These Lemon Drizzle Cupcakes pack a zesty punch and will be a favorite for any citrus lover! This recipe is for buttery lemon cupcakes covered in lemon drizzle syrup and piped with a light vanilla buttercream.
I love making this recipe during the citrus season when you really want to use up all of the great produce around you!
If you love trying out different cupcake recipes then you need to try out this recipe for Raspberry and White Chocolate Cupcakes, this recipe for Strawberry Cupcakes, or this recipe for Raffaello Cupcakes.
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Ingredients
You will need the simple ingredients listed below to make these delicious lemon cupcakes. Remember to always use fresh room temperature ingredients when baking.
- Unsalted butter
- Caster sugar
- Extra-large eggs
- Cake flour
- Salt
- Baking powder
- Sour cream
- Vanilla extract
- Lemon zest
- Lemon juice
- Powdered sugar
Unsalted butter – butter is used in the cupcake batter as well as the frosting, make sure you are using unsalted room-temperature butter for the best results.
Castor sugar – this recipe uses superfine sugar in the cupcake batter for a fine crumb.
Extra-large eggs – out of their shell, the eggs I use weigh 56 grams. If you aren’t sure if you have the same eggs – weigh the eggs you have and adjust accordingly.
Cake Flour - use cake flour to make these cupcakes or all-purpose flour.
Vanilla extract – choose a good quality vanilla extract for this recipe, if you don’t have vanilla essence will also work. You can also choose to use vanilla bean paste instead.
Sour cream – choose a full-fat sour cream for this recipe, it adds richness and moistness to these lemon cupcakes. If you don’t have sour cream, you can use full-fat Greek yogurt instead.
Lemons – fresh lemon juice and zest are best for this recipe as they give a great natural taste to these cupcakes. For the best lemon flavor, I don’t advise using lemon extract.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
To make this lemon drizzle cupcake recipe follow the simple steps below. First, you will be making the lemon cupcakes, then the lemon syrup, and then the vanilla frosting.
instructions for cupcakes
STEP 1: Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 180C (350F) and line 24 cupcake liners into two 12-hole cupcake pans.
STEP 2: Combine sugar and lemon zest. Add the sugar and lemon zest to a small bowl and use the tips of your fingers to massage the lemon zest into the sugar.
STEP 3: Cream butter and sugar. Add the butter and lemon sugar mixture to a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat at medium-high speed until creamed, about 3 minutes.
STEP 4: Add eggs. Add the eggs to the creamed butter and sugar mixture one at a time, be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula between each addition.
STEP 5: Sift dry ingredients. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into a large mixing bowl.
STEP 6: Add dry and wet ingredients. Add the sour cream and flour mixture to the cupcake batter by alternating between the two. Starting with the flour and ending with the sour cream.
STEP 7: Bake. Use an ice cream scoop to fill the cupcake liners two-thirds of the way up the liner. Bake in a preheated oven for about 15 - 20 minutes or until a light golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.
instructions for lemon syrup
STEP 1: Heat castor sugar and lemon juice. In a small saucepan set over medium heat add the lemon juice and sugar. Allow the sugar to dissolve and the syrup to thicken. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature.
instructions for frosting
STEP 1: Beat butter. Add the softened butter to a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat at medium-high speed until the butter is light and fluffy.
STEP 2: Add icing sugar. Add the icing sugar to the whipped butter and beat again at medium speed until combined and light and fluffy. Add the frosting to a piping bag fitted with your chosen nozzle.
STEP 3: Brush. Use a pastry brush to brush the lemon syrup over the top of the cupcakes. Allow the syrup to seep into the cupcakes.
STEP 4: Decorate. Pipe swirls of frosting onto each cupcake. Decorate with lemon rind and curls of lemon zest. Serve and enjoy.
Hint: Make sure the butter is at room temperature for the perfect fluffy buttercream frosting.
Variations
These cupcakes are delicious with or without frosting, so if you’d prefer to serve them plain you can skip making the frosting.
If you’d like to try out this recipe with other buttercreams then have a look at this recipe for Raspberry Buttercream, this recipe for Vanilla Bean Buttercream, or this recipe for Nutella Buttercream.
