Easy Lemon Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting

Easy Lemon Cupcakes with a homemade buttercream frosting spread on top in the shape of a rose. The tastiest homemade lemon cupcakes.

Course Desserts

Cuisine American

Keyword buttercream frosting, cupcakes, easy lemon cupcakes, homemade cupcakes, how to make a lemon cupcake, how to make buttercream, lemon cupcakes, lemon cupcakes from scratch, lemon dessert, spring cupcake, summer cupcake, the best lemon cupcake recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 19

Total Time 29

Servings cupcakes

Calories 405kcal

Author Kelsey

Equipment

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
3 tsp baking powder
Pinch salt
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
Juice and zest of 3 lemons
1 ¼ cup milk

For the buttercream topping:

1 ½ sticks butter softened (about ¾ cup)
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 ½ tablespoons cocoa powder
2 tablespoons whole milk
¼ teaspoon red gel food coloring

Instructions

Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees. Then line your cupcake pan with cupcake liners and then set aside.
Now in a bowl add your sifted flour, baking powder and salt. Set it aside.
Pour your oil, sugar and eggs into a stand mixer or use a hand mixer to cream the mixture.
Once your ingredients are fully creamed add in your lemon juice and lemon zest.
Now slowly add in your dry ingredients and incorporate doing a little dry ingredients and then a bit of the milk. Repeat till all the milk and dry ingredients are mixed.
Scoop your lemon cupcake batter into your liners, around 1/4 cup batter in each.
Bake for 15-19 minutes or until the lemon cupcakes are fully cooked. Then place all cupcakes on a cooling rack.
Once the cupcakes are fully cooled you will work on your buttercream frosting.
In a new bowl blend your butter, sugar, cocoa powder and milk together. Start on a low speed and then increase to high.
Once your buttercream frosting is formed you will then add in the food coloring to get that deep red color.
Pour your buttercream frosting into a piping bag and I used the Wilton 1M tip.
Start in the center and work your way around the edge of each cupcake.

Notes

Zesting a Lemon - Use a lemon zester and gently peel off the outer most layer of the lemon peel. You don't want to get a lot of the white, as that will be bitter.

Frosting - If you do not want a buttercream frosting, feel free to drizzle with a powdered sugar glaze, top with a different flavor frosting, etc. Or serve them bare.

Storage: These lemon cupcakes will need to be refrigerated due to the buttercream frosting. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. Or freeze any cupcakes you don't plan to eat right away.

Nutrition