Description
Zesty lemon cupcakes with silky cream cheese frosting deliver a delightful dance of tangy and sweet flavors. Each bite promises a refreshing escape into citrusy bliss that you’ll savor until the last crumb.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1.5 cups cake flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 0.5 cup whole milk
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 4 cups powdered sugar
Wet Ingredients:
- 0.5 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 0.5 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 0.25 cup lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dry and Seasoning Ingredients:
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
- 0.25 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Warm the oven to 350°F and arrange paper liners in a cupcake tray, ensuring even spacing.
- Sift together cake flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl, creating a uniform dry mixture.
- Cream butter and sugar using an electric mixer for 2 minutes until the mixture becomes pale and aerated.
- Incorporate eggs individually, blending thoroughly after each egg to maintain a smooth consistency.
- Fold in half the dry ingredients, then pour half the milk, introducing vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice while mixing until the batter appears silky.
- Complete the batter by adding remaining dry ingredients and milk, stirring until no flour streaks remain.
- Distribute batter into cupcake liners, filling each approximately two-thirds full to allow rising space.
- Bake for 18-22 minutes, checking doneness by inserting a toothpick that emerges clean from the center.
- Allow cupcakes to rest in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack until completely cooled.
- For frosting, whip butter and cream cheese until uniformly blended and velvety.
- Gradually introduce powdered sugar, mixing thoroughly between additions to prevent lumps.
- Blend in vanilla extract, beating until frosting achieves a light, spreadable texture.
Notes
- Swap cake flour with all-purpose flour by adding 2 tablespoons of cornstarch per cup to maintain the light texture.
- Use room temperature ingredients to ensure smooth mixing and even baking, preventing lumpy or dense cupcakes.
- Zest lemons carefully, avoiding the bitter white pith underneath the yellow skin for a bright, clean citrus flavor.
- Substitute dairy milk with almond, oat, or coconut milk for a dairy-free version without compromising the cupcake’s moisture and tenderness.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 310 kcal
- Sugar: 32 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 37 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg