Lemon Cream Cupcakes

It was recently my brother in law’s birthday and he asked for Lemon Meringue cupcakes. AIso, he recently bought me a kitchen torch and I had been excited for a chance to use it. My afternoon, however, ended up filled with last minute auditions and I was left with only one hour to make him cupcakes. These were my “in-a-pinch” solution.

If you are a lemon cupcake-lover these are for you. They are kinda amazing. They have cream cheese IN them as well as in the frosting so they have a bit of a cheesecake quality to them. They are still super cakey- but sponge-y and almost creamy in texture. All of these things make them super delicious.

I added a lot more lemon zest to the recipe than it called for because it just didn’t seem like enough. The result was perfect. Tart and also sweet. I will absolutely be making these again. For a garnish I made some simple lemon twists.  Enjoy!

(Note: Whenever I am in a pinch to get my cupcakes made and frosted I take a shortcut and put the cupcakes in the freezer for about 10 minutes right after I take them out of the oven. This may be bad for some recipes, but it worked just fine for these!)

Lemon Cream Cupcakes

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter at room temperature
  • 1 3 ounce package cream cheese
  • Zest of 2 Lemons
  • 2/3 cup sugar2 eggs
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 5 cups confectioners' sugar

Instructions

  1. Beat together the butter, cream cheese, lemon zest and sugar, then beat in eggs until smooth.
  2. Gradually add the flour, baking powder and salt to the cheese mixture and beat with your mixer on low speed until just combined.
  3. Divide the batter evenly between 12 cupcake cups that have been lined with paper cupcake liners.
  4. Bake at 325F about 25 minutes until firm to the touch.
  5. While cupcakes are baking, make frosting by beating the frosting ingredients together until smooth
  6. Let cool 10 minutes in pan, then transfer to a wire rack. Frost when cooled.

For Frosting:

  1. Beat cream cheese, butter, lemon juice, lemon rind, and vanilla together until smooth and fluffy.
  2. Add confectioners' sugar in 2 additions. Beat until creamy. Add more icing sugar or juice as needed for easy spreading.

Notes

This recipe yields 12 cupcakes. The frosting, however, makes a little bit more than enough. I like a lot of frosting, but if you want a little less, you could easily half this recipe!

Nutrition Information:
Serving Size: 1 grams
Amount Per Serving: Unsaturated Fat: 0g

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

Cupcake Recipe found here.
Frosting Recipe found here.

9 Comments

  1. hello there! stumbled on your blog and saw these cupcakes… then drooled. i’m a BIG lemon lover so these are now on my to-do list. i’m also new to the blogging world + am a baking fanatic.

    looking forward to keeping up with your creations. have a look into mine if you get the chance!

  2. Actually putting your cupcakes in the freezer while they are still hot makes them more moist. the instant cold air locks in the moisture. I always put them in even if I’m not short on time. These look fabulous…I definitely will try them!

  3. @Yasmeen- Thanks for checking it out! I am really enjoying this so far and will check you out! I have lots of great recipes coming up in the next few weeks!
    @Bonnie- That is good to know! I am glad that my lazy baking habit is actually good for my cupcakes! Thanks for stopping by!

  4. I just made these cupcakes tonight and can I say OH MY GOSH!! These are the best cupcakes I’ve ever tasted!! I have been baking for many years and some recipes are good, some better and some the best, this one is definitely one of the best!! I doubled the batter and made 24 cupcakes and used one batch of your frosting (added a little yellow food coloring) and it was enough for me to frost all 24 with a little left over. I used the left over frosting and ate it with Nilla wafers and it was really yummy. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe……this is going into my ‘permanent’ file. :)

  5. Just stumbled upon your blog and this recipe. I’m a lemon freak! You say you used ‘way’ more lemon zest than the recipe called for…how much did you use??

  6. Hey Barbara! Thanks for reading! The recipe I posted reflects the changes I made. I actually used the zest of two lemons! Enjoy! :)

  7. I made these for my friends bridal shower. She said she likes anything lemon or creamchees-y, so these were perfect! Everyone raved about them. Thank you for making me an awesome bridesmaid!

  8. Audra, I keep meaning to tell you that putting hot food in your freezer is really bad for your freezer! In addition, it may drop the temperature of the freezer enough to cause the other food in there to spoil or become unsafe. Of course, if you have an empty freezer, and you don’t own it (because your landlord does) I suppose there is no harm. I just had to mention it, since I would yell if any of my cook’s ever put hot food in a freezer. Maybe you will get a blast chiller for a wedding present? A girl can dream! :)

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