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
Soft, fluffy, moist, very lemony cupcakes from scratch! Easy one-bowl, no-mixer recipe for cupcakes that taste like they're from a bakery!
Ingredients
Lemon Cupcakes
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup buttermilk (or Powdered Buttermilk, use 2 1/2 tablespoons + 2/3 cup water)
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 1/4 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 3/4 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (2 cups minus 2 tablespoons)
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- pinch salt, optional and to taste
Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/4 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
- 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.
- 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.
Make the Cupcakes:
Make the Lemon Frosting:
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 Information:
Yield:
14Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 195Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 18mgSodium: 120mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 0gSugar: 25gProtein: 1g
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!
Oh Averie these are amazing! Thank you for this recipe.
Thanks for the 5 star review and I am glad they turned out amazing for you!
Can I use this recipe to make orange cupcakes? What changes should I do? Do u have Orange cake recipe …I just couldn’t find it.
I don’t have an orange cake recipe. I have quite a few lemon recipes but no orange. Sorry. You could replace the lemon juice/vanilla extract with orange juice/orange extract and see how that works. Haven’t tried so can’t say…
I love this recipe and was hoping to make them ahead of time for my daughter’s birthday party – Do you have any experience with freezing them (unfrosted) ?
Thanks !
I haven’t tested the recipe by doing it as a freeze-ahead recipe so can’t say for sure. Cupcakes usually freeze pretty well but since this is for a special event, I’d do a test batch, and freeze, etc. exactly like you plan to do for the main event.
I tried these and while they were good, I think maybe I had some wrong assumptions about them, so I wanted to post and clarify for anyone else! These were definitely much more like muffins than cupcakes. They had a kind of moist, chewy crumb rather than a rich, cakey crumb, if that makes sense. The lemon flavor was quite light too, just kind a subtle background note. I haven’t frosted them yet, but I plan to tomorrow. I guess I was hoping for more cake-like than muffin-like, but that’s my fault.
This is no criticism! I really appreciate your blog (though I think this might be the first time I’ve commented) and appreciate you bloggers for putting your recipes out there. Thank you!
The frosting definitely will add quite a bit more pop of lemon. So trying them unfrosted isn’t quite the same as frosted. I know you will find the lemon flavor more intense with the frosting added.
As for the texture, I love moist desserts and despise anything dry or overly cakey. Many times cakey translates to dry in my book so when I make things, I make them to be moist and tender. Just my personal preference. Thanks for trying the recipe.
I’ve made these cupcakes three times in the last two weeks and they are so good! My brother isn’t much for sweets but he just loves these and keeps asking me to make them again. I also made them for a brunch with my friends and they all loved them. Thank you for this amazing recipe!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you – all three times in the last two weeks!
Can you make these with cake flour?
I’m sure you could, with some experimentation. As written though, no, you cannot swap AP flour for cake flour and get the same result.
These are fabulous cupcakes! Not only are they super easy to put together, but tender and perfect lemon flavor. We haven’t even frosted them yet!. Thanks!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you – even without the frosting so far!
Now you HAVE to try this b/c it sounds like you’re a lemon lover…no words
https://www.averiecooks.com/best-lemon-loaf-better-starbucks-copycat/
These look lovely for spring! And now I’m wondering, since you mentioned the frosting is on the softer side, what if one makes these with the frosting inside? Lemon cupcakes with lemon cream cheese filling mmmm..I wonder if that would work, what do you think? :)
It sounds lovely but I haven’t tried it that way so not sure how things will all pan out but sounds like a great idea in theory!
They turned out fantastic! I tried to reply with picture but it wouldn’t let me. I am very happy with the results! However, the best thing was the moistness and taste. So delicious. My co-workers will benefit from my hard work. I’ll put my work website above.
I apologize that I had never seen your website before but now you’re bookmarked and I look forward to trying many other recipes.
Jen
So glad they turned out great and that they were nice and moist! My website doesn’t allow pics to be uploaded but you can tweetpic me at @averiecooks or on facebook.com/averiecooks
I am going to be trying this recipe today. I actually spent the morning making a vanilla cupcakes with a chocolate center and topped with vanilla frosting. Not bad but as you said, cupcakes tend to be a little dry and these were no exception. I decided I wanted lemon next and googled ‘extra moist’ lemon cupcakes and your recipe turned up. I am looking forward to making them!
Thank you, Averie!
Hope you enjoy my recipe and please LMK how it turns out for you!
Mm this sounds yummy, thanks for posting this recipe, looks quite easy to make.
Simon
Can you double this recipe and make it into a layer cake with two 8×8 pans?
Probably but I haven’t tried so cannot speak with certainty.
These were wonderful!
