Light, lemony cupcakes are filled with succulent lemon curd and topped with a dreamy raspberry buttercream frosting. These cupcakes are easy to make and will WOW guests, friends, family or whoever you need to impress!
Why This Recipe Works
I have been dreaming these babies up for weeks. I make Lemon Curd way more often than I should (how can I resist?), so I’m constantly thinking of new ways to incorporate it into baked goods. The lemon cupcakes turned out perfectly.
They are light and lemony and also the perfect edible receptacles for holding delicious globs of the irresistible nectar known as lemon curd.
And I used a yummy little fruit-flavored secret to make the frosting! I added freeze-dried raspberries (transformed into a powder) so the frosting would be raspberry-packed but would also have the perfect buttercream consistency. All of this gloriousness together? This is what I call cupcake perfection.
If you’ve never attempted making your own lemon curd, please don’t let it intimidate you! Watch my video (below) to see just how easy it is to make a batch of your very own.
How To Make Lemon Cupcakes With Raspberry Buttercream
Make The Cupcakes
Preheat oven to 350°F and line a cupcake tin withliners. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or alarge mixing bowl with a hand mixer), combine the butter, sugar, eggsand vanilla extract and beat on medium-low speed until creamy.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix well.Gradually add to the butter mixture and beat on medium-low speed untiljust combined. Add the milk, lemon juice and lemon zest and mix until just combined.
Spoon the batter into the cupcake liners so each is 2/3 of the way full. Bake in the preheated oven for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean. Let cool. Repeat with remaining batter.
Make The Frosting
In a large bowl, mix (using whisk attachments) the butter with ahand-held or stand mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Add the confectioners’ sugar, raspberry powder and milk and mix on mediumspeed for 1-2 minutes, or until frosting is smooth and spreadable.
Assemble The Cupcakes
Using a sharp knife cut a 1-inch chunk out of the top center of each cupcake. Spoon 1 teaspoon of the lemon curd into each hole. Spread or pipethe frosting over the tops. Top each cupcake with a raspberry!
Replacing Lemon Extract With Lemon Juice
Absolutely! This cupcake recipe calls for the juice of 1 lemon, which equals between 1-2 tablespoons of juice. A good replacement for that amount of lemon juice would be 1 teaspoon of lemon extract.
Best Lemon Curd Recipe
Learn how to make the best lemon curd! A fresh, light and lemony filling or topping that goes great on cakes, cookies, cupcakes or any baked treat!
How To Make Colored Frosting
Either load it up with food coloring, or! OR! I have a much tastier solution for you! Buy a package of freeze-dried fruit (in this case, raspberries), place the dried fruit into a ziploc bag and pound it with a heavy spoon until a fine powder forms.
Pour the fruit powder into the mixing bowl, along with the rest of your frosting ingredients, to achieve that glorious color the natural way! Freeze-dried fruit can be found at either: your local grocery store (some are better about carrying it than others), Wal-Mart (they have a great and affordable variety!), Trader Joe’s or Amazon. Watch my video below to see how incredibly easy it is to make frosting using freeze-dried fruit!
I highly recommend making these cupcakes for whatever gathering falls next on your list. They are PRETTY (right?) and when people discover that little lemon curd treasure, they will swoon. And hug you. And hug you again.
What To Do With Lemons
Lemons are such a magical and versatile citrus fruit. If you are wondering what to do with lemons that might be sitting in your kitchen, read on for a variety of delicious ideas!
FAQ About Lemons
Lemons contain a good amount of vitamin C and fiber, making it a citrus fruit with health benefits.
Lemon juice is an acidic fruit. It contains a pH of somewhere between 2 and 3, making it up to 100,000 times more acidic than water.
Dogs can have small amounts of any portion of a lemon (skin, juice or pulp), but large quantities should be avoided. Too much of it can cause digestive issues.
Lemons can be frozen whole or in wedges or slices when stored in freezer bags for 3-4 months. Lemon juice can also be frozen when stored in an airtight container for up to 4 months.
Fresh lemons have a bright yellow skin and are semi-firm to the touch. You will know if a lemon has gone bad if the skin loses its luster or has blotches and appears wrinkled, soft or discolored. Mold appears as white or green patches and is a sign that a lemon has expired and should be discarded.
Best Lemon Desserts
Don’t limit yourself to lemon squares! If you or anyone in your life loves lemon desserts as much as I do, consider making one or more of these delicious sugary concoctions:
- Lemon Blueberry Layer Cake with Lemon Buttercream will knock your socks off, from the blueberry- and lemon-infused cake, through the succulent lemon curd and straight to the lemony buttercream frosting.
- Lemon Ice Box Pie – The perfect complement to the zest of lemon is the graham cracker crust. A citrus flavored cream pie is delightful and so delicious. A small slice goes a long way in flavor, it’s the perfect summer treat!
- Candied Lemon Slices are EASY to make! They make beautiful edible garnishes for baked goods and can be enjoyed as a treat, as well. Such a great way to use up lemons!
- If you have a lemon lover in your life, you are going to want to add these Lemon Bars to your baking list pronto! A lemon curd filling tops a perfectly baked shortbread crust, making the most delicious lemony dessert you will ever taste!
Related Recipes
Will you help add value to Pip and Ebby?
If you make this recipe and love it, stop back and give it a 5-star rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a comment. THANK YOU!
Lemon Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream Recipe
Ingredients
CUPCAKES
- 3/4 cup salted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 2/3 cup milk at room temperature
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1 lemon zested
- 1 cup lemon curd
- 24 fresh raspberries for topping
FROSTING
- 1 cup salted butter softened
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup raspberry powder place freeze-dried raspberries in a ziploc bag and pound with a heavy spoon until powder forms
- 4-5 tbsp milk
Instructions
MAKE THE CUPCAKES
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a cupcake tin with
liners. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a
large mixing bowl with a hand mixer), combine the butter, sugar, eggs
and vanilla extract and beat on medium-low speed until creamy. - In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix well.
Gradually add to the butter mixture and beat on medium-low speed until
just combined. Add the milk, lemon juice and lemon zest and mix until just combined. - Spoon the batter into the cupcake liners so each is 2/3 of the way full. Bake in the preheated oven for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean. Let cool. Repeat with remaining batter.
MAKE THE FROSTING
- In a large bowl, mix (using whisk attachments) the butter with ahand-held or stand mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, raspberry powder and milk and mix on mediumspeed for 1-2 minutes, or until frosting is smooth and spreadable.
ASSEMBLE THE CUPCAKES
- Using a sharp knife cut a 1-inch chunk out of the top center of each cupcake. Spoon 1 teaspoon of the lemon curd into each hole. Spread or pipe
the frosting over the tops. Top each cupcake with a raspberry!
3 tablespoons of baking powder?
Duh! Thank you for bringing that to my attention – fixed!