Our simple lemon cupcakes recipe is made from scratch and they are full of flavor, like biting into a sweet lemon. The buttercream meringue frosting is light, fluffy, and not too sweet. Absolutely delicious!
Check out more of our favorite lemon recipes, too! Also, if you love cupcakes you’ll also enjoy our classic vanilla cupcakes, confetti cupcakes, and carrot cake cupcakes!
Lemon Cupcakes
We just planted two lemon trees in our yard and I can hardly wait for them to produce enough lemons to make lemonade and cupcakes with! I use lemons on a daily basis, in my water, food, cocktails… even to clean the house with. They are so versatile!
However, these homemade lemon cupcakes are my favorite. They’re fluffy lemon cupcakes, topped with a lemon cupcake frosting that is absolutely delicious!
Why You’ll Love These Lemon Cupcakes
Bright citrus flavor: These cupcakes are bursting with fresh lemon flavor in every bite!
Light and fluffy texture: The cupcakes are perfectly moist and pair beautifully with the airy frosting.
Not too sweet: The buttercream meringue frosting is perfectly balanced—light, fluffy, and just sweet enough to complement the tangy lemon cake.
Made from scratch: Using fresh lemon juice and zest creates a fresh flavor that box mixes just can’t match.
Lemon Cupcake Ingredients
Unsalted Butter – Make sure it’s room temperature so you can whip it up nice and fluffy with the sugar! This is super important for getting that perfect cupcake texture.
Granulated Sugar – Sweetens everything up and balances out that tangy lemon. Pro tip: rub your sugar with the lemon zest before mixing – it really amps up the lemon flavor!
Eggs – The eggs bind everything together and add richness.
Lemon Juice – Fresh-squeezed is the way to go! Skip the bottled stuff for these cupcakes – you’ll taste the difference.
Lemon Zest – This is where the REAL lemon flavor comes from! All those fragrant oils in the zest make these cupcakes taste like sunshine.
Vanilla Extract – Just a touch to round out all those lemony flavors.
Buttermilk – Makes your cupcakes super moist and tender. The slight tanginess works magic with lemon!
All-Purpose Flour – The basic building block of our cupcakes.
Baking Soda & Baking Powder – These ingredients make your cupcakes rise and become fluffy.
Salt – Don’t skip this! It makes all the other flavors pop.
How to Make Lemon Cupcakes
Prep your workspace: Preheat oven to 350°F and line your cupcake tin with paper liners.
Cream butter and sugar: Beat room temperature butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
Add eggs and zest: With the mixer still running, add eggs one at a time, then mix in that fragrant lemon zest.
Combine wet ingredients: In a measuring cup, mix together buttermilk, vanilla extract, and fresh lemon juice.
Mix dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Alternate additions: With mixer on low, add dry and wet ingredients alternately to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Don’t overmix!
Fill cupcake liners: Using a cookie scoop, add two scoops of batter to each liner – they should be about 2/3 full.
Bake until perfect: Bake for 15-17 minutes until the centers are just set.
Cool completely: Let cupcakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Make the frosting: Heat egg whites and sugar over simmering water, then beat until cooled and fluffy before adding butter, lemon juice, and lemon extract. Be sure to follow these instructions for the frosting!
Frost and enjoy: Top each cooled cupcake with a generous scoop of fluffy lemon buttercream and a sprinkle of lemon zest for the perfect finish!
How to Make Buttercream Meringue Frosting
This is the recipe we use to make our lemon meringue buttercream. Instead of vanilla extract we use lemon. Since we also add lemon juice to the recipe, if you don’t have lemon extract just use vanilla and lemon juice.
Prepare your setup: Combine sugar and egg whites in a heatproof mixing bowl that will fit over a pot of simmering water (or use a double boiler).
Heat the mixture: Place the bowl over simmering water and whisk constantly until hot, sugar is dissolved, and egg whites become frothy (about 5 minutes).
Whip to cool: Transfer to a stand mixer with the whisk attachment and beat on medium speed until cooled and thickened (about 5 minutes).
Add butter: Switch to the paddle attachment and add room temperature butter one stick at a time, beating until smooth after each addition.
Flavor the frosting: On medium speed, add lemon juice and lemon extract and beat until fully incorporated.
Troubleshoot if needed: If the buttercream curdles or separates, don’t worry! Just keep beating on high speed until it comes back together.
Frost your cupcakes: Use a cookie scoop to place one generous scoop on each cooled cupcake, then spread with a spoon or leave as is for a simple, elegant look.
Storage
Room Temperature and Refrigerator
These lemon cupcakes can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days. Place them in an airtight container to prevent them from drying out. If your home is particularly warm, the buttercream may soften, so keep them in a cooler part of your kitchen.
For longer storage, refrigeration is your best option. Place the cupcakes in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
When you’re ready to enjoy them, take the cupcakes out about 20-30 minutes before serving to allow them to come to room temperature.
Freezer
For unfrosted cupcakes: Cool completely, then wrap individual cupcakes in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-safe container. They will keep for up to 3 months.
For frosted cupcakes: Place them on a baking sheet and freeze until solid (about 1-2 hours). Once frozen, wrap each cupcake in plastic wrap and store in a freezer container. This method prevents the frosting from getting smashed.
To thaw, unwrap the cupcakes and place them on a plate at room temperature for about 2-3 hours.
For more detailed instructions, check out our complete guide on How to Store Cupcakes.
Recipe Variations
Simple Lemon Buttercream Frosting
If you’re not up for mixing the egg whites and sugar overheat, then just make a simple buttercream frosting and substitute the vanilla extract for lemon extract.
Add a little lemon zest on the frosting or even a tiny lemon wedge to decorate the cupcake.
Lemon Curd Cupcakes
One thing that is great about cupcakes, is that you can easily fill them with something sweet in the middle to make filled lemon cupcakes.
If you want to add even more lemon goodness to these cupcakes, you can remove a small amount of the middle (through the top) and then place a teaspoon of lemon curd in the center.
Cover the hole on the top with frosting. We did not do it for this recipe, but it’s a good option!
Eden’s Tips
Fresh Lemons Are Essential: Always use fresh lemons for both juice and zest. The bright flavor simply can’t be replicated with bottled juice or dried zest.
Zest Before Juicing: Zest your lemons before cutting and juicing them – it’s much easier to zest the whole fruit.
Room Temperature Ingredients: Ensure butter, eggs, and buttermilk are at room temperature before starting. This creates a smoother batter and more even texture in your cupcakes.
Lemon Zest Trick: Rub the lemon zest into the sugar with your fingers before mixing. This releases the oils in the zest and intensifies the lemon flavor throughout the cupcake.
Don’t Overfill: Fill cupcake liners only about 2/3 full. This gives them room to rise without overflowing. I used plain white cupcake wrappers for these, but I love Wilton’s white wave cupcake wrappers, too!
Check For Doneness: A toothpick inserted into the center should come out with just a few moist crumbs. If it’s completely clean, they might be overbaked.
Cooling Is Critical: Let cupcakes cool completely before frosting. Even slightly warm cupcakes will melt your beautiful buttercream.
Frosting Temperature: For the meringue buttercream, temperature matters! The egg white mixture must be hot, and the butter must be soft but not melting.
Patience With Buttercream: If your buttercream looks curdled or separated, don’t panic! Keep beating – it will come together into a smooth, silky frosting.
Simple Decorating: Use a cookie scoop for a quick, mess-free way to top each cupcake with frosting. Then you can use a spoon to spread or even just leave it with a giant scoop! A sprinkle of lemon zest on top adds color and flavor.
When to Serve Lemon Cupcakes
These cupcakes are great for so many occasions! Here are some ideas when you can serve these cupcakes:
- Garden Parties
- Baby Showers
- Easter Brunch – Check out all of our brunch recipes!
- Birthday Parties
- Graduation Party
More Recipes You’ll Love
Here are even more dessert recipes you’ll love!
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Lemon Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 2 tbsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
Buttercream Meringue Frosting
- Meringue Frosting Recipe , recipe here
- 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice, add lemon juice to the recipe
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract, substitue the vanilla extract for lemon in the buttercream recipe
Instructions
- Cream butter and sugar together in a mixer until light and fluffy.
- With the blender still mixing, add in eggs one at a time.
- Add in the lemon zest.
- Combine the buttermilk, extract and lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup.
- In another bowl, add in flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Add the dry and wet ingredients to the butter mixture by alternating them. Keep the blender on low while you add in the dry and wet ingredients.
- Line a cupcake tin with cupcake paper and using a cookie scooper, add two scoops batter to each cupcake paper.
- Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 15-17 minutes until the middle is set. Do not overcook or cupcakes will be dry.
Buttercream Meringue Frosting
- Add the sugar and the egg whites into a heatproof mixing bowl.
- Fit the bowl over a pan of simmering water.
- Whisk constantly until the mixture is hot, sugar is dissolved and the egg whites are a little frothy. About 5 minutes. It should look like a shiny marshmallow cream. This step is very important.
- With the whisk attachment, transfer to a mixing bowl and beat eggs on medium speed until cooled and thicker for about 5 minutes.
- Switch to the paddle attachment and add in one stick of room temperature butter at a time, beating until smooth.
- On medium speed, add in the lemon juice and lemon extract.
- If the buttercream curdles or separates, just keep beating on high until it comes back together. You should end up with a shiny, smooth and absolutely delicious buttercream frosting!