Equipment
For these buttery moist cupcakes, you will need x2 12-hole cupcake tins, 22x paper liners, a cooling rack, a pastry brush, a disposable piping bag, a piping nozzle, and an electric mixer.
I always use a stand mixer or electric whisk to make the buttercream as they help ensure a fluffy frosting. I also always use an accurate kitchen scale when baking.
Storage
Cupcakes cool quickly and dry out just as quickly so try to frost them the same day they are baked. If you don’t have time to decorate the cupcakes the same day as baking them, store them in an airtight container or cover the cupcake trays in plastic wrap until the next day.
For any leftover filled and frosted cupcakes, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for about 3 days.
To freeze these delicious lemon cupcakes, place any leftover cupcakes in a freezer-safe air-tight container and freeze them for up to three months. Defrost properly before consuming them.
Top tips
Follow my top baking tips below to ensure that your cupcakes come out perfectly.
- Use an oven thermometer to check the true temperature of your oven.
- Choose fragrant fresh lemons for the best flavor.
- Don’t overfill the cupcake cases as this can lead to mishappen cupcakes.
- Don't open the oven door while the cupcakes are baking.
- Make sure the butter is at room temperature before starting this recipe.
- Ensure the cupcakes have cooled properly before frosting them.
FAQ
The eggs I use weigh 56 grams, if you aren’t sure if you have the same eggs – weigh the eggs you have and adjust accordingly.
Check your oven's temperature and ensure you haven’t overfilled the cupcake cases. Overfilling the cases can result in misshapen cupcakes.
Wait - having room-temperature butter is the most important step in a successful batter and frosting. Choose to wait until the butter has reached room temperature before making this recipe, or cube the butter and heat it gently in the microwave, being careful to not melt it.
I always recommend using a kitchen scale rather than cups when baking, this way you can ensure you’ve measured properly and that your baked goodies come out perfectly.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
These lemon drizzle cupcakes are perfect for lemon lovers, the buttery lemony cupcake pairs so well with the creamy vanilla frosting that has been piped rather modestly!
If you give this recipe a try and love it as much as I do, then please leave a comment and star review below. I would love to hear from all of you!
Don’t forget to sign up for the newsletter and follow along at @with_love_kitty to make sure you never miss a recipe!
Happy Baking
With Love,
Kitty
📖 Recipe
Lemon Drizzle Cupcakes
Equipment
- 2x cupcake tin
Ingredients
Lemon Cupcakes
- 175 g caster sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 175 g unsalted butter
- 3 eggs extra large
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 230 g cake flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 140 g sour cream
Lemon Drizzle Syrup
- 80 ml lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon caster sugar
Vanilla Buttercream
- 250 g unsalted butter
- 250 g powdered sugar
Instructions
Lemon Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line 22 cupcake liners into two 12-hole cupcake pans.
- Add the sugar and lemon zest to a small bowl and use the tips of your fingers to massage the lemon zest into the sugar.
- Add the butter and lemon sugar mixture to a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat at medium-high speed until creamed, about 3 minutes.
- Add the eggs to the creamed butter and sugar mixture one at a time, be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula between each addition.
- Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into a large mixing bowl.
- Add the sour cream and flour mixture to the cupcake batter by alternating between the two. Starting with the flour and ending with the sour cream. Once added, scrape the sides of the bowl and mix again briefly.
- Use an ice cream scoop to fill the cupcake liners two-thirds of the way up the liner. Bake in a preheated oven for about 15 - 20 minutes or until a light golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Lemon Drizzle Syrup
- In a small saucepan set over medium heat add the lemon juice and sugar. Allow the sugar to dissolve and the syrup to thicken. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature.
Vanilla Buttercream
- Add the softened butter to a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat at medium-high speed until the butter is light and fluffy.
- Add the icing sugar to the whipped butter and beat again at medium speed until combined and light and fluffy. Add the frosting to a piping bag fitted with your chosen nozzle.
- Use a pastry brush to brush the lemon syrup over the top of the cupcakes. Allow the syrup to seep into the cupcakes.
- Pipe small swirls of frosting onto each cupcake. Decorate with lemon rind and curls of lemon zest. Serve and enjoy.
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