Wonderfully lemony, these gorgeous cupcakes are sweet and soft, with a lemon curd center and a lemon cream cheese frosting. All components can be made ahead. Their bright and zesty flavors are perfect for spring celebrations, small weddings, Mother's Day and Easter.
A wonderful sweet lemon cake batter, sturdy enough to nestle the thick curd center and topped with a smooth lemon cream cheese frosting.
These cupcakes are a citrus lover's dream come true. The tangy lemon curd filling creates a beautiful contrast that is sure to bring raves.
The components can be made ahead, making them ideal for special occasions like Easter, birthdays and other small gatherings.
These lemon-filled cupcakes make an elegant option on a dessert table.
Three parts to this recipe
- Lemon cupcake: a great, tender crumb yet sturdy enough to hold the filling. That was the challenge, and we made it work.
- Lemon curd: it's sweet but very citrusy and can be made ahead and kept refrigerated or frozen.
- Lemon cream cheese frosting: the popular and irresistibly creamy frosting we love crowns these elegant cupcakes.
How to make lemon cupcakes
The lemon cake batter is a flavored butter cake with a nice dose of lemon juice and zest.
- Sifting the flour mixture: an important step for achieving a soft crumb; don't skip it.
- Dividing the batter: for the cupcakes to bake evenly, the batter must be distributed evenly also among the paper liners. A large cookie scoop is a good gadget to do so. A regular spoon can also be used.
Assembling the cupcakes
- Making the center hole for the filling: you can use a teaspoon, but the easiest way is with a melon baller. It easily scoops out the amount of crumb you want creating a larger or smaller space depending on what you need.
- Frosting: I like to use a piping bag with a simple star tip or a plain tip (like the cinnamon cupcakes frosting). You can use a spoon and mound the frosting and then smooth out the sides. Rustic is also good.
Lemon filling
How large should the hole be? It depends on how much curd you want. We like to use a good amount because although it's tangy and has a strong lemon flavor, the frosting is quite sweet. So they balance each other out.
Do a test run with one cupcake. Assemble it and make the effort (lol) of biting into it and adjusting if you want more or less curd.
Lemon cream cheese frosting
This is our favorite easy frosting for several reasons: it's easy to make, lasts for weeks in an airtight container, and can be piped or spooned on top of the cupcakes.
Even if decorating is not your forte (it sure isn't mine!), it's pretty easy to frost these beauties.
- Piping bag: I use disposable large piping bags because they're fuss-free, and regular ones can be a pain in the b**t to wash. I sometimes reuse disposable ones twice. You can keep the bag in the fridge for weeks if you have leftover frosting.
- Piping tips: there are two that I reach for constantly that are great for beginners, the round tip and the star tip. You can buy a decorating piping tip set that includes the most common ones.
- To frost the cupcakes: place the piping bag at the center of the cupcake and squeeze as you make circles, closing in with each one so you end up in the middle.
- How much frosting? It's pretty sweet despite the lemon zest, so don't make very tall mounds unless you like very sweet cupcakes.
Variations & substitutions
- Lemon buttercream: add guacamole, crispy onions or
- White chocolate: in the batter or frosting
- Blueberry-filled cupcakes: add some fresh berries to the lemon curd before filling the cupcakes for a burst of flavor.
Kitchen notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
- Baking time: consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer(like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
- Frosting: besides the cream cheese one used for this recipe, you can use lemon buttercream frosting.
- Storage: the cupcakes, frosting, and lemon curd can all be made ahead. Keep the cupcakes for 2 days at room temperature, wrapped or in an airtight container to prevent dryness, or frozen for a month. Use airtight containers or jars for the filling and frosting and keep them in the fridge or frozen.
- Lemon curd cake: make layers instead of cupcakes, fill with lemon curd and frost with the cream cheese mixture.
Related recipes you might like:
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Lemon Curd Cupcakes
Wonderfully lemony, these gorgeous cupcakes are sweet and soft, with a lemon curd center and a lemon cream cheese frosting. All components can be made ahead. They're perfect for spring celebrations, small weddings, Mother's Day and Easter.
- Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 12 cupcakes
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose or cake flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 cups white sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest (about 1 lemon)
- 4 eggs, at room temperature
- ¾ cup milk, at room temperature
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
For the lemon curd:
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- ½ cup sugar
- Pinch of salt
- A few drops of vanilla extract
For the cream cheese frosting:
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- ½ cup butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup cream cheese, at room temperature
- 3 to 4 cups confectioners' sugar
Instructions
For the cake
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF /180ºC.
- Line 12 muffin or cupcake pans with paper liners.
- In a large bowl beat butter while adding sugar gradually until creamy, 2-3 minutes.
- Add zest and eggs, one at a time, beating well each time to combine.
- Sift flour, baking powder, and salt (I do it directly over the butter mix) and add it in 3 parts to the butter mixture, alternating with the milk, lemon juice, and vanilla in 2 parts.
- Mix well but don’t overbeat.
- Divide cake batter evenly among the 12 paper cups.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.
- Let cool completely on a wire rack.
For the lemon curd:
- In a medium-heavy saucepan, heat lemon juice and butter just below the boiling point.
- In a large bowl, mix eggs, yolks and sugar to blend.
- Gradually add hot lemon mixture, mixing well.
- Transfer the mixture back to the saucepan and stir constantly over medium heat until it thickens and leaves a path in the back of the spoon. Be careful not to burn the bottom.
- Remove from heat, add salt and vanilla and mix.
- Place a piece of plastic wrap or freezer sheets directly over the curd, covering it completely. This will prevent a layer from forming as it cools down.
- Refrigerate once it's cold. It keeps for 5 days in the refrigerator.
For the cream cheese frosting:
- In a large bowl, mix butter, cream cheese, lemon juice, and zest. Beat until very smooth.
- Add 1 cup sugar and beat well. Keep adding confectioners' sugar, ½ cup at a time, until the frosting is thick enough to pipe.
- Transfer to a large piping bag with a star tip and refrigerate for 1 hour before using.
To assemble cupcakes:
- With a small spoon or melon ball scoop, take out a piece of cake from the center of the cupcake. Discard.
- Pipe or spoon some of the cold lemon curd, filling the hole completely.
- Using a piping bag with a wide, star or plain tip, pipe the frosting on top of the cupcakes.
- Sprinkle some lemon zest on top of the frosting before serving.
Notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
- Baking time: consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer(like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
- Storage: the cupcakes, frosting, and lemon curd can all be made ahead. Keep the cupcakes for 2 days at room temperature, wrapped or in an airtight container to prevent dryness, or frozen for a month. Use airtight containers or jars for the filling and frosting and keep them in the fridge or frozen.
- Piping bag: I use disposable large piping bags because they're fuss-free, and regular ones can be a pain in the b**t to wash. I sometimes reuse disposable ones twice. You can keep the bag in the fridge for weeks if you have leftover frosting.
- Piping tips: there are two that I reach for constantly that are great for beginners, the round tip and the star tip. You can buy a decorating piping tip set that includes the most common ones.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cooling time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Cupcakes
- Method: Baking + stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: lemon curd cupcakes
Karen says
Curd says cream in the directions, but I do not see a cream measurement in the ingredients for it.
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Karen, there's no cream in the curd. It was a typo. Thanks for the heads-up!
Mikayla Sweitzer says
These are absolutely gorgeous!
As for why I learned sign language, it's always something that's interested me! When I found the option to learn online on top of my other school work, I jumped at it! It's been so rewarding, and loads of work! I start my 3rd semester soon 🙂