This recipe shows you how to make lemon cupcakes from scratch with a moist and zesty lemon cake from fresh lemon peel and a lemon buttercream frosting. It’s a sweet yet light cupcake.
Ingredients for Lemon Cupcakes
- Shortening
- Granulated Sugar
- Eggs
- All-Purpose Flour
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Milk
- Lemon Extract
- Fresh Lemon Zest (Grate the colorful yellow part of the peel.)
Ingredients for Lemon Buttercream Frosting
- Confectioners’ Sugar
- Butter
- Milk
- Lemon Extract
How to Grate a Lemon
- To get lemon zest from a lemon, grate only the colorful yellow parts of the lemon peel. This is the part that is full of bright lemon flavor.
- Avoid grating the white parts of the peel because it can have a bitter taste. Add lemon extract and lemon zest and mix.
How Much Zest From One Lemon?
- It takes 2 medium-sized lemons to get the 2 tablespoons of zest needed for this recipe.
Lemon Zest Replacement
- Alternatively, most baking aisles at the grocery have ground lemon peel in the herbs and spices section.
It does not have as strong of a lemon flavor, but I have used it in lemon cupcakes combined with lemon extract and still had decent lemon flavor.
How to Make Lemon Cupcakes From Scratch
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line cupcake pan(s) with 24 regular-sized cupcake liners.
- In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or using a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, mix together shortening and sugar until they are creamy. Add eggs and mix well.
- Sift flour, baking powder, and salt. Begin alternating these dry ingredients with milk as you add them to the mixing bowl.
- Blend well after each addition of dry ingredients and milk.
- Add lemon extract and lemon zest to batter and mix.
- Fill each cupcake liner with approximately 3 tablespoons of batter. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 12-16 minutes until cupcakes are cooked through the center.
- Test with a toothpick in the center of a cupcake to check for doneness.
Lemon Buttercream Frosting Recipe
- Mix together butter, 2 tablespoons milk, and lemon extract. Slowly add confectioners’ sugar. Add 1 more tablespoon of milk if needed.
- Frost cupcakes once they have fully cooled.
Try these other tasty cupcakes!
- Caramel Cupcakes
- Cherry Chip Cupcakes
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes
- Milk Chocolate Cupcakes
- Mint Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
- Moist Yellow Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- Oreo Bottom Cupcakes
- Raspberry Cupcakes
- Strawberries and Cream Cupcakes
- The Best Red Velvet Cupcakes
Enjoy!
Lemon Cupcakes
Yield:
24 Cupcakes
Prep Time:
25 minutes
Cook Time:
16 minutes
Total Time:
41 minutes
How to make lemon cupcakes from scratch with a moist and zesty lemon cake from fresh lemon peel and a lemon buttercream frosting. It's a light and sweet cupcake.
Ingredients
Lemon Cupcakes
- 1/2 cup Shortening
- 1 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 Large Eggs
- 1 3/4 cup All-Purpose Flour
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 cup Milk
- 1 tsp Lemon Extract
- 2 tbsp Fresh Lemon Zest from 2 Medium-Sized Lemons (Grate the colorful yellow part of the peel.)
Lemon Frosting
- 3 cups Confectioners' Sugar
- 1/3 cup Butter, softened
- 1-2 tbsp Milk
- 1 tsp Lemon Extract
- Lemon Drops, Lemon Heads, or Yellow Sprinkles, for topping
Instructions
Lemon Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
- In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or using a mixing bowl with a hand mixer, cream shortening and sugar together. Add eggs.
- Sift flour, baking powder, and salt. Begin alternating dry ingredients with milk as you add them to the mixing bowl. Blend well after each addition. Add lemon extract and lemon zest and mix.
- Fill each cupcake liner with approximately 3 tablespoons of batter. Bake for 12-16 minutes until cupcakes are cooked through the center. Test with a toothpick in the center of a cupcake to check for doneness.
Lemon Frosting
- Mix together butter and lemon extract. Slowly add confectioners' sugar. If too thick, add a tablespoon of milk at a time. Frost cupcakes once they have fully cooled.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 24 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 209Total Fat 8gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 26mgSodium 123mgCarbohydrates 33gFiber 1gSugar 25gProtein 2g
Nutrition is not always accurate and products used in the recipe may differ from local ingredients available to you.
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