Lemon Cupcakes
Light butter sponge cupcakes with lemon zest and juice, topped with a tangy lemon buttercream.
Make Ahead and Storage
Best on the day. Keeps in an airtight tin for 2 days.
Lemon Cupcakes: The Method
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Heat the oven to 180°C / 355°F and line a 12-hole muffin tin. Rub the lemon zest into the caster sugar until fragrant.
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Beat the 175 g butter with the lemon sugar for 4 minutes until pale and fluffy.
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Beat in the eggs one at a time, with a spoonful of the flour each time. Fold in the rest of the flour and 1 tbsp juice.
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Divide between the cases and bake for 20 minutes until golden. Cool completely.
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Beat the remaining butter with the icing sugar and 2 tbsp lemon juice until smooth, and swirl onto the cupcakes.
A Few Pointers
- Rub the zest into the sugar.
- Use butter that is soft but not melted.
- If your oven runs hot, check at 16 minutes.
- Wait for the cakes to cool before frosting.
Behind the Recipe
Rub the lemon zest into the sugar before you start, and everything else in the recipe tastes better. That is the single most useful instruction here.
The oils in the zest carry most of the lemon flavour, and the sugar crystals break them out. Two minutes of rubbing with your fingers turns the sugar pale yellow and fragrant. Zest, not juice, gives the flavour. Juice adds sourness but also water, which can make a sponge heavy.
Cream the butter and lemon sugar until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time with a spoonful of flour, then fold in the rest of the flour and 1 tablespoon of juice.
Bake at 180°C for 20 minutes. If your oven runs hot, check at 16 minutes. Cool fully, then pipe or swirl on the buttercream, which carries the rest of the lemon juice. A few strands of lemon zest on top of each swirl make the cupcakes look finished.
Good Alongside
Hot tea · Sprinkles · Fresh berries · Cold milk
If You're Missing Something
- No self-raising flour to hand? Use the same weight of plain flour plus 2 teaspoons of baking powder per 150 g.
Lemon Cupcakes FAQ
How long does Lemon Cupcakes take to make?
About 40 minutes in total — 20 minutes of preparation and 20 minutes of cooking. The recipe serves 12.
What are the key tips for making Lemon Cupcakes?
Rub the zest into the sugar. Use butter that is soft but not melted. If your oven runs hot, check at 16 minutes. Wait for the cakes to cool before frosting.
What should I serve with Lemon Cupcakes?
Hot tea; Sprinkles; Fresh berries; Cold milk.
How should Lemon Cupcakes be stored?
Best on the day. Keeps in an airtight tin for 2 days.
Is Lemon Cupcakes suitable for a special diet?
This recipe is vegetarian. Those labels are checked against the ingredient list, so a dish is only marked when nothing in it contradicts the claim.
How many calories are in Lemon Cupcakes?
About 368 kcal per serving, with 3 g protein, 44 g carbohydrate and 20 g fat. The figures are calculated from the ingredient list and are an estimate.
Lemon Cupcakes Nutrition
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.
Reader Reviews
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Written and tested by Turab
One person, one kitchen — no test kitchen, no team. How every recipe on this site is checked before it goes up.
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