Soft and fluffy Lemon Cupcakes made from scratch. These buttery cakes are bursting with real lemon flavour and topped with a creamy homemade lemon buttercream.
Your new favourite cupcake is HERE 🙌🏻
Lovely Lemon Cupcakes made from soft and tender lemon cake topped with swirls of fluffy, homemade lemon buttercream. They are so light and fluffy, they just about melt-in-your-mouth, just like the best bakery-style cupcake.
If you love lemon flavoured desserts, you’ll adore these gorgeous luscious Lemon Cupcakes.
As I get older, I’m becoming more and more convinced that lemon-y desserts are completely underrated, whether it’s Lemon Slice or Lemon Pie.
While I will immediately reach for a piece of chocolate cake or a fudgy brownie, these Lemon Cupcakes truly satisfy.
They’re literally bursting with the zesty fresh lemon flavour and the texture is so outrageously good that you could just eat one after another. Take it from someone who just ate two.
Just like my Lemon Loaf, these buttery cupcakes have a beautifully soft texture. All thanks to that not-so-secret ingredient, greek yogurt. You could also use sour cream if you like. It’s a wonder in baked goods, ensuring your cakes come out wonderfully soft – long after they’ve exited the oven.
I also use butter in these cupcakes for extra buttery flavour. And the icing on the cake (get it?!) is the simple lemon frosting. Made with only butter, sugar, lemon juice and milk, it’s fluffy and creamy and oh-so-sweet.
TIPS FOR MAKING PERFECT LEMON CUPCAKES
- These Lemon Cupcakes are really easy to make. You will need an electric mixer.
- Start with room temperature butter. It’s really important to make sure your butter is soft – not fridge cold – otherwise it will be harder to beat and your cupcakes won’t be as light and fluffy.
- Start by beating together the butter, sugar and vanilla. You’ll want to keep mixing until the mixture is pale and creamy – it will take a few minutes. But by taking your time in this step, it will ensure your cupcakes are light and fluffy.
- I recommend using fresh lemon juice and zest for maximum flavour.
- This recipe calls for natural Greek-style yogurt – don’t use a light or reduced fat yogurt and don’t leave this ingredient out – it will make sure your cupcakes are soft and moist.
- Mix until just combined – but make sure you don’t over mix. The batter will be thick and creamy.
- Bake cupcakes for approximately 18 minutes or until golden brown and spring back lightly to the touch. Try not to over bake the cupcakes so they don’t become dry.
MORE CUPCAKES TO TRY:
- Classic Vanilla Cupcakes
- Caramel Cupcakes
- Peanut Butter Cupcakes
- Double Chocolate Cupcakes
- Red Velvet Cupcakes
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Hungry for more? Join me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter for more amazing recipe ideas.
Let’s Bake
Easy Lemon Cupcakes
Soft and fluffy Lemon Cupcakes with a creamy lemon frosting.
Ingredients
Lemon cupcakes
- 115 grams (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 200 grams (1 cup) caster sugar or granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 210 grams (1 and 1/2 cups) plain flour or all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- Zest of one lemon
- 120 ml (1/2 cup) Greek yogurt
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) full fat or whole milk
Lemon buttercream
- 115 grams (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 435 grams (3 and 1/2 cups) icing sugar or powdered sugar, sifted
- 1–2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1–2 tablespoons full fat or whole milk, room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F) standard / 160 C (320 F) fan-forced. Line a 12-hole muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat butter, sugar and vanilla together until pale and creamy. Add eggs and beat briefly until combined. In a separate bowl, sift together flour and baking powder.
- Add half the flour mixture and all the yogurt, along with the lemon juice and zest, and slowly mix together on a low speed. Add the rest of the flour and the milk and mix briefly until smooth and creamy. The mixture will be thick.
- Spoon out the cake batter into your prepared liners and bake in the oven for approximately 18-20 minutes or until golden. Leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
- To make the frosting, add butter to a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer for 2-3 minutes until smooth and creamy. Add sugar, 1 cup at a time, and continue to beat until smooth. Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of milk and beat briefly. If the mixture is too thick, add an extra tablespoon of both.
- Transfer frosting to piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe frosting onto cupcakes. Decorate with lemon zest.
Monica says
Making these for a friend’s bridal shower! Could we prepare the batter ahead of time and leave overnight and bake in the morning?
Jessica Holmes says
That’s exciting! No I recommend baking the cakes straight away for best results.
Cupcake says
Can you freeze these Lemon Cupcakes?
Cupcake says
P.s – These cupcakes are amazing!! Scrumdiddlyumptious!!!! 😂
5/5!!
Jessica Holmes says
Yay! Love hearing that!
Jessica Holmes says
Yes you can!
Nina says
Can we add 1 cup of 435 grams of all the icing sugar to make the lemon frosting to a electric mixer?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Nina, are you asking if you can just use 1 cup of icing sugar in the frosting? I recommend following the recipe as is if you can.
Clqncy says
Fantastic cupcake recipe. Very light and lemony. Best I’ve ever made!
Jessica Holmes says
Yay! Love that!
Jamila says
What is caster sugar and where can I find it?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Jamila, caster sugar is fine white sugar commonly used for baking. You can substitute it 1:1 for granulated sugar. Read more about caster sugar here.
Ginny says
Hi Jess:
I just made these lemon cupcakes. As usual, used less sugar. Came out as described, light and moist.
As previously posted, am trying out one recipe at a time!! So far, so good.
Stay safe,
Ginny
Jessica Holmes says
Oh love that Ginny!
Athena Frankie says
Hi Jessica, can’t wait to make these cupcakes! Can I please ask with the buttercream do you use ‘pure icing sugar’ or ‘icing sugar mixture’? Thank you so much!
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Athena, great question! Icing sugar mixture has cornflour in it to help prevent clumping, but they are both fine to use to make buttercream. Just make sure to sift it for a nice, smooth buttercream.
Athena says
Thank you so much Jessica! 🙂
KAY says
deeeeeelicious xxx
Jessica Holmes says
Yay!
Helen K says
I made these the other day and they were so soft and fluffy and delicious! I filling them with some homemade lemon curd and did a meringue frosting instead. I’m about to make some more now 🙂
Jessica Holmes says
So glad you like them Helen! Love the idea of a lemon curd filling.
Susan says
I’m thinking of making these for a wedding. Do these freeze well (unfrosted)!
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Susan! Yes they do! Hope you enjoy them.
Mythri says
How is the frosting so white in color? Mine always turns out off white or yellow
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Mythri, it might just be the brand/type of butter.
Kimberley Knuth says
Great recipe! I did a test run of another recipe and was very unhappy with the results. I did another search and found you. I am so glad I did! I made Lemon Raspberry cupcakes with your recipe. Perfect crumb, great lemon taste, not too sweet and just the right tanginess. Each cupcake had a whole raspberry baked in the center and I topped each with a Lemon Raspberry Buttercream. I used my own buttercream recipe and added fresh lemon juice, zest and ground up dehydrated raspberries for a super creamy lemony/raspberry taste. DELISH!! What a perfect cupcake! Thank you for sharing. I can’t wait to try your other recipes.
Jessica Holmes says
So glad you enjoyed them Kimberley! Thank you for your kind review!
Yvonne says
Hi, I love your recipes and website! I’m making these cupcakes today. Do I use the larger muffin cases or the smaller cake cases? Thank you x
Jessica Holmes says
Thank you so much Yvonne! I just use regular cupcake cases for these ones and bake them in a regular 12-hole muffin pan. Hope that helps!
Manpreet says
Can you make this recipe and substitute for gluten free flour?
Jessica Holmes says
I haven’t tried it myself so I can’t say – sorry!
Josh says
These were just lovely!
Jessica Holmes says
So glad you enjoyed them Josh!
Isabelle says
Loved it. Amazing 😉
Jessica Holmes says
So glad you enjoyed them Isabelle!