Lemon Cupcakes w/Cream Cheese Frosting
from cucakes take the cake
Start off by zesting a couple lemons.
That lemon zest gets rubbed into sugar which makes the sugar super fragrant and lets the lemon flavor incorporate into the whole cupcake.
The wet and dry ingredients get mixed in and the cupcakes bake up nicely. The batter will be a little on the thin side but it shouldn’t be drippy.
After your cupcakes bake they should cool down on a wire rack before frosting.
This frosting is amazing, super fluffy with sweet lemon flavor.
These cupcakes can be left ungarnished, topped with sanding sugar or a candied lemon slice, or filled with homemade lemon curd.
Print Recipe
Lemon Cupcakes
Adapted from My Baking Addiction
Makes 12 cupcakes
Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
Adapted from My Baking Addiction
Filed Under Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons cake flour
- 1/2 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons buttermilk
- 2 large egg whites
- 3/4 cups sugar
- Zest from one lemon
- 1/4 cup (half stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- juice from half of a lemon
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a cupcake tin with paper liners.
Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Whisk together milk and egg whites in a medium bowl.
Put sugar and lemon zest in a mixer bowl or another large bowl and rub them together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and fragrant. Add butter and beat at medium speed for 3 minutes, until the butter and sugar mixture are very light. Add in vanilla extract.
Alternate adding flour mixture and milk mixture in three parts, starting and ending with flour. Beat for about 2 minutes to make sure it is thoroughly mixed.
Scoop batter into cupcake tins, filling each liner about 1/2 to 2/3 full. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until the cupcakes are well risen and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
Frosting
Using a mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese until well combined. Gradually sift in confectioners sugar until fully incorporated and desired sweetness and consistency. Mix in vanilla and lemon juice and mix until combined.