Lemon Cupcakes
Moist and tender lemon cupcakes that are bursting with lemon flavor and topped with vanilla buttercream and delicious lemon curd.
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Servings: 12 cupcakes
Ingredients
For Lemon Cupcakes
- 1 1/2 cups (195g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest, about 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup (1 stick/113 g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (8ml) pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (90 ml) whole milk
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
For Lemon Curd
- 3 large eggs
- 2/3 cup (135g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
- 1/2 cup (120ml/1-2 lemons) freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick/57g) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
For Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- 1/2 cup (1 stick/113 g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (110g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Make Lemon Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In a large mixing bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter, sugar and lemon zest mixture on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Beat in eggs, one at a time until combined. Add in vanilla extract and beat until combined.
- Add half of the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and beat on slow speed just until combined. Add in milk and lemon juice and continue to beat until combined. Add the other half of the dry ingredients and beat slowly until just combined. Do not overmix the batter.
- Scoop out the batter into prepared cupcake liners using the ice cream scoop, filling about 3/4 full. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make Lemon Curd
- In a medium heatproof bowl, add eggs, sugar, lemon zest, and juice and whisk until combined. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and cook on medium heat. While the mixture is cooking, whisking constantly until thickened. The curd is ready when it can thickly coat the back of a spoon or a whisker. The curd will firm up once it has cooled.
- Remove from heat and immediately strain the mixture through a sieve. Add butter and whisk until the butter completely melted and incorporated or the mixture is creamy and smooth.
- Cover with a plastic wrap directly on top to prevent a skin from forming and chill in the fridge. Set aside.
Make Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or handheld mixer) fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and beat well until smooth. Add heavy cream and vanilla extract and beat until combined and smooth. Add the remaining sugar and beat until completely smooth and fluffy. The buttercream at this time is light and thick enough to pipe. Add in more sugar as needed. Transfer the buttercream to a large piping bag fitted with a tip and set aside.
- Once the cupcakes have cooled, without lifting the tip, pipe 2-3 circles of frosting on top of lemon cupcakes near the edge, leaving a small hole in the center. Fill in the hole with lemon curd.
- Cupcakes without frosting can be kept tightly covered at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Bring back to room temperature before serving.
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