Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting — Soft, fluffy, moist, very lemony cupcakes from scratch! Easy one-bowl, no-mixer recipe for cupcakes that taste like they’re from a bakery!
Classic Lemon Cupcakes
I had so many lemons in my crisper drawer and needed to find a way to use lots of them up at once. Lemon cupcakes with lemon frosting was the answer.
Lemon seems to be one of those ingredients that when people like it, they really like it. They’re super into it and have recipes for lemon pound cakes, lemon muffins, lemon pies, and lemon bars. Name a lemon thing, and they love it.
I’m indifferent with lemon, and while I do love these lemon bars, between a lemon bar or a Triple Peanut Butter Chocolate Bar, I will always pick the latter.
However, my almost 7-year old loves lemons. She eats them like oranges. She calls it “her strange food addiction.” I don’t judge because I can eat balsamic reduction by itself, by the spoonful. I can also sit down to a half jar of homemade peanut butter by itself, by the spoonful. I wish the latter wasn’t quite so easy for me.
Since I knew she’d love them, I made soft, springy, moist lemon cupcakes with a tangy, zippy lemon cream cheese frosting.
One of my peeves with lemon recipes is when they’re not lemony enough. These lemon cupcakes are pretty darn lemony, but if you’re really a fiend, you can always add more zest to the batter. Taste it as written and see what you think, and if you’re in need to really pucker up, add more zest, to taste.
To make them, I very loosely adapted my Red Velvet Cupcakes recipe. It became very popular on Pinterest before Christmas and I’ve had hundreds of positive comments saying they’re the best (and easiest) red velvet cupcakes, so I knew I had a winning base if I could just tweak it to omit the cocoa and incorporate lemon.
The cupcakes are made in one bowl, no mixer, no creaming ingredients, and it’s a cupcake batter that’s more like a muffin batter. Whisk together wet ingredients, fold in the dry, pour into liners, and bake.
One issue with lemon cupcakes, and cupcakes in general, is that they’re prone to dryness. Dry calories aren’t worth my time. These easy lemon cupcakes are incredibly moist from the trifecta of moistening and tenderizing ingredients: oil, buttermilk, and Greek yogurt. I stopped at nothing to make sure they weren’t dry.
For baked goods that I want to soft, springy, and bouncy, like cakes, cupcakes, and muffins, I generally prefer using oil to butter because oil does a better job keeping things soft and moist.
My daughter was in lemon heaven.
What’s in These Lemon Cupcakes?
To make these ultra lemony cupcakes and the lemon cupcake frosting, you’ll need:
- Egg
- Granulated sugar
- Buttermilk
- Canola oil
- Lemon juice and zest
- Greek yogurt
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Cream cheese
- Confectioners’ sugar
How to Make Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Frosting
To make the lemon cupcakes, whisk together everything but the flour and baking soda. Then, gently whisk in the remaining dry ingredients just until combined.
Fill your muffin cups 3/4 full, then bake the cupcakes until domed, set, pale golden, springy to the touch, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean.
After the lemon cupcakes have been allowed to cool completely, make the lemon cupcake frosting. To make the lemon cream cheese frosting, whip together the cream cheese, lemon juice, and zest until smooth. Slowly add in the confectioners’ sugar until the frosting reaches your desired consistency.
Pipe or spoon on the frosting, then garnish with additional lemon zest and enjoy!
Can I Use a Buttermilk Substitute?
Yes! Buttermilk does a fabulous job of tenderizing and softening the texture and crumb of breads and cakes, and when in doubt, I always opt for buttermilk over plain milk or cream. However, if you’re the type of person who doesn’t tend to keep buttermilk on hand, you can make your own by adding about 2 tablespoons vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup regular milk, letting it stand 10 minutes to curdle, and then use as indicated.
Or, you can buy a tub of Powdered Buttermilk and it’s shelf stable for years. It’s the perfect solution for that once-in-a-blue moon recipe that calls for buttermilk. Although, I’ve got tons of recipes to help you use it up.
Can I Freeze Lemon Cupcakes?
Yes, you can freeze the unfrosted, cooled cupcakes for up to 3 months. You can also prepare a batch of lemon cream cheese frosting and freeze it separately, or you can make a fresh batch of frosting when you’re ready to serve the frozen cupcakes.
Can I Make This Recipe Into a Cake?
I’ve only made this recipe as cupcakes, so I can’t say for certain if you can bake this as a cake. However, I’ve had some readers report success with doubling the ingredients and baking the batter as a layer cake!
Tips for Making Lemon Cupcakes
The batter makes enough for about 14 cupcakes, but because I have a small oven, I can only fit one 12-cup muffin pan in my oven at a time. The remedy is to either sample the batter (raw eggs don’t bother me), discard the batter (criminal), or bake a mini loaf in a mini loaf pan that fits on the same oven rack as the muffin pan.
