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.
- 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
I wish it called for room temp milk as specified for the eggs and butter. They’re in the oven now and looking good!!!
My son made these as his first time making cupcakes from scratch. They are awesome! The amount of lemon flavor is perfect. They are soft and moist. We weighed the flour and sugar and could have made 14 cupcakes, but made 12 large ones instead. We will definitely make this recipe again.
I love this website for baking. Everything is delicious and come out great but when I made these cupcakes they came out chewy and dense and did not rise they sank. What could I have done wrong?
Hi Gia, did you bake the batter immediately after mixing together? I ask because baking powder is initially activated once wet, and the batter should be baked right away.
Can I use this recipe to make a single layer 9in cake?
Hi Giselle, here’s everything you need to know about cake pan sizes and conversions.
Made it twice, taste great but it always came out really dense. What could be problem?
Hi VJ, we’re happy to help troubleshoot. If you found the cupcakes to be dense, it’s possible they were simply over mixed. This post on how to prevent dry and dense cakes may be helpful to review. Thanks so much for giving these a try!
Hi. I love all of your recipes. I love by them. I wanted you to know that I use these cupcakes for strawberry shortcake. They are perfect for this occasion. So soft and tender. They are truly amazing. I use Lemon extract instead of the vanilla,, and it’s really really awesome. I see you.
In your cupcake recipes, you mention granulated sugar rather than caster sugar?
Hi Sharon, in the US, granulated sugar is standard. It really depends on the recipe, but in most cases you should be fine to substitute caster sugar for granulated.
I love this recipe! Can I double it? Thank you.
Hi Chris, so glad you love these cupcakes! For best texture, we recommend making two batches instead of doubling.
Hi there! I tried this recipe and loved it. I just wanted to confirm, 188g of flour seems a little under for 1 and half cups. I may be wrong, I am a beginner baker 🙂
Hi Martha, when properly measured, 1 cup of flour should weigh about 125g, so 1.5 cups is 188g. Hope this helps!
I can’t wait to try this recipe! Regarding the salt, do you use Kosher salt?
Hi Paula, all of our recipes use table salt unless otherwise stated. Happy baking!
I just made these, theyre so light and fluffy , lovely!!!!!!
Can I use melted butter that’s been slightly cooled rather than softened butter? I find the butter curdles at the end of mixing and looking for an easier alternative. Thank you!
Hi Chris, softened butter is necessary here so that it can be creamed properly with the sugar. Are the rest of your ingredients at room temperature? Curdling happens when ingredients are varying temperatures. Hope this helps!
I’m about to try this recipe. Would cake flour work?
Hi Kayleigh, we fear cake flour would be a bit too light for this recipe. We’d recommend sticking with all-purpose flour for best results.
I love this website so much! I’ve made your pies, cakes, cookies and doughnuts and I never use another site for baked goods. Yours are the BEST.
I’d like to add poppyseeds to this recipe. How much would you suggest?
Thanks for all the deliciousness 🙂
Hi Brenda, We would add a couple teaspoons of poppy seeds to the dry ingredients.
i made this recipe as a 6” cake, following your instructions, with your white chocolate strawberry frosting. delicious.
Hi sally! I am planning to make this recipe, just wondering how many calories is in one serving? And can i suggest to add calorie per serving on up coming recipes. Thanks, C
Hi C, We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
Love this recipe!! Made this into a 6in cake and was very enjoyable but I do have leftovers I want to save until the weekend. Should I wrap slices in saran wrap and freeze or will it be okay in the fridge? I used the strawberry buttercream recipe.
Thank you!
Hi Brianna! We would freeze the cake, it will dry out in the fridge. So good with strawberry buttercream!
The cupcakes taste great! Like another person who commented, there was too much batter for 12 cupcakes. My cupcakes also sank. So, I’ll try the recipe again and make sure I put the excess batter in another pan.
Could this recipe work for a 6 inch 3 layer lemon cake? Thank you!
Yes! See my 6 inch cake post for information. This amount of batter is perfect for it.
Well it was 50/50 here. They tasted delicious! But there was way too much batter for 12 cupcakes (?). Completely overspread – it would have been fine for muffins tho. I’m an experienced baker & followed the recipe to a ‘T’ & was careful about not over mixing. I’m wondering if the lemons I used (from Argentina) were too acidic & using two tsp of baking powder caused this. Had to dump the first batch. Re did it & made 17 cupcakes, that worked fine. I would make again tho. Happy Easter all!
Sometimes citrus is too subtle to detect in baked goods, but this is not the case with Sally’s recipe. The lemon burst through upon the first bite. Yum! I paired these with Sally’s vanilla buttercream. (I halved the buttercream recipe and had plenty to pipe onto 16 cupcakes with Wilton 1 M tip.) I look forward to baking these again and trying with lemon buttercream or strawberry frosting.
Lemon coconut? If I wanted a lemon coconut cake could I just stir some shredded coconut into the batter it affect it in some way. I’m making it as a 6” cake. Thanks ☺️
Hi Julia, we haven’t tested it ourselves, but you could try adding 1 cup of sweetened shredded coconut to the batter before baking. Let us know how it goes!
Hello!!!! I am Arabella 12 years old and l love baking. I and my mother almost always use your recipes and the cupcakes are baking right now I know that they will taste splendid!!!!!!!
YUM! I made these lemon cupcakes and topped with Strawberry cream cheese frosting. Delicious!
Perfect for a baby shower, everyone wanted the recipe. Great that the flavorings are natural.
I did everything according to directions and they didn’t rise !!!!
Hi Carol, we’re happy to help troubleshoot! Perhaps your baking powder is old? We find it can lose strength after just a few months of being open.
I made these cupcakes for my granddaughter’s third birthday. They are delicious! They are the perfect amount of lemon and sweetness, and great texture. Thank you Sally for another great recipe.
These were a hit for my lemon-loving friend’s birthday party! Reading some of the other reviews about the cupcakes sinking, I cut back the lemon juice to 1/4 cup and bumped up the zest a little bit. They didn’t sink and definitely still tasted very lemon-y! I paired it with a lemon cream cheese frosting to boost the lemon flavor even more. Thanks so much! I would definitely make these again.
Would this work with flax eggs or an egg replacer?
Hi Sonia, we haven’t tested these cupcakes with any egg substitutes so we’re unsure of the results. Let us know if you do give it a try!
I’m not sure what happened but my cupcakes didn’t rise much and sank. I thought maybe I mismeasured the baking powder but I made a second batch with the same results.
Hi Regina, Make sure you only fill the cupcake liners only 2/3 full! Too much batter can cause them to sink.
About to try this…would half and half be ok?
Should be fine!
I love all of your recipes! I noticed this one doesn’t mention to have the milk at room temperature, which surprised me. I checked the lemon cake recipe & it does say room temp. Wanted to know if there’s a difference for these?
Hi Kate, correct, the milk should be room temperature here as well. Hope you enjoy the cupcakes!