Best Lemon Cupcake Recipe (2024)

This is the best Lemon Cupcake Recipe ever! You'll love the zesty flavor.

🧂 Ingredients

• butter
• granulated sugar
• eggs
• pure vanilla extract
• all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt

For the frosting:

• milk
• lemons
• powdered sugar
• yellow food coloring (optional)

🔪Instructions

This is meant to be a brief overview of the recipe. For step-by-step instructions and a full printable recipe card with ingredients, please scroll down to the teal box below.

1. First, preheat the oven to 350-degrees F.
2. Add cupcake liners to a 12-count muffin pan and set aside.
3. In an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together to the butter and sugar on medium-high for about 2-3 minutes.
4. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until incorporated into the butter and sugar mixture.
5. Scrape down the bowl with a spoonula and set aside.
6. In another mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients.
7. After that, gently fold the butter mixture into the flour mixture.
8. Next, mix in the milk, lemon zest and lemon juice and stir to combine.
9. Take care not to overmix!
10. Spoon the lemon cupcake batter into the prepared muffin pan.
11. Bake the cupcakes for 18-22 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
12. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

How to Make the Best Lemon Frosting

1. In a stand mixer, cream together the butter and lemon zest and juice.
2. Set the mixer to medium and add in the powdered sugar one cup at a time.
3. Continue until all the sugar has been incorporated.
4. Add 1-2 drops of yellow food coloring (if desired) and mix to combine.
5. Add the lemon frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a star tip and pipe onto cooled cupcakes.

Equipment

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In addition to a liquid measuring cup, dry measuring cups, and measuring spoons, you will also need:

• Muffin Tin - 12 Count
• Stand Mixer
• Spoonula (also known as a rubber spatula.)
• Wire Cooling Rack

⏲️ Storage

Store cupcakes at room temperature in an airtight container for 3-4 days. If it is very hot, place the container in your refrigerator. (These are my favorite airtight containers.)

📖 Variations

This isn't just the best lemon cupcake recipe, it's a great base to have in your recipe box. Here are some other ways you can use it:

• Mini Cupcakes - bake for 11-13 minutes until a tester comes out clean.
• Layer Cake - double the recipe and bake in 3 9-inch cake pans for 22-26 minutes until a tester comes out clean.

Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes - stir 1 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries into the cupcake batter.

Gluten-Free Cupcakes - use 1:1 or measure-for-measure gluten-free flour.

More Lemon Desserts

• Lemon Poppyseed Linzer Cookies - these sandwich cookies look fancy, but are so simple to make!
• Lemon Zucchini Bread - these are full of flavor and make great gifts.
• Raspberry Lemon Pull-Apart Rolls - these make a deliciously sweet addition to any brunch menu.
• How to Make Lemon Cake - if you've never made lemon cake; start here!

😋 Similar Recipes

If you love making cupcakes, try one of these other delicious recipes:

• smores cupcakes
• spice cupcakes with cream cheese frosting
• banana pudding cupcakes
• blueberry-filled cupcakes

See more Cupcakes →