I use my mini pans all the time for a 13th or 14th cupcake, extra muffin batter, or for mini cakes. Four mini pans for $10 bucks is such a steal.
I used light cream cheese in the frosting which always creates softer frosting, and in conjunction with the lemon juice, the frosting is on the thinner and runnier side. It’s perfect here and you can just spoon it on with the hassle or fuss of piping, but if you want to pipe it, don’t use light cream cheese.
It’s the perfect tangy, sweet-with-a-little-sour complement to the soft, fluffy, moist, lemony cupcakes.
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Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Lemon Cupcakes
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup buttermilk, or Powdered Buttermilk, use 2 1/2 tablespoons + 2/3 cup water
- ½ cup canola oil
- ¼ cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed if possible
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest, or more to taste if you’re really into lemon
- 2 rounded tablespoons Greek yogurt, or sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 2 cups minus 2 tablespoons
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- pinch salt, optional and to taste
Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
- ¼ cup cream cheese, softened*
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed if possible
- about 1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar, or as necessary for desired consistency
- 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon zest, optional for garnishing
Instructions
Make the Cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line a Non-Stick 12-Cup Regular Muffin Pan with paper liners; set aside. You will likely have batter for a 13th or 14th cupcake, and I baked it in a cooking-sprayed mini loaf pan because my oven is small and that pan setup fits; discard extra batter if that’s easier.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the first 8 ingredients, through vanilla, until smooth.
- Add the flour, baking soda, optional salt, and whisk until just combined; don’t overmix.
- Using a 2-inch cookie scoop, place about 2 heaping tablespoons of batter per cupcake into each of the 12 cavities so they’re solidly 3/4-full. I poured the excess batter into the mini loaf pan.
- Bake cupcakes for about 18 to 19 minutes (I baked the mini loaf for 23 minutes), or until domed, set, pale golden, springy to the touch, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter; don’t overbake.
- Allow cupcakes to cool in pan for about 15 minutes before removing.
- While cupcakes cool, make the frosting.
Make the Lemon Frosting:
- Combine first 3 ingredients in a large mixing bowl, add about 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, and whisk to combine or beat with an electric mixer until smooth.
- Continue adding sugar until desired frosting consistency is reached. Because I used light cream cheese, the frosting stayed on the runnier side. If you want frosting thick enough to pipe, do not use light cream cheese. If you like your frosting really piled on thick and high, make a double batch.
- With a spoon, add 2 to 3 tablespoons frosting to the top of each cupcake and smooth with the back of the spoon if necessary. My frosting just ran naturally (from the light cream cheese). Optionally transfer frosting to a piping bag and frost the cooled cupcakes. I like the Wilton 1M tip for cupcakes.
- Optionally, garnish each cupcake with a pinch of lemon zest.
Notes
- *I used Trader Joe’s soft spreadable light cream cheese; don’t use light cream cheese if you want thick frosting that you can pipe.
- You may have a small amount of frosting left over. It will keep airtight in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
- Storing cupcakes: Cupcakes will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days. I personally am comfortable storing cream cheese-frosted items at room temp, but if you prefer to store in the fridge, that’s fine, but note the fridge will dry cupcakes out much more quickly.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Lemon Desserts:
Softbatch Glazed Lemon Cream Cheese Cookies — These super soft, very lemony cookies are topped with a lemon glaze that adds to the pucker-up power.
Lemon Buttermilk Cake with Lemon Glaze — An easy buttermilk cake with big lemon flavor!! Soft, fluffy, and foolproof if you like puckering up!!
The Best Lemon Loaf (Better-Than-Starbucks Copycat) — It took years, but I finally recreated it!! Easy, no mixer, no cake mix, dangerously good, and SPOT ON!! You’re going to love this lemon pound cake recipe!
Lightened Up Blueberry Lemon Pound Cake — The blueberry-lemon combo is always a win, and so is pound cake that won’t break your caloric piggybank. This Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake is a keeper!
Soft and Chewy Lemon Cookies — The cookies pack a powerful lemon punch, they’re soft and dense rather than cakey, and they’re thick enough to sink your teeth into.
Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake with Lemon Glaze — Almost more berries than cake in this soft, fluffy lemon blueberry bundt cake! The lemon glaze is plate-licking delish!!
Lemon Lemonies — Like lemon brownies, but made with lemon and white chocolate! Dense, chewy, not cakey and packed with big, bold lemon flavor!
I guess we know your answer to “When life gives you lemons”….make cupcakes! Haha great job Avery :-)
Good one LOL :)
I am such a huge fan of lemons! These cupcakes are brightening my mood!
