Why make these cupcakes?
The recipe is based on my one-bowl recipes. If you have not tried one-bowl vanilla or chocolate cupcakes, you must. So easy and so delicious. These hardly ever get frosted because they are so good on their own. And of course, the lemon buttercream enhances the lemon flavor beautifully in these cupcakes. For me, lemon cupcakes with lemon curd are absolute heaven, but they also go well with blueberry filling to make lemon blueberry cupcakes. I’m using my homemade lemon curd, but you can also use store-bought.
Ingredients and substitutes
Flour – I use regular all-purpose flour and plain flour (maida) for most of my cakes and cupcakes. This is readily available and is usually always on hand in most households. Butter – I like to use unsalted butter, but if salted butter is all you have, use it. However, omit salt in the recipe. Sugar – I prefer to use fine-grain white sugar in my one-bowl recipes. This helps the sugar dissolve easily in the batter. If coarse-grain sugar is all you have, pulse it in the food processor for a few minutes. Eggs – This recipe has only two eggs, so make it two good large eggs. Lemon juice – Fresh is the way to go when making lemon desserts. I use fresh organic lemons. You can also use lime for a zestier flavor. Zest – Use only the yellow part of the zest, not the white, because the white is bitter and can alter the taste of your cupcakes. Alternatively, you can also use 1/4 tsp lemon extract.
Step-by-step instructions
Lemon cupcakes
Preheat the oven to 325°F/ 160°C/ Gas Mark 3.Pro tip – The batter gets ready very quickly. But make sure the oven is preheated well. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners – and set aside. Add all cupcake ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer. You can also use just a bowl and whisk. Combine well until you have a smooth batter.Pro tip – It is essential that all ingredients are at room temperature. Otherwise, you will have a lumpy batter. Divide the batter between 12 cupcake liners using an ice cream scoop or 1/3 measure cup.Pro tip – These make 12 regular-size cupcakes. You can also make 8 large cupcakes in baking cups. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until a skewer inserted in the center comes clean.Pro tip – Turning the baking pan halfway through will ensure they bake evenly. (As you can see in the video, I forgot that some were baked with sideways domes.) Cool cupcakes completely before you decorate.Pro tip – It is essential to cool cupcakes or cake completely before frosting, or the frosting will melt.
Lemon buttercream
Add all buttercream ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer, including the lemon curd.Pro tip – The success of a one-bowl recipe is to ensure that all ingredients are at room temperature. Otherwise, it could result in a lumpy buttercream. Combine well. Once all the powdered sugar has been incorporated, whip for 3 minutes until light and fluffy, similar to whipped cream.Pro tip – When whipped, buttercream becomes light and airy, similar to the consistency of whipped cream.
Assemble
Place buttercream in a piping bag with your favorite piping tip. I used a star tip. Pipe a swirl on each cupcake, starting from the base towards the top.Pro tip – You can also color this frosting with as many colors as you want. You can garnish the cupcakes with a slice of lemon or zest or a sprinkle of lemon zest.
Storage
These cupcakes will stay at room temperature for two days. If wrapped properly, you can keep them in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days (the fridge can dry out the cakes and cupcakes easily). You can even freeze these cupcakes for up to a month.
More lemon recipes
Lemon blueberry cupcakes Mini Lemon Cheesecake Tarts The Ultimate Lemon Curd Tart Watermelon Lemonade Lemon Crinkle Cookies Lemon Butter Cookies
Frequently asked questions
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