to use full-fat brick-style cream cheese in the lemon cream cheese buttercream recipe (I use Philadelphia brand), not the spread or low-fat variations. The spreadable kind and reduced fat versions contain much more water content and will add too much liquid to the frosting, making it impossible to work with. If you don’t have access to brick-style cream cheese, I recommend topping these cupcakes with an alternative frosting like lemon buttercream, vanilla buttercream, or any of my other frosting recipes that don't contain cream cheese
Make Ahead Tips:
- The lemon cupcakes can be made ahead and stored, covered with plastic wrap, at room temperature for up to two days. Alternatively, you can store the cupcakes in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months before thawing and frosting.
- The lemon cream cheese buttercream can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature and re-mix it with your stand mixer on low speed until it’s smooth and uniform.
- The decorated cupcakes should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator since the frosting contains cream cheese. When you're ready to serve, bring them back to room temperature so they return to their soft and fluffy texture.