Packed with the refreshing flavor of lemons in each bite, these lemon curd cupcakes are absolutely delicious. Fluffy, soft lemon cupcakes are filled with a sweet and tangy lemon curd filling. For an extra pop of lemon flavor, lemon curd cupcakes are finished with a lemon cream cheese frosting and a dollop of extra lemon curd.
How To Make Lemon Cupcakes
These lemon cupcakes are incredibly moist and infused with the fragrant flavor of fresh lemons. For the best lemon flavor in cupcakes, both the zest and juice of fresh lemons are used. Taking things a step further, I infused the sugar in this recipe with the freshly grated lemon zest. The purpose behind doing this is to release the natural fragrance and oil from the lemon zest. To make lemon sugar, I used a microplane grater to grate lemon zest and then used my fingertips to incorporate the zest into the sugar. Alternatively, sugar and lemon zest may be added into a food processor and blended until combined. To make these insanely scrumptious lemon cupcakes, you will need:
Key Ingredients
- Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Granulated Sugar
- Egg
- Whole Milk
- Fresh Lemon Juice
- Unsalted Butter
- Neutral Flavored Oil i.e. Avocado, Grapeseed or Vegetable Oil
- Vanilla Extract
- Lemon Zest
Easy Lemon Curd Recipe
This easy lemon curd recipe is nicely sweet and tangy and, more importantly, packed with lemon flavor. I find that the tartness of the lemon curd helps to balance the overall sweetness of these cupcakes. As a lover of desserts that are not overly sweet, that is a win in my book! Made with just 5 ingredients (fresh lemon juice, sugar, eggs, butter and lemon zest) this lemon curd recipe is a breeze to make.
To make lemon curd, add the eggs and sugar into a medium, heavy bottom saucepan and whisk to combine. Next pour and whisk the lemon juice into sugar mixture. Cook wet mixture under medium low heat whisking constantly until lemon curd starts to thicken and registers between 167-170F on a kitchen thermometer. Remove lemon curd from heat and whisk in softened butter a little at time to combine. Next, whisk in the lemon zest. Transfer lemon curd to a heat safe container and directly cover the top of curd with plastic/cling wrap. Refrigerate curd for 2-4 hours before using.
How To Make Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
Deliciously creamy and studded with fresh lemon zest, this lemon cream cheese frosting is the perfect addition to these cupcakes. Here is what you will need to make frosting:
Key Ingredients
- Whole Milk Cream Cheese
- Unsalted Butter
- Confectioner’s (Powdered) Sugar
- Fresh Lemon Zest
Tips for Making Cream Cheese Frosting
- Use Full Fat (Block) Cream Cheese – for the best quality cream cheese frosting that is not too runny or lacking in flavor, make sure to use full fat rather than low fat cream cheese. Additionally, use cream cheese that comes in a block as opposed to the spreadable cream cheese that comes in a tub.
- Use Room Temperature Cream Cheese and Butter – to ensure that frosting whips up smoothly without any lumps, both the cream cheese and butter should be brought to room temperature prior to using, about 1-2 hours (depending on the warmth of your kitchen). It is important to note that room temperature does not mean softened. How can you tell the difference? If you are able to press your finger into cream cheese and butter and it leaves an indentation, then it has been brought up to room temperature and is ready to use. Softened cream cheese and butter is way too soft to make an indentation in as has more of a spreadable consistency.
- Do Not Overmix – this is a tip that I learned the hard way! When cream cheese frosting is overmixed, it will inevitably result in a runny consistency. The goal here is to mix the frosting ingredients together just until a smooth frosting without any lumps is achieved.
- Refrigerate Before Using – if you find that your frosting is on the runny/soft side, simply refrigerate for 30-60 minutes. Refrigerating overly soft frosting prior to using will help to stiffen it up and make it more sturdy to use. This is particularly important if you are planning on using frosting for piping and layering cakes and/or cupcakes.
How to Make Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Curd Filling (Assembly)
- Core about 1/2 inch out the center of cooled cupcakes. I used this tool to remove the center portion of cupcakes.
- Spoon lemon curd into a pastry bag and cut 1/4 inch off from the tip of the pastry bag.
- Pipe enough of the lemon curd into the center of each cupcake just until the surface is reached.
- Fill a separate pastry bag fitted with a 1M Wilton pastry tip with the lemon cream cheese frosting. Starting in the center of each cupcake, pipe frosting in a circular motion until the outer rim is reached. Pipe a border on top of the base layer.
- Pipe enough of the remaining lemon curd into the border to fill before serving.
How to Store Lemon Curd Cupcakes
- Baked cupcakes (without filling and buttercream) tightly wrapped in plastic wrap will last up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator and 1-3 months in the freezer. When ready to use frozen lemon cupcakes, simply thaw out in the refrigerator overnight to restore soft texture.
- Lemon cream cheese frosting stored in an airtight container will last up to 1 week in the refrigerator and 3 months in the freezer. When ready to use frozen/refrigerated buttercream, simply thaw out at room temperature until soft enough to re-whip to smooth, fluffy consistency.
- Filled and decorated cupcakes stored in an airtight container will last up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
Looking For More Scrumptious Eats, Checkout the Links Below:
If you make this recipe, please make sure to let me know by tagging me @nourishedendeavors on Instagram or by leaving a comment in the comment section down below so I can find out how this recipe turned out for you! If you have any questions, ask away! I would love to answer your questions! Happy baking!
PrintLemon Curd Cupcakes
Packed with the refreshing flavor of lemons in each bite, these lemon curd cupcakes are absolutely delicious. Fluffy, soft lemon cupcakes are filled with a sweet and tangy lemon curd filling. For an extra pop of lemon flavor, cupcakes are finished with a lemon cream cheese frosting and a dollop of extra lemon curd.
