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Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream Frosting

Easter just passed and I’m jumping headfirst into Spring with these Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream Frosting. My Easter was filled with family, friends, and great food… But this is the week I’ve been looking forward to for an incredibly long time. It’s finally spring break!

Frosted Lemon Cupcakes

Sadly, I can’t go anywhere for spring break this year. Our lacrosse team has three games scheduled over break with teams from California. Luckily, this gives me time to start working on the college application process and whip up some new recipes.  Can you believe I’m getting ready to go to college already??

RecipeBoy making lemon cupcakes

These cupcakes have just the right amount of lemon flavor. Not too much, not too little. They pair nicely with the lemon buttercream frosting. They’re nice and easy to make, too!

Lemon Cupcake Batter

I stuck with the yellow theme for these cupcakes. Lemon is the perfect flavor to mix sweet and sour in a dessert. For these cupcakes, that was the way to go.  I added in a little bit of yellow food coloring to make the yellow pop more, but you can certainly leave it out if you’re not into using coloring.

Lemon Cupcakes

Frosting the cupcakes is easy, but it requires patience. With a little care, they look great. Perfect for any sort of event.

Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream

Springtime means that it is the beginning of wedding season. Lemon cupcakes make the perfect wedding cupcake recipe. They’re elegant as well as tasty!

RecipeBoy frosting lemon cupcakes

Delicious! This lemon cupcake recipe is ideal for any occasion. They look fantastic. I’m no expert at frosting cupcakes, and see how great they look? That goes to show that anyone can make these with great results too!

Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream

Lemon cupcakes with lemon buttercream frosting are amazing!! They are perfect for any occasion, whether it is casual, formal, or anywhere in-between. They taste fantastic and have the perfect amount of lemon flavor. I’d highly recommend making these and trying them. They do not disappoint!

Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream

Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream

RecipeBoy.com
These cupcakes just scream spring with their fresh lemon flavor!
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
COOLING TIME 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 48 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 36 cupcakes (1 per serving)
Calories 374 kcal

Ingredients
  

LEMON CUPCAKES:

LEMON BUTTER CREAM FROSTING (for 36 cupcakes):

  • 9 cups powdered sugar
  • 3 cups (6 sticks) butter, at room temperature (don't use margarine or shortening)
  • 3 teaspoons lemon extract
  • 3 to 6 tablespoons whipped cream
  • a couple drops of lemon coloring, optional

Instructions
 

MAKE THE CUPCAKES:

  • Preheat the oven to 325℉.  Place cupcake liners in cupcake pans.  You'll need 36.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together cake mix, flour, sugar and salt.  Add remaining ingredients and beat with hand mixer for 2 minutes, or until well blended.
  • Use an ice cream scoop to fill prepared cupcake tins (it's a nice, neat way to get the batter into the pans). Fill about ¾ full. Bake about 18 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Set them aside to cool.

PREPARE THE FROSTING:

  • Since this recipe includes instructions for making a LOT of frosting to frost all 36 cupcakes, it's probably best to make it in three batches.  Plus, doing it this way will ensure that you can make it as you go to see how much you need (based on how much frosting you're putting on the cupcakes).
  • Instructions for making in three batches:  In a large bowl, with a hand or stand mixer, cream together 3 cups sugar and 2 sticks butter on low speed.  Mix until well blended.  Increase speed to medium and beat for another 3 minutes.  Add 1 teaspoon lemon extract and 1 tablespoon cream and continue to beat on medium speed for 1 minute more, adding a little more cream if needed for desired spreading/piping consistency. (Repeat for next 2 batches.)
  • Scoop into a piping bag and pipe decoratively onto cupcakes.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupcakeCalories: 374kcalCarbohydrates: 50gProtein: 2gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 67mgSodium: 286mgPotassium: 34mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 41gVitamin A: 566IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 47mgIron: 1mg
Keyword cupcakes, lemon
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Here are a few more cupcake recipes you might enjoy:

Recipe Rating




Julie

Wednesday 18th of October 2023

Can this recipe be turned into a Bundt cake?My granddaughter wants a cake for her birthday and this would be perfect

RecipeGirl

Wednesday 25th of October 2023

Maybe!

Belinda

Thursday 27th of April 2023

Thank you for sharing your recipe! I filled my 3/4 full but they didn’t rise much . The last batch I made sure to fill a little bit more. That seemed to help.

Mina

Tuesday 26th of January 2021

Hello there... can I add lemon juice instead of lemon extract?

Holly

Wednesday 28th of April 2021

Could this be made in a 9"x13" baking pan or is there going to be too much batter?

RecipeGirl

Tuesday 2nd of February 2021

I think the general rule is to add 2 tablespoons lemon juice to substitute for 1 teaspoon extract.

Courtney

Saturday 30th of May 2020

My mom would love this recipe and I want to make it for her but 36 cupcakes is a lot, do you think it’d be fine to only make half the recipe (18 cupcakes)? Divide all ingredients by two? 

Please let me know, thanks! :)

recipeboy

Sunday 31st of May 2020

I think I'd just make them all and put the rest in the freezer for later!

Roxana

Thursday 10th of October 2019

Does it requires nine cups of powder sugar?

recipeboy

Thursday 17th of October 2019

yes!