Original Post: https://www.sweetandsavorybyshinee.com/lemon-cupcakes/
Lemon Cupcakes
Servings: 12 cupcakes
Calories: 411kcal
For lemon lovers everywhere, these lemon cupcakes are bursting with fresh lemon flavor in every bite. Thanks to the reverse creaming method, these cupcakes have velvety tender crumbs and are virtually impossible to mess up!
Print Recipe
Ingredients
Lemon curd:
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (240 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice Note 1
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest Note 2
- 5 tablespoons (70 g) unsalted butter cubed and softened
Lemon cupcakes:
- 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- 1 stick (115 g) unsalted butter at room temperature
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- ¼ cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice
- zest of 2 lemons
Lemon cream cheese frosting:
- 8 ounces (225 g) cream cheese at room temperature
- ¼ cup (55 g) unsalted butter at room temperature
- 2 cups (260 g) powdered sugar
- zest of 1 lemon
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
Equipment
- Saucepan
- sieve
- stand mixer with the paddle attachment
- cupcake tin
Instructions
To make the lemon curd:
- In a medium saucepan, whisk together eggs, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest for a minute.
- Turn on the heat to low and cook the mixture, whisking constantly, until the mixture reaches 170°F (75°C), 8-10 minutes. The mixture will be thick, and it'll leave a trail if you run a finger on the back of a spoon dipped in curd.
- Remove from heat. Place a mesh sieve over a bowl and run the curd through it. It makes the curd silky smooth!
- Then cover the curd with plastic wrap, making sure it touches the entire surface. This prevents a film from forming on the curd. Let the curd cool for 10-15 minutes.
- Add butter and stir until the butter is fully incorporated.
- Pour the curd into an airtight container, cover it with plastic wrap so it touches the top of the curd, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to cool completely. Once chilled, transfer it to a piping bag.
To make the lemon cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
- In a mixing bowl with a paddle attachment, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix for 10 seconds to combine.
- Add butter and eggs to the dry ingredients and start mixing on low speed, then increase the speed to medium-high and mix for 1 minute.
- Then reduce the speed to low and pour in lemon juice and zest. Stop the mixer, scrape the sides with a silicone spatula, and then run the mixer on medium-high speed again and mix for another 30 seconds.
- Using a large cookie scoop, divide the batter between 12 cupcake tins, lined with cupcake liners. (No need to grease the liners.)
- Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until the inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool completely on a wire rack.
To make the frosting:
- In a mixing bowl with a paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 1 minute.
- Add powdered sugar and beat on low speed for a minute. Then increase the speed to medium-high and continue to beat until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in lemon zest and salt. Whip again until incorporated, about 30 seconds.
To assemble the cupcakes:
- Make sure the cupcakes are completely cool before filling them.
- Using the back of a piping tip (or a small pairing knife, or a cupcake corer), make a hole in the center of each cupcake. Be careful not to cut all the way through the bottom of the cupcake. (Reserve the cupcake pieces.)
- Pipe or spoon the lemon curd into the hole. Fill it until the curd just reaches the top of the cupcake. Replace the reserved cupcake pieces to close the filling.
- Finally, frost the cupcakes with the lemon cream cheese frosting and garnish with lemon slices, if desired.
Notes
Note 1: You’ll need about 4-5 lemons to get 1 cup of lemon juice. Nothing compares to freshly squeezed lemon juice when it comes to making lemon curd. TIP: Zest all the lemons before juicing to use the zest for the cupcake batter and cream cheese frosting!
Note 2: Only zest the top yellow portion and avoid bitter white pith! A microplane zester is a handy tool for this job.
Storing Tips:
- Cream cheese frosting will spoil if not refrigerated, so the cupcakes should be stored in the fridge.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
- You can freeze leftover lemon cupcakes! Place the frosted cupcakes on a plate or quarter sheet pan and freeze for at least 2 hours. Transfer the frozen cupcakes to a container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Cream cheese frosting will spoil if not refrigerated, so the cupcakes should be stored in the fridge.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
- You can freeze leftover lemon cupcakes! Place the frosted cupcakes on a plate or quarter sheet pan and freeze for at least 2 hours. Transfer the frozen cupcakes to a container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Servings: 1 cupcake
Calories: 411kcal
Carbohydrates: 48g
Protein: 4g
Fat: 24g
Sugar: 38g
Sodium: 253mg