Lemon Cupcake Recipe

Yield: 24 cupcakes

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Lemon cupcake with high swirl of lemon frosting.

The ultimate cupcake recipe for lemon lovers! These Lemon Cupcakes topped with light and fluffy lemon buttercream are easy to make and better than any store bought cupcakes.

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes:

5 large egg whites, room temperature
¾ cup whole milk, divided
2 lemons, zested
¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
1 ¾ cup granulated sugar
2 ½ cups cake flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt

For the Frosting:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
4 cup powdered sugar
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 Tablespoon heavy cream

Instructions

In small bowl, mix egg whites, ¼ cup whole milk and lemon zest. Set aside.
In mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Add in dry ingredients and mix until combined. Slowly add in egg white mixture. Beat in remaining milk.
Prepare cupcake tins with paper cupcake liners. Fill liners half full and bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. Remove and cool in pan 5 minutes then transfer to cool completely on a wire rack.
For the frosting, beat butter for 3-5 minutes until pale in color. Add powdered sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice (about 2 Tbsp from fresh lemon) and cream. Beat for 3-5 minutes until fluffy.
Frost cupcakes by filling a pastry bag with tip and pipe on the frosting. ENJOY.

Notes

If you prefer a yellow cupcake, add 1-2 drops of yellow gel food coloring to give it a bright color!
Lemons. You will need about 2 Tablespoons of lemon zest for the cupcakes. For the frosting, you'll need about 1 Tablespoon of zest, and 2 Tablespoons of juice.
Cake Flour. This kind of flour is finer than all-purpose and makes the cupcakes so light! You can use all purpose flour if cake flour isn't available but the texture will be quite different. (learn more about how to measure and substitute flour here.)
Milk. Use whole milk or replace with buttermilk for a little more tang in your cupcake! Try my buttermilk substitute if you don't have any on hand.
Egg Whites. You'll only need the whites for the cupcake recipe. Save the yolks and make a batch of easy lemon curd. You can also add a spoonful of curd to the baked cupcake using a technique similar to these wedding cake cupcakes.
Storage. Store frosted cupcakes in container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1 cupcake
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 313Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 38mgSodium: 127mgCarbohydrates: 45gFiber: 0gSugar: 33gProtein: 2g

*Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietitian for special diet advice.