These homemade lemon cupcakes are soft, buttery, and packed with fresh lemon flavor, especially when filled with lemon curd! Made with fresh lemon zest and juice, the bright citrus taste is balanced by a sweet, creamy vanilla buttercream on top. If you’re looking for an easy lemon cupcake recipe that’s moist, tender, and reliable, your search ends here.
I originally shared this recipe in 2013, and I’ve since updated it with new photos and extra success tips for consistently great results.
This recipe for lemon cupcakes with vanilla buttercream is simple, reliable, and one I return to every spring. Lately I’ve been filling them with lemon curd, too, for an extra dose of lemony goodness! These make the list of our favorite lemon dessert recipes that we return to again and again.
Whether you’re baking for a special occasion or just because you’re craving something citrusy, these lemon cupcakes from scratch are always a hit. If you’ve ever wondered what sunshine tastes like, I think this might be it. 🙂
One reader, Holly, commented: “These were a massive hit at the party I brought them to. One guest said, ‘This is THE BEST lemon cupcake I have ever had in my life!’ I like that the lemon flavor was definitely there but not overpowering. ★★★★★”
Another reader, Dawn, commented: “Made this week and they might be the best dessert ever. Like ever. Used Sally’s buttercream frosting and Sally’s lemon curd recipe and piped the curd into the cooled cupcakes before frosting. They were amazing. ★★★★★”
Why You’ll Love These Lemon Cupcakes
- Citrusy with bright lemon flavor
- Soft and buttery with a tender crumb
- Easy to make with simple ingredients
- Topped with creamy vanilla frosting
- For extra lemon flavor, fill them with lemon curd
- Adaptable for other frostings or fillings—see below for suggestions!
Here’s Why This Recipe Works
This lemon cupcake recipe is adapted from my lemon blueberry cake, which is one of the most popular cake recipes on my website. I love the cupcake version because they pack more lemon flavor and are much lighter than both the blueberry version as well as this lemon layer cake.
Three simple techniques make these lemon cupcakes especially soft and flavorful:
- Fresh Lemons for Maximum Flavor: Lemon zest contains natural citrus oils that provide the strongest lemon flavor. Be sure to add the zest when you’re creaming the butter and sugar, for maximum flavor. Plus, using both zest and fresh lemon juice creates bright, balanced citrus taste.
- Creaming Butter and Sugar: Creaming butter and sugar incorporates air into the batter, helping the cupcakes bake up light and fluffy. If you’re a beginner baker, check out my tutorial on how to cream butter and sugar.
- Balanced Moisture: Milk keeps the crumb soft while lemon juice adds brightness without making the cupcakes dense.
Grab These Ingredients
You need simple, everyday ingredients for today’s cupcakes. The ingredient list is similar to my lemon cake. Let’s review:
- Flour: All-purpose flour is the base of these cupcakes.
- Baking Powder: Baking powder helps the cupcakes rise.
- Salt: A little salt adds flavor and balances the sweet.
- Butter: When a buttery taste is what you’re after, there’s no substitute for real butter! Make sure it’s proper room-temperature butter.
- Sugar: We use all granulated sugar in this cupcake recipe.
- Eggs: 2 eggs add structure and richness.
- Vanilla Extract: Pure vanilla complements the fresh lemon flavor beautifully. You can use vanilla bean paste or even homemade vanilla extract if you have a batch going!
- Milk: Milk adds moisture and tenderness. I recommend whole milk or buttermilk.
- Lemons: You need around 2 or 3 large lemons for the cupcake batter—zest them first and then juice them.
Expect a Slightly Thick Lemon Batter
Cream the butter, sugar, and lemon zest together until light and fluffy, then beat in the eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together.
Combine the wet and dry ingredients, adding the milk and lemon juice. The batter will be slightly thick, and a few small lumps are perfectly fine.
Fill cupcake liners about 2/3–3/4 full:
After baking, cool the cupcakes completely, fill with lemon curd if desired, and then top with frosting.
How to Fill Cupcakes
You can enjoy these lemon cupcakes as-is without a filling, but lately we’ve been adding a spoonful of homemade lemon curd to the center. Our taste testers have loved the extra burst of bright lemon flavor!
If you’ve never filled cupcakes before, it’s very simple. You can carve out a small center with a paring knife and spoon the curd inside (pictured below) or use a piping bag to pipe it right into the middle.
For a full written and visual tutorial, see How to Fill Cupcakes.
Frosting Options for Lemon Cupcakes
I love finishing the lemon cupcakes with classic vanilla buttercream because it’s smooth, creamy, easy to pipe, and it holds shape beautifully. More importantly, it pairs beautifully with lemon, and doesn’t take away from its flavor!
If you want to switch things up, these lemon cupcakes are also delicious topped with:
- Swiss Meringue Buttercream: Lightly sweet and holds intricate piped shape.
- Lemon Buttercream: For extreme lemon flavor!
- Strawberry Buttercream: Strawberry lemonade cupcakes, anyone?
- Cream Cheese Frosting: Tangy, silky, and luscious paired with lemon. It’s how we top these lemon blueberry cupcakes.
- White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting: Made with melted white chocolate for an extra rich flavor.
- Blueberry Frosting: From my lemon blueberry cookies.
- Raspberry Frosting (pictured below): From my lemon raspberry cupcakes.
- Blackberry Cream Cheese Frosting (pictured below): From my lemon blackberry cupcakes.
Optional Variations
- Fill them: Add a spoonful of lemon curd inside for extra citrus flavor. Or try filling them with jam, like we do with these lemon raspberry jam cupcakes.
- Add berries: Berries pair beautifully with lemon. Try these lemon blueberry cupcakes, lemon raspberry cupcakes, or lemon blackberry cupcakes.
- Add poppy seeds: Whisk 2 Tablespoons in with the dry ingredients.
- Try a different frosting: See the frosting section above for other flavors that pair well with lemon.
- Bake it as a small layer cake: This lemon cupcake batter makes just the right amount for a 3-layer 6-inch cake. Learn how in this post on 6-inch cakes.
Success Tips for the Best Lemon Cupcakes
- Use fresh lemons. Fresh lemon juice and zest provide the brightest flavor. Bottled lemon juice and dried zest just can’t compare to the real deal! Be sure to zest the lemons first, then juice them. Much harder to do it the other way around!
- Don’t overmix the batter. Overmixing creates dense cupcakes instead of a soft crumb.
- Don’t overfill the cupcake liners. Fill cupcake liners just about 2/3 to 3/4 full so they bake up evenly.
If you love bright citrus desserts, these homemade lemon cupcakes with vanilla buttercream are a must-bake. They’re soft, buttery, and bursting with real lemon flavor—one bite and you’ll see why this recipe has been a longtime favorite.
Yes. Bake the cupcakes a day ahead, let cool, then cover and store at room temperature. Fill and frost them the day you plan to serve them.
I strongly recommend fresh lemon juice for the best flavor.
Yes! Bake mini cupcakes for about 11–13 minutes. The batter yields around 30–36 mini cupcakes.
This lemon cupcake batter makes just the right amount for a 3-layer 6-inch cake. Learn how in this post on 6-inch cakes. If you’d like a larger version of this cake, use this recipe for lemon layer cake, and the vanilla frosting from this vanilla cake.
Homemade Lemon Cupcakes
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours (includes cooling)
- Yield: 12 cupcakes
- Category: Cupcakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These homemade lemon cupcakes are soft, buttery, and packed with fresh lemon flavor, especially when filled with lemon curd! Made with fresh lemon zest and juice, the bright citrus taste is balanced by a sweet, creamy vanilla buttercream on top. If you’re looking for an easy lemon cupcake recipe that’s moist, tender, and reliable, your search ends here.
Ingredients
Lemon Cupcakes
- 1 and 1/2 cups (188g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 1/2 cup (120ml) whole milk or buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup (60ml) fresh lemon juice
- optional filling: homemade lemon curd, cooled completely
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 4 cups (480g) confectioners’ sugar, plus more as needed
- 1/4 cup (60ml) heavy cream, half-and-half, or whole milk, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- salt, to taste
- optional for garnish: lemon slices and/or mint sprigs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- Make the batter: Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar, and lemon zest together on medium-high speed in a large bowl until creamed, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. (Here’s a helpful tutorial if you need guidance on how to cream butter and sugar.) Add eggs and vanilla, and then beat on medium-high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Add the dry ingredients and then turn the mixer on low speed and slowly pour in the milk and lemon juice. Beat until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Pour/spoon the batter evenly into the liners. Bake for 18–21 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before filling and frosting.
- Fill the cupcakes (optional): Using a sharp knife, cut a circle into the center of the cooled cupcakes to create a little pocket about 1 inch deep. The piece you removed will be sort of cone-shaped. Spoon cooled, thickened lemon curd inside each carved-out cupcake—use however much will fit. (I use a teaspoon measuring spoon for this. Usually you can fit between 1–2 teaspoons of filling in each.) Slice/tear off the pointy end of the “cone” piece of cupcake you removed, and gently press the round piece back on top of the filling. See my How to Fill Cupcakes post if you need extra visuals or help with this step, or if you want to pipe the curd in with a piping tip.
- Make the frosting: With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the confectioners’ sugar, heavy cream/milk, and vanilla. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to medium-high speed and beat for 2 full minutes. Taste. Add a pinch of salt if frosting is too sweet. I always add 1/8 teaspoon. Add up to 1/2 cup more confectioners’ sugar if frosting is too thin, or more cream/milk—a Tablespoon at a time—if frosting is too thick.
- Frost cooled cupcakes and top each with a lemon slice and/or mint sprig, if desired. You can swipe the frosting on with an icing knife or use a piping tip such as Wilton 1M or Ateco 826.
- Store leftover cupcakes in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. A cupcake carrier makes storing and transporting easy.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Make and fill the cupcakes 1 day in advance. Keep the cupcakes covered tightly at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Frost the next day. Unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before frosting and serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 12-count Muffin Pan | Cupcake Liners | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Citrus Zester | Citrus Juicer | Piping Bag (Reusable or Disposable) | Ateco 826 Piping Tip or Wilton 1M Piping Tip | Cupcake Carrier
- Lemons: You need about 2–3 medium lemons to yield this amount of zest and juice.
- Whole Milk or Buttermilk: You can use either. You can use lower-fat or nondairy milks in a pinch, but the cupcakes won’t taste nearly as rich and moist.
- Lemon Curd Filling: This is optional, and I recommend using homemade lemon curd. Make sure it’s prepped in advanced and has thickened and cooled completely.
- Mini Cupcakes: For around 30–36 mini cupcakes, bake for about 11–13 minutes, same oven temperature. I do not recommend filling mini cupcakes; they’re simply too small.
- Be sure to check out my 10 tips for baking the BEST cupcakes before you begin!
Reader Comments and Reviews
Fluffy, light cupcakes with a lovely lemony flavour! Loved it!! Thank you Sally!
I usually do not comment on recipes. I think this is a first for me. I like lemony dessert and this one is spot on! The texture was just perfect. I am french so it is hard to find the right words. Yummy!
Hi Sally! I have a gluten intolerance, so when I made this, I subbed with gluten free flour. They were delicious! Thanks so much!
These were really great! Some lemon flavoured baked goods can be dry, but these were just perfect. I followed the recipe exactly.
Hi Sally made these last week and they were delicious, do you think I could swap the lemons for oranges for a different flavour?
Hi Edel, While I haven’t tested it with this recipe I believe it should work. Let me know if you try it!
Hi Evelyn, Buttermilk should have been ok but will give these a tangier taste. For the best results I do recommend following the quantities in the recipe exactly. For help troubleshooting you can check out my post 10 Tips for Baking the BEST Cupcakes.
I make your recipes all the time and love them! I made a batch of these today for a refreshing dessert, love the lemon-y flavor! They puffed up perfectly and didn’t fall (I was sure I filled them too much). My husband and I thought the frosting was a bit on the too sweet side but the kids enjoyed it! What are some less sweet frostings that could go with these for next time or can I reduce the amount of sugar used in the frosting?
Hi Anita, I’m so glad you all enjoyed the cupcakes. For a frosting that isn’t as sweet I think you would enjoy Swiss Meringue Buttercream!
Hi Sally,
I have never made anything from scratch before. The Coronavirus has made money tight and cancelled graduation plans for the kids. I made these cupcakes instead of ordering a cake and my girls loved them! Thank you so much
Easy and delicious. I used gluten-free all-purpose (plain) flour and a dairy-free butter substitute and they were STILL delicious! This has instantly become my go-to recipe. Thanks so much!
This is my go-to cupcake recipe. In my family in the “Baker” but I’m not really a good baker I just have excellent recipes from Sally’s baking addiction… thank you for helping me keep up the facade.
These were really good. I left out the zest because they were for kids, and used the lower end (1/4 cup) for the juice in the cupcakes. I frosted them with your Lemon Buttercream. They were soft and fluffy, with a nice lemon flavor.
Can I use unbleached all purpose flour?
Yes, definitely.
Hi Sally, these are delicious, thanks for sharing! I’m just wondering, can we add some poppyseed into the recipe as is? Do we have to do anything different? And do we have to toast the poppyseed?
Definitely. I would add a couple teaspoons of poppy seeds to the dry ingredients. No need to toast them prior to using.
Great recipe! Came out great on the first try. I did add a little almond flavoring to the icing as well.
Very delicious! super fluffy and sweet! I was making 1 and a half batches but it made 24. (Not that that is a bad this because they are super good)
so good!
Hey Sally I don’t have lemons I just have the lemon juice that comes in a bottle.. can I use that?
Fresh is always best, but that definitely works too.
SALLY,
I loved your Lemon Cupcake recipe so much that I want to thank you for sharing it!!
I have been trying different lemon cupcake/muffin recipes and hadn’t found one worth remaking. Yours is a definite do again!!
Both my husband and I thought the lemon cupcake tasted just fine without the frosting. They were plenty sweet enough on their own.
Thanks again.
These cupcakes are so soft and fluffy and for once after sooooo many cupcake recipes I’ve tried these turned out PERFECT!! My picky brother LOVED them. Thanks Sally!! 😀
I’m new to baking but LOVE your site. Is it normal for the mixture to look a bit curled after mixing the lemon and milk? My oven is awful (and is hopefully being replaced this week) but they came out short and brown on the sides but light on top. I don’t know what I did wrong or if it’s just my broken oven
Hi Jackie, Were all of your ingredients room temperature? When ingredients are different temperatures they won’t mix well and the mixture could look curdled. Here are my best baking tips for cupcakes that I think you will find helpful!
I made these cake cakes at the weekend and I love them. I had to use buttermilk instead as I had ran out of full fat but made no difference and I topped with blueberry buttercream.
I also made a batch of strawberry by swapping out the lemon for pureed strawberry and a batch of almond and cinnamon doing the same swap. All were delicious and I think this is my new go to recipe now.
Thanks for sharing
Made these tonight to compliment my chicken piccatta dinner. WOW!! These cupcakes turned out amazing. I made them with cream cheese lemon frosting. The right amount of tang and no overly sweet.
LOVE LOVE LOVE
These are excellent!
Absolutely delicious! Perfect heft and taste. Bakery quality. Will definitely make again!
Hello Sally………I have recently found your website and am so impressed! These lemon cupcakes were awesome! I used cream cheese frosting and so delicious! I would trust any recipes from this site now as everything I have made has surpassed my expectations! Thank you so much!
Hello Sally.
I was wondering about the use of non-dairy milk. My body really won’t tolerate milk in anything and my daughter is dying to learn to bake. I’d like to be able to eat the fruits of her labors.
You should be able to use any non-dairy milk in the cupcake recipe. Vanilla buttercream frosting is more difficult to replicate since both the texture and flavor comes from the butter.
These cupcakes came out perfect! I’ve tried other Lemon cupcake recipes before, none worked like this one. Absolutely amazing!!
I made these cupcakes into a three layer 6″ cake. I am making a two tier cake and this is going to be the top tier. I tried the cake batter and it tasted delicious but the layers are currently in the freezer until I make my first two tier cake for my friend! I know she will love it!
Would this work with a 1-to-1 gluten free flour?
Hi Ariana! I haven’t tried these cupcakes with gluten free flour- I do know many readers have had success with 1:1 GF flours. If you do try it, let me know how it goes!
Hi Sally!
Thank you for all the yummy recipes. Does this recipe yell a 2 or 3 layer 6in cake? and what would the timing be?
Thanks in advance 🙂
Hi Teresa! This recipe will yield a 3 layer 6 inch cake– follow the baking directions for my 6 inch vanilla cake.