- Prep Time: 20 Minutes
- Cook Time: 30 Minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 12 Cupcakes 1x
Ingredients
Lemon Curd
- 2 Large Eggs
- 2/3 Cups (134 g) Granulated Sugar
- 6 Tablespoons (90 ml) Fresh Lemon Juice
- 3 Tablespoons (43 g) Unsalted Butter, Cubed, Room Temperature
- Zest (1) Lemon, Optional
Lemon Cupcakes
- 1 1/2 Cups (188 g) Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 3/4 Cup (150 g) Granulated Sugar
- 1 3/4 Teaspoons Baking Powder
- 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
- 2 Large Eggs, Room Temperature
- 6 Tablespoons (90 ml) Milk, Dairy/Non-Dairy, Room Temperature
- 2 Tablespoons (30 ml) Fresh Lemon Juice, Room Temperature
- 1/4 Cup (57 g) Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
- 3 Tablespoon (45 ml) Unflavored Oil i.e. Grapeseed/Vegetable Oil
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- Zest (1) Large Lemons
Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 Ounces (226 g) Full Fat Cream Cheese, Room Temperature
- 1/2 Cup (113 g) Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
- 2 Cups (220 g) Powdered Sugar, Sifted
- Zest (1) Large Lemon
Instructions
Lemon Curd
- In a medium heavy bottom saucepan, add the sugar and eggs. Whisk ingredients to combine.
- Pour lemon juice into sugar-egg mixture and whisk to combine.
- Under medium heat, cook curd while whisking consistently. Curd is ready once it has thickened up and coats the back of spoon/spatula, about 10-12 minutes. The temperature of curd should register 165-170F on a kitchen thermometer.
- Remove curd from heat.
- Pass hot curd through a fine mesh sieve/strainer into a bowl and discard any remnants of cooked eggs, if present.
- Slowly whisk butter into warm curd a little at time (about 1 tablespoon) until completely incorporated.
- Whisk the lemon zest into curd, if using before, covering the surface of curd with plastic/cling wrap.
- Refridgerate lemon curd for at least 2-4 hours or overnight. Curd will continue to thicken up as it cools.
Lemon Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350F(177C). Line a 12-count cupcake baking pan with cupcake liners.
- In a medium mixing bowl, add flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk ingredients to combine.
- In a separate medium mixing bowl, add the sugar and lemon zest. Use fingertips to rub zest into sugar until it is fully mixed in and sugar-zest mixture becomes aromatic, about (1) minute.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl and hand-held mixer, add the lemon sugar, butter and oil.
- Mix ingredients together at medium high speed until light and fluffy in appearance, about 2-3 minutes.
- Next, beat eggs into butter mixture one at a time ensuring each egg is properly mixed into batter before adding the next egg.
- Reduce mixer speed to low. Mix in half of the flour mixture into wet batter, followed by the milk, lemon juice and vanilla extract and ending with the remaining flour mixture.
- Stop mixer and use a spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of mixing bowl. Turn mixer back on to low speed and mix cupcake batter for an additional minute.
- Evenly divide cupcake batter into prepared cupcake pan and bake for 18-20 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through bake time. Cupcakes are ready when a toothpick inserted into the center of one of them comes out clean.
- Allow cupcakes to rest in pans for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to completely cool to room temperature.
Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl and a hand-held mixer, add the cream cheese, butter, and lemon zest.
- Beat cream cheese mixture together at medium high speed until mixture is smooth and lump free, about 1-2 minutes.
- Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly mix in the confectioner’s sugar 1 cup at a time.
- Once all of the powdered suger has been mixed into frosting, stop mixer. Use a spatula to scrape the sides and base of mixing bowl.
- Resume mixing frosting for an additional minute at medium speed until smooth in appearance.
- If lemon cream cheese frosting appears too soft to pipe, refrigerate frosting for 30-60 minutes. This will allow frosting to reach a firmer consistency to pipe. (I prefer this method over mixing in additional sugar which can result in an overly sweet frosting). See notes below on how to siften up soft frosting without refrigeration.
Assembly
- Core about 1/2 inch out the center of cooled cupcakes. I used this tool to remove the center portion out of cupcakes but this cupcake corer is great as well.
- Spoon 1/2 cup of the lemon curd into a standard pastry bag and snip 1/4 inch off the tip of the bag.
- Pipe enough of the lemon curd into the center of each cupcake just until the surface is reached. Refill pastry bag with lemon curd as needed.
- Spoon the lemon cream cheese frosting into a separate pastry bag fitted with a 1M Wilton pastry tip. Starting in the center of each cupcake, pipe frosting in a circular motion until the outer rim is reached.
- Next, pipe a border on top of base frosting layer.
- Fill the center of each piped border with remaining lemon curd.
Notes
- Lemon curd cupcakes are best eaten the day it is prepared but will last 3-4 days in the fridge stored in an airtight container.
- Left over lemon curd may be stored in an airtight container/jar and will stay fresh in the fridge for up to (1) week.
- To ensure that cupcake batter is evenly divided into cupcake liners, I like to use a cookie/ice cream scooper.
- If lemon cream cheese frosting is on the soft side, simply place frosting in the fridge to chill for 30-60 minutes. This will help make frosting reach a firmer consistency to pipe without difficulty. To avoid refrigeration, mix in an additional 1 cup (110 g) confectioner’s sugar 1/2 cup at time into frosting until a firmer consistency is reach (this will result in a sweeter frosting).
Kathi M
These are magnificent! I made them for an event and the ladies loved them. I did use a different lemon curd recipe, but I’m sure this one is equally as good. Thank you for posting this.
nourished endeavors
I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks so much for sharing how they turned out for you!