Your comments brighten my mood! xo
My weird food? Cream cheese and nutella on a graham cracker… I feel like this has opened a can of worms for new weird snacks to try lol
Those cupcakes in profile? Incredible! My aunt sent us lemons from her garden, they may need to go into a cupcake now…
Cream cheese and nutella on a graham cracker <---that's not weird at all! I love graham crackers + Nutella. Usually with marshmallows but the cream cheese as a tang to cut some of that sweetness of the Nutella, mmm, I want this snack now!they they may need to go into a cupcake now… <---LOL!!
Averie, all I want for breakfast now is one of these cupcakes! They look so moist and springy and packed with so much lemon flavor. That CC frosting just adds the perfect finishing touch!
I love that your daughter likes lemons so much — most kids I know her age won’t touch anything lemon-flavored!
She’s so into lemons, always has been from the time she was like 2 and she reached into my husband’s water glass and just started eating the lemon in it! We were shocked! But it continues today :)
Averie, these cupcakes look amazing. Such a vibrant cheery recipe to see in this 15 degree weather we’re having. (yeah, I don’t want to step outside). I think you’ve told me about Skylar’s love for lemon before. I LOL’d reading that she eats them like oranges! I made this lemon cupcake with CC frosting in my cookbook. You would love it!! And now I want to go make a batch for breakfast. Is that weird?!
I am so glad I made these now and not after your cookbook comes out :) And I bet when you were writing the book (as it happened to me nonstop) you’d see a recipe pop up on a blog that was eerily similar to one you had JUST written/made. I digress.
Skylar loves lemons and I think most people do too. So I made these for everyone else :) And citrus puts me in a cheery mood. Yellow/white though, shiny frosting, so hard to shoot to make it look good. At least for me.
I love lemon, but have only ever used it in savory dishes. It is one of those things that is not really associated with chocolate, so I never made it. I think it is time to branch out a little because these look so light, fluffy and like the perfect January treat!
See, I can see you being into citrus/dessert recipes. But I know you’re into pb/choc, which is really all that matters :)
These pictures? My eyes are happy
These cupcakes? My tummy is happy.
Lemon and cream cheese? Greatest combination ever. Especially when it involves the word “cupcake”
These look insane girl! yum!
love your comments, Taylor! :)
I’m puckering up right now. No lie. MY FACE IS PUCKERED. These look so darn cheerful and bright…
I can also eat lemon. I always cut one up for my fish and end up just eating it! I love lemon desserts and would be so happy to have one of these in front of me now.
My daughter and you could fight over who gets to eat the lemon :)
I always seem to have bald citrus in the fridge–I love the zest of limes and lemon more than the actual juice! I’ve had some good lemon bars and lemon pudding cake, but I don’t do much baking with lemon. It’s a nice, refreshing recipe this time of year and citrus is definitely in! I love the zest on the frosting. I am making your lemon rosemary coconut oil veggies at some point this weekend!
bald citrus in the fridge = LOL, me too! Zesting oranges and lemons is the best b/c it brings out so much flavor w/out adding liquid volume (juice) which is a benefit sometimes
Oh I hope you love those veggies. They’re right up your alley! LMK what you think!
I can’t believe that your daughter can eat a lemon like that. At least she is getting her vitamin D!
Love these cupcakes as I am a huge lemon fan. I agree about the oil and buttermilk…gotta have moist cupcakes.
Vitamin C is what I always know them for – have to research about the D!
Either way, it’s interesting to see someone just bite into them like oranges :)
I love lemon, Averie. These look perfect. Thanks for sharing!
I loved it when you said these weren’t dry. I’ve eaten (tasted) way too many dry lemon cupcakes but I’m dying to make these!
And dry cupcakes (or dry anything) isn’t worth eating or having! Why waste calories on dry food!
To me people who do not like baking are seconds away from crazy. I can not live with out it. Also I am saving a butt load on sweets($4 for a cupcake?)
These surely look good! I love the addition of a glaze iceing rather than high topped one. While I might use butter cream a lot; I am not its number one fan. I much prefer the glazes like this one!
P.S Yummy cross section pics! It is making me want one!
I completely agree with you – it seems like people either love or hate lemon in baking. Personally, I love it! Again I agree that I’d usually pick Chocolate Peanut Butter flavored baked goods over lemon, but I still love the taste of lemon or lemon meringue in almost anything haha! That’s hilarious about Skylar loving lemon so much – Such a unique taste for someone so young!
Definitely going to put this on the list to make :)
Averie, you’re killing me here! At 12:12AM, all I want is a dozen of these. And that cream cheese frosting – SWOON! Cream cheese frosting is my absolute ultimate weakness.
I had extra frosting (lots) and it was great by itself. On a spoon :)