Easy Filled Lemon Cupcakes (Soft and Moist)
Best, quick and easy lemon cupcakes recipe, homemade with simple ingredients from scratch. Soft, moist and fluffy with fresh lemon zest and juice. Filled with lemon curd. Decorated with cream cheese frosting.
Servings: 14 Cupcakes
Calories: 592kcal
Ingredients
- ½ cup Butter Unsalted, Room temperature
- 1 cup Granulated sugar
- 1 Egg Large, Room temperature
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon Lemon extract
- 3 tablespoon Lemon juice
- 2 teaspoon Lemon zest
- ½ cup Milk Preferably whole but 2% can be used, Room temperature
- ¼ cup Sour cream Full fat
- Yellow gel coloring Optional
- 1.5 cups All-purpose flour
- 1.5 teaspoon Baking powder
- 2 cups Lemon curd
- 3 cups Cream cheese frosting Can be flavored with 1 teaspoon lemon extract and 1 teaspoon lemon zest, if you like.
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs and mix until smooth.
- Add vanilla extract, lemon extract, lemon juice, lemon zest, milk, sour cream, yellow gel coloring (optional) and mix until combined.
- Add flour and baking powder and mix until just combined.
- Pour batter in cupcake liners and bake at 350 degrees F for about 18-20 minutes or until an inserted toothpick in the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool completely to room temperature.
- While the cupcakes are baking and cooling, prepare the lemon curd and cream cheese frosting.
- Use Wilton's Filling Tip # 230 to fill each cupcake with lemon curd.
- Top off each cupcake with cream cheese frosting. To make them very pretty, use Wilton's Tip # 104 (petal tip) to decorate ruffle flowers, like I did. Enjoy!
Notes
- Do not over bake these cupcakes because that will make them dry.
- Don't frost warm cupcakes. They need to cool fully or else the icing will melt.
- Some other decorating ideas include topping with fresh slices of lemon, berries, mint leaves, edible flowers sprinkles, mini candles or sparklers for birthdays.
- Yellow gel coloring is optional but I like to add it in the batter to enhance the yellow color.
- Please use room temperature ingredients because they blend together better and more smoothly and evenly.
- Replace all the lemon flavors with limes or oranges to create a different citrus flavored cupcake.
- Use full fat ingredients for maximum richness.
- If you have time, sift the flour because it creates a more airy texture.
- Read additional tips and variations above.
- Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 592kcal | Carbohydrates: 94g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 32mg | Sodium: 306mg | Potassium: 118mg | Sugar: 80g | Vitamin A: 260IU | Vitamin C: 1.7mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 0.8mg