Glad to hear it! Thanks for trying the recipe!
you are a goddess averie! i was searching for a lemon cupcakes recipe that doesnt use butter bc my mum loves them but she recently discovered that she has a high cholesterol level. and these are perfect!
Glad you’re happy and that your mom can enjoy, too! Thanks for the compliments and trying the recipe!
I doubled this and made it into a layer cake with raspberries and blueberry icing. YUM!
I love your idea and it sounds amazing – thanks for sharing what you did and glad it’s a winner!
I made these today, super easy and delicious!!! Will make them for my daughter’s birthday!! Thank you sooo much for an awesome recipe!!!
So happy you liked them enough to become your daughter’s bday cupcakes – how wonderful!
Want to make these over the weekend. Just wondering, what’s the definition of cupcakes vs. muffins? Thanks for providing us with such yummy treats!
Ok, made them yesterday with a simple glaze instead. Yum!
Glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for trying the recipe!
Absolutely beautiful and so easy to make. I made these for my work colleagues and they loved them as did I. Highly recommended
Thanks for trying them and the glowing report back!
These came out delicious! Thank you for this recipe! I love that they don’t have a ton of frosting but are still super tasty. Also very moist.
Keep up the excellent work
<3
Glad you enjoyed them, Vanessa!
This lemon cupcake recipe is SO delicious…I actually doubled the recipe and made two cake layers with lemon curd in between for my daughters birthday (who by the way is also named Avery). Everyone that tasted it raved about it! Thanks for sharing this yummy recipe!
doubled the recipe and made two cake layers with lemon curd in between = THAT sounds awesome! T
hanks for being creative & LMK it worked just fine as a cake! Happy Bday to your Avery. What a small world! Glad this was a big hit for you guys!
Oh my, these look gorgeous :) I love lemony treats, I bet that frosting is perfect!
We have a Meyer lemon tree that blooms right at Christmas time when I’m thinking of all things peppermint and gingerbread and NOT of lemon. So the second Christmas is over I have 297893 lemons that need to be used ASAP! Looking forward to adding this recipe in the lemon rotation.
I used to live in a house from the 1920s here in San Diego and there was literally a lemon tree the size of, I dunno just a huge huge huge tree, with at least 200+ lemons on it at all times! I know exactly what you mean about never having enough recipes to use them with!
There is so much gorgessity in this post, Averie. Your cupcakes are adorable, the texture looks absolutely perfect, and the photos – I’m swooning. My husband LOVES all lemon desserts. I bet he’d go crazy over these, especially since you’ve packed as much lemon flavour as you could into them. Perfection!
These look SO good Averie. I never think of myself as a lemon dessert lover, but every time I have something lemony, I love it and wonder why I don’t go with lemon more often??? I need to try these, soon!
Lemon is always a hit in our house. That lemon cream cheese icing will be used on more than cupcakes.
I love this lemon on lemon action!!
I’m not a big lemon fan, but I could probably down several of these. They look absolutely perfect! :)
they look yummy!
It’s actually therapeutic to look at these beautifully bright cupcakes while it’s pouring rain outside! Thanks for the added cheer to my day :)
These cupcakes look so delicious! I have all the stuff so I am making them tomorrow because Simeon (a lemon LOVER like Skylar) requested some for his lunch when he goes back to school Tuesday. When he was little, he would eat them by the wedge. Oooh, makes me pucker thinking of it. He still loves lemon, as do I and I cannot wait to try these!
I remember you telling me that about S before. We both have kids who can eat lemons…how’s that for swapping parenting stories :) LMK what he thinks of them and you are such a great mama to make these, and I know you can’t even have a taste!
I am one of those lemon freaks who will choose lemon over everything else. ;) These look like pure perfection!!
These look so light and refreshing! Love that the frosting is not super thick and the focus is on the cake.
The texture on these look amazing, Averie! I’ve come to really like lemon desserts over the years, but you’re right, they can sometimes be dry and that is why I love to pair it with buttermilk. You have definitely avoided that with buttermilk, oil, and yogurt! Pinned!
Thanks for pinning, Jessica! I appreciate all your compliments :)
Moist lemon cake is one of my absolute favorite desserts ever, especially with CC frosting!! So me and your daughter are in heaven! Well, more so her because she was able to eat these! ;) But I can imagine!!
Averie, these are fabulous. Can’t wait to try them soon- they are sure to brighten any gloomy winter day!
We love lemons in our house too! Lemons baked goods remind me of spring and after shoveling 20 inches of snow at the end of last week, I surely need a reminder that spring will come, however, not soon enough for me…Pinned!
I agree with you: January is the perfect time for citrus! (just made a lemon cream cheese coffee cake myself! ;) I am ready for some sunshine in my life!!! I could inhale a batch of these cupcakes all by myself!!
Lemon is absolutely my weakness when it comes to sweets (or do I mean sours?). GREG
I absolutely love lemons. I always have them first thing in the morning with my water.
Definitely a great recipe for me to try!
Thanks for sharing!
I just love lemon cupcakes! these cupcakes look so delicious Averie! I love how fluffy and lemony they are.
Lemons (and citrus) make me think of the sun! (Ahh I feel warmer) Not only does the lemon zest add a great flavor but the little detail of decor it adds too!
You had me at Lemon and Frosting!! :-) In love with these beauties!
Thanks for pinning, too! :)
I love anything lemon. Thanks for the nice recipes. Have a wonderful weekend!
I love lemons. This seems perfect for 2014- fresh and zesty! If only I lived in CA again and had all my lemon trees….Sigh……
WOW, I’m a lemon lover, but even if I despised lemons, I think your photos alone would make me want to try these!! The photos are absolutely stunning! These are like a breath of fresh air in an otherwise gloomy winter! Thanks so much for sharing. I will be trying these for sure.
Thank you so much for the compliments on my photos – I really appreciate it! :)
Your daughter has wonderful taste I adore lemon but I am also with you, peanut butter straight from the jar is hard to resist! These look so good and I like the fact the frosting isn’t piled so hight your teeth ache halfway through I bet it compliments the sponge perfectly. These are definitely being added to my to bake list :)
These look so delicious. I’m not a major lemon fan either, but my mom adores lemon everything so I’m definitely going to need to make these for her!
I’m not a lemon lover…but lemon bars ok I’m in. Those frozen pink lemonade bars….I’m so in! Lay down some pb and chocolate and that’s where I’d go every time!
Beautiful cupcakes! Now you have me craving lemon so badly right now!
I love lemon desserts, so my mouth is watering right now..
I’ve made your lemon bars though, and i loved them! In fact, the pictures of them below the post make me want to tonight ;)
*make me want to make them!!!
That’s great you’ve tried my lemon bars! If you’re into lemon, then I think you’ll really like these cupcakes! LMK what you think if you try them!
You know I love anything lemon. Please pass me a spoon for that frosting!
I know you do :)
Great idea! I always end up with too many lemons… But they sure do make my refrigerator look pretty =)
Well I am a lemon lover and these cupcakes are giving me a serious lemon craving! Must try!
These look adorable and delicious at the same time! Seems like a perfect thing to make to brighten things up during the winter. I can also see these being made in the springtime :) Keep the recipes coming!
xo
Natalie
http://nataliemint.com
An excellent use for extra lemons! These cupcakes look killer Averie! I have totally been craving citrus for the last week – I blame the pb and chocolate overload that took place last month… ;) I always love a good lemon recipe and lemon cream cheese frosting is pretty much my favorite thing EVER. Pinned!
Thanks for pinning, Trish! Citrus is nice to break up all that choc/PB, I agree :)
These look super delicious! Pinned!
Thanks for pinning, Anna!
Suuuuper gorgeous! I used to hate lemon, and while I still prefer PB&C over anything else, sometimes I just crave lemon. And I sort of wish my daughter would eat them. Then she’d at least get the vitamins, ha!
Thanks for the pins this morning :)
And citrus is nice to break up all that choc/PB sometimes. LOL
Lemony baked goods always remind me of my maternal grandmother- she would sneak lemon into things like rice krispy treats and strawberry shortcake! At the time, we would sort of roll our eyes in private in a ‘not again!’ kind of way, but now that she’s gone, it’s one of those endearing things about her that we miss.
How sweet you are to make these just for your daughter!
What a lovely story about your grandma! I love love comments like this! Thanks for sharing! :)
These are so pretty! That yellow and white is a welcome change to the grey weather we’ve been having. I haven’t craved lemon in forever – but after reading your post, I need me a lemon cupcake!
Citrus is nice to brighten up gray days, I agree!
Lemony cupcakes are sooooooo good! I love this recipe!
I love lemon desserts! These are SO pretty, Averie!
These look like the perfect texture! Lemon isn’t my favorite flavor in savory foods and even in sweet it can be over-powering, but a subtle lemon flavor, in a cake like this can be perfect. So Spring-like too.
Springlike is my plan. I can dream. I know I’m a wimp but it’s so cold at night here and the days are so short, I just keep praying for warm nights and daylight til even…530pm. Pipe dream for now!
I’m a total lemon lover and I love these cupcakes, especially the light spread of icing on top (too much and my tongue starts tingling in a bad way). Glad you’re not tossing batter, I agree I just can’t stomach it so mini muffin pans are always the answer!
Batter tossing is just heresy :) And yes lemon frosting can have the uber sweet/tart ZING that just blows off your tastebuds if you’re not careful!
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 :)