Bright as the sunshine small batch lemon cupcakes! This is an easy recipe for cupcakes that are pillowy soft, incredibly moist, bursting with lemon flavor, and speckled with lemon zest. Finish with zingy lemon buttercream frosting for a small batch of cupcakes ideal for any holiday or celebration!
Table of contents
Everything To Love About These Bright, Lemon Cupcakes
There is something about biting into anything lemon that brings a little smile to your face. Like a lemon drop cookie, or mini lemon cake. Perhaps it is the lip-pucker of the lemon itself, but I like to think of it as a smile! 🙂 And this small batch of lemon cupcakes will have you grinning ear-to-ear.
The cupcakes themselves are the most pillowy soft cupcakes. With a tight crumb and light texture, they nearly melt in your mouth. Adapted from my small batch vanilla cupcakes recipe, these lemon cupcakes sing with the addition of fresh lemon juice and zest.
Then add refreshingly sweet lemon buttercream frosting to take these cupcakes to sunshine status immediately. If you love lemon, you will love these cupcakes!
Step-By-Step Instructions
1. Gather Your Ingredients
The ingredient list for the lemon cupcakes is pretty straightforward: flour, sugar, butter, baking powder and salt, milk, egg white, sour cream, vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
2. perfume the sugar with the lemon zest
The first thing we want to do is flavor the sugar with the lemon zest. To do this, we start with both in a mixing bowl, and then massage the zest into the sugar with our fingertips. This will release all the oils and flavor from the lemon zest and produce a robust lemon flavor!
Then whisk in the flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. Add The Butter For REverse Creaming
We then add the butter cubes to the dry ingredients. This method of mixing is called reverse creaming. With this method, the butter coats the flour, limiting the formation of gluten, which results in a softer, tighter crumb in the lemon cupcakes. This is the same method I use for my small vanilla cake recipe.
Mix the dry ingredients and butter with a hand or stand mixer until you have what resembles coarse sand. Little lumps of butter are ok.
4. Prepare Your Wet Ingredients
Now we prepare the milk, egg white, lemon juice, sour cream (to keep the cupcakes moist!), and vanilla. I like the egg white for this recipe because it keeps the cupcakes light and soft.
I have tested the cupcakes with an egg yolk instead, and they are equally delicious. The main difference is the crumb texture. The egg yolk will yield a spongier, looser crumb.
I like to mix all the liquid ingredients for these lemon cupcakes in a liquid measuring cup for one less bowl to clean – and it makes pouring it into the dry ingredients much easier. Whisk until well combined and smooth.
5. Mix To a Creamy Batter
With the mixer on medium speed, drizzle the wet ingredients into the dry ingredient mixing bowl. Let the batter mix for a few seconds to get everything incorporated and you have a batter free of dry streaks.
6. Bake
Portion the lemon cupcake batter into your prepared cupcake liners. Bake the cupcakes for 18 to 20 minutes. They will be springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the middle will come out clean.
6. Finish With Frosting
Once your cupcakes have cooled completely, it’s time to decorate them with frosting! Of course, lemon frosting is delicious. But you can change up the flavor profile a bit and use strawberry buttercream for a strawberry lemonade taste. Or, keep it simple and use my butter-free vanilla frosting. Whichever you choose, all will be delicious!
Recipe FAQ
I have not tested it, but it may work. Rather than use 2 egg whites, I recommend 1 whole egg.
You can. However, I recommend a fresh lemon for the pure flavor and for the zest.
I would recommend Greek yogurt if you swap. Greek yogurt has a higher fat content to keep the lemon cupcakes soft and moist.
Cover and store unfrosted cupcakes at room temperature for 3 to 5 days. Beyond that, they will start to dry out. Frosted cupcakes can be stored at room temp for 2 days – after that, cover and refrigerate them because of the frosting.
More Small Batch Cupcakes To Try
Recipe
Small Batch Lemon Cupcakes Recipe
Equipment
- 1 – Muffin/Cupcake Pan
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 5 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature and cut into cubes
- 2 tablespoons milk, room temperature (any kind)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
- 1 tablespoon full fat sour cream, room temperature
- 1 large egg white, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Lemon Buttercream Frosting
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar (sift for best results)
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest (optional; about 1/2 a lemon)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (from 1/2 a lemon)
Instructions
Lemon Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350F degrees and adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Line a cupcake pan with 4 cupcake liners.
- In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the sugar and lemon zest. Using your fingers, massage the lemon zest into the sugar to release all the oils and permeate the sugar with flavor.5 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to the sugar. Give a quick mix to combine. Note – If using a stand mixer, I recommend the 3-quart mixing bowl (link above) for the small batch batter. Otherwise, you can use a hand held mixer and medium mixing bowl.½ cup all-purpose flour, ⅓ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Add the butter cubes to the dry ingredients. Mix on medium-high speed until the butter is broken up and the mix resembles coarse sand.2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature and cut into cubes
- In a liquid measuring cup, add the milk, lemon juice, sour cream, egg white, and vanilla. Whisk to combine.2 tablespoons milk, room temperature, 1 tablespoon full fat sour cream, room temperature, 1 large egg white, room temperature, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Turn the mixer on low speed. Slowly drizzle the wet ingredients into the dry until incorporated and no dry streaks remain. It is ok if the batter is a little lumpy.
- Pour equal amounts of batter into the prepared cupcake liners. Tip – Use a small cookie scoop to help with portioning and less mess!
- Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean. Cool the cupcakes in the pan set on a wire cooling rack for 5 minutes. Then transfer the cupcakes to the wire rack to cool completely.
- Frost the cooled cupcakes with any frosting of choice (lemon buttercream is delicious!) Unfrosted cupcakes can be covered and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days. Frosted cupcakes, 2 days. Beyond that, I recommend refrigerating them if they are frosted.
Lemon Buttercream Frosting
- Once the cupcakes are cool, make the frosting. For more details, tips, and faq's for the frosting check out the full blog post on the lemon buttercream frosting!
- In a medium mixing bowl, add the butter. Using a hand held mixer with beater attachments, beat the butter on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy – about 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of powdered sugar, salt, and cream and beat on medium speed until combined and the frosting begins to get creamy. Add the remaining powdered sugar continue to beat until combined. Tip – See Notes for how to use your stand mixer.3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar, 1 pinch salt, 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- Switch to the whisk attachments on your mixer. Add the lemon zest to the frosting. Turn the mixer on medium-high speed and drizzle in the lemon juice. Continue to mix for about 3 to 5 minutes – the frosting will start to get fluffy and light. At this point, you can add a little more cream or powdered sugar to get your desired frosting consistency. I prefer my frosting lighter and often add a splash more cream.½ teaspoon lemon zest, 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- The frosting is ready to use immediately, or can be stored in a covered container and refrigerated for up to 1 week. If refrigerating, bring the frosting to room temperature to use. I also recommend giving it another mix to lighten and loosen.
RECIPE NOTES
- Serving Size – This is a small batch recipe and only tested as such. If you choose to double the recipe, use 1 whole egg vs. 2 egg whites.
- Stand Mixer – For the cupcakes and frosting, you can use your stand mixer with standard bowl and attachments. However, because this is a small batch recipe, both cupcake batter and frosting will mix more evenly when you use a 3-quart mixing bowl.
- 1/3 Teaspoon – Amazon sells odd-size measuring spoons – which are a must for any small batch baker!
- Egg – I have also tested this recipe with a single egg yolk. I find the egg white (this recipe) yields a softer and tighter cupcake crumb. While the egg yolk version yields a more airy and spongy cupcake crumb. Both delicious. It’s a matter of cake crumb preference.
- Reverse Creaming Method – You will notice we mix the butter and sugar with the other dry ingredients first. This method of mixing limits gluten development and yields fluffy and airy cupcakes.
- Storing – Unfrosted cupcakes can be stored covered at room temperature for up to 3 days and frosted cupcakes for 2 days. I recommend refrigerating frosted cupcakes after day 2 because of the frosting.
- Freezing – The baked, unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen for up to 3 months. Wrap individually in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag. Thaw in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature to serve.
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about the author ...
I'm Erin and I'm all about desserts - and a little bit of butter!
I've tested, written, and photographed hundreds of recipes on my website. Here you'll find the tastiest small batch desserts - all homemade, all simple, and all for you! Click here to learn